Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-15
.MR. BLAINE'S LAST
TOUR OF INDIANA
WHY WHIRLWlND CAMPAIGN
FAILED
His Contest with Gen. Harrison and
the Revenge He Cherished
Until His Closing
Hours

4 DDeClHl 10 lnB fteTdlu.
WASHINGTON d. c., March 14.-In
the fall of 1888 1 received instructions
to go to Detroit and accompany Hon.
James G.. Blaine on his western tour
OF speech making. 1 was at the time
on the staff of the Cincinnati CONNER
cial Gazette, the chief being the great
editor, Murat Halstead, who was not
only an admirer of Mr.. Blaine, but was
his warm personal friend. I had met
Mr. Blaine several times before and
had accompanied him on part of his
western tour in the campaign Of 1884
found Mr. Blaine very much
changed in the four years that had
passed since l had accompanied him.
He had grown peevish and petulant,
and showed evident signs of suffering
greatly physically. Great crowds al
ways greeted him wherever he went,
and for years he had refused to in
dulge in the promiscuous and wearing
handwriting so Characteristic Of Amer
lean politicians, and in 1883 would hard
ly shake hands with the committees
appointed to receive him. When the
train was not in motion or when rest
ing in his room at his place of enter
ne WOulu COuNtISt dS BGllltilly
as ever, but would not indulge in con-
versation while the train was in mo-
ton. He would listen, and occasionally
add word or two, but would not join
in anything that looked like sustained
conversation.
Blaine Sought SecIuslon
On meeting him at Detroit 1 was in
vited to a seat in the car provided for
him, 1t being the private car of Gen.
Russell A. Alger. The party consisted
of Mr.. Blaine, his son, Walter; three
or four newspaper men and servant
to look after Mr.. Blaine's luggage. All
other persons were rigidly excluded,
except when some committee would be
admitted to pay their respects. In the
former tour Mr.. Blaine was himself
the candidate of his party, but now he
was canvassing for General Harrison.
1t did not take long to find out that
Blaine and Harrison were not en- rap
port. This soreness had been of some
years standing, and while Mr.. Blaine
in all his speeches spoke strongly and
well for his party, he frequently neg
lected to say a word for the ticket, and
when he did speak of 1t there was a
very noticeable absence of anything like
enthusiasm. His speeches were always
short, seldom occupying more than fif-
teen minutes.
In conversation he sometimes re-
ferred to the campaign Of 1884, and
when he spoke Of the loss of Indiana
to the Republicans that year there was
always a tinge of bitterness in what he
said. When that memorable campaign
opened Indiana was a blaze of enthusi-
asm for him and the Democrats were
in the dumps. They had not taken
kindly to the preference of Mr.. Cleve-
land over their own favorite leader
and, although Mr.. Hendricks was on
the ticket, there was a marked lack of
enthusiasm. AS the campaign pro-
gressed and the Democrats recovered
from their soreness the Republicans be-
gan to realize the fight not to be one
sided. BY the middle of October they
became greatly alarmed; the enthusi-
asm for Blaine was dropping, while the
Democrats became more aggressive, SO
it was determined to bring Blaine into
the state. He was greeted by great
crowds at all points, but the taking OF
him to the state destroyed the last
hope for Republican success. His libeI
suit against the Indianapolis Sentinel
the Democratic organ of the state, was
on and this hurt him. then, too IL
was thought to curry favor with the
Catholics by taking him into sections