Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-08-27

L
| political speaker He had already
acquired reputation in the East as
| trenchant, clear-cut, and able orator
and was generally spoken of as q
young man of brilliant promise and q
prospective leader of his party.
| His services We're demanded in the
| West and a campaign was arranged Tor
| him which embraced a mass meeting
at Madison in this state. His address
was received with great enthusiasm by
his political friends and made much
| OF by the Republican newspapers OF
| the state. 1t was, in fact, far above
| the level of the ordinary campaign
| speech. Some weeks later, IN con-
| versation with Il prominent citlZen who
| was present on the occasion, ana
| strongly impressed by the speech ana
| the speaker. l asked him to give me
| his idea of Blaine. His reply, though
| unprecedented, was remarkably eX-
pressive, "a robust figure with big
nose and an amazing fund or IDEAS
| one of the brightest men l nave ever
| heard on the stump" This gives one a
very accurate idea of Blaine Years OF
study, and experience in the pub!lc
| service, expanded his powers, ampli-
| fled his knowledge, and strengthened
| his grasp of great national queStloiiS'
but did not serve to change MS per-
Sonal characteristics. He was always
| a man of ideas and convictions. HIS
| experience as a journalist was OF IN
| valuable service to him in two lmpor-
! tant particulars: 1t helped to teach
him the correct use of language ana
enforced the habit of investigation es-
| scntial To an enlightened discussion OF
subjects of current public interest, SO
| that when he entered Congress ne was
AS wen posted as any man in public
| life. He was. moreover, by constltu-
| tional inclination and tastes, a man Oh
| affairs. Public questions interested him
and he enjoyed dealing with them. his
| convictions We're the result OF STUDY
| and reflection and he never shfank
| from expressing them when occasion
! called. Few men of his generation, or
any generation, equaled MN III the
| ability to make an effective ana tell
| ing snecch before popular gathering.
He was clear, bold. aggressive, anu his
mind was so generously stored WIFI
historical and political material, ana
| he was such an expert III the use Oh
| it, that his speeches were dlSlihctiS
powerful in molding public sentiment.
Few American statesmen, II any, nave
surpassed him in the masterful man
ner Of presenting and enforcing MS
views and opinions on pubic queStiohs'
He was moreover, q natural leader
He was brilliant, magnetic, ambitious,
eloquent, courageous, with PERSONAL
| itv which inspired affection and moved
| the popular heart. His failure to reach
The coal of his ambition was not due
| to lack of ability; nor was it due to
| the lukewarmnesS of his followers. III
was said of Henry Clay that fate was
against his reaching the one honor he
coveted, and the same may be aiflrlned
of Blaine. 1t has been said that MS
ouarrcl with Conkling lost him the
presidency. It doubtless mad some
bearing on his failure to secure the
nomination in 1876. SO probably dld
his COLLAPSE on the church steps at
washington while the convention was
in session. But Conkling's hostility did
not prevent his nomination in 1884 nor
was such hostility the cause OF MS
defeat The loss of the state OF Ne"
York by nominal margin, IL IS no"
generally understood and believed, was
Gue TO his unfortunate visit 10 New
or1 city in the closing hours Oh the
camnaign-a visit made under protest
and against his own Judgment, as ne
aftervard declared. But it is not to De
inferred that the personal assault OH
conkling was warranted or eXcuSaple.
n was rot only unwise but undigniled
Df IL.
matter what the prOvocaton, IL fnus'
be regarded as an unfortunate clrcuih
| stance Undoubtedly COnkling's airy
assumption of superiority irrltated ana
offended Blaine as it did many others'
and when the New York gentleman
made a bitter and needless assault on
RIaine's friend. Adjt. Gen. Frye vi
Maine, Blaine resented II ana III d
| "whirlwind Of passion indulge" III
| personalities which could not be apolo-
riZcd for or forgiven. Had he defenu-
| ed Gen. Frye in good temper and win
his accustomed skill and ability, It Is
quite possible a chapter might nave
been written in our political history
which will never appear. We do not
know and speculation is profitless.
There are leaders and leaders. II
SAYS Emerson. Eric is in robust heaitii
and has slept we'll and is at the top
| of his condition and thirty wears old az
his departure from Greenland. he VIII
steer west and his ships will reacn
Newfoundland. Rut take Eric out anu
put in Il holder man and the ships VIII
sail six hundred. one thousand, hfteen
| hundred miles farther and reach LAD
rador and New England" But the
| holder man, it must be remembered.
| appears only at rare intervals ana
when there is supreme need. You can
count them all on your finger tips. But
Eric. fortunately. is not so difficult t"
find. and it is Eric and not the holder
man who engineers the worlds average
and ordinary work. Lincoln was not
| so brilliant not so well educated as
| Blaine, but Lincoln was Emerson s
| holder man. Lincoln had the vision of
a seer and the serenity of spirit which
enabled him to look with patient indif-
| ference upon his assailants and critics.
Indeed, his serenity of temper was an
element Of his power He believed it to
be his duty to keep in line all classes
| OF his fellow citizens who were not in
| actual sympathy with the rebellion. At
| this late date it is impossible to realize
Al A,.I@ hA ntr1t n, fIxsr