Show AWKWARD FOB BLAINE Secretary BLAINE is confined to his home and it is given out that he is suffering from muscular rheumatism It is too early in tho season even at Washington for sunstroke sun-stroke Our capital correspondent suggests sug-gests that the persistent appeals of the officeseekers have somewhat unnerved the secretary but says there are those who think that the disappointment at not being able to control the policy of the administration administra-tion is what is the matter with Mr BiAixn I The probabilities are that these latter arc nearer right thanwrong in their diagnosis of the case Mr BIAINK is a very much I disappointed man and he is one with whom disappointment is very apt to assert itself in physical ways He occupies a most unfortunate un-fortunate and awkward position The recognized loader of the Republican party and the ablest statesman in that political organization he could not he renominatcd to the presidency without endangering the I success of the party He was so big a man that he had more big enemies than another an-other Republican Before and Curing the convention he understood the situation thoroughly and realized how fatal to Republican Re-publican hopes would be for him to become be-come the standardbearer The defeat of four years before and tie element which brought it about were uppermost in his mind and in the minds of his enemies within the party BLAINE could not be nominated at Chicago without precipitating a row in the party ranks and bringing on a split which would result in the perpetuation of the Democratic administration ad-ministration The man from Maine was powerful and vindictive enough to see to it that none of his enemies should profit by his defeat He prevented them from plucking the plum which was denied him General HAHIUSON was nominated because lie was regarded as a weak and inoffensive man and BIAIXI expected to use him for his own purposes The selection was no sooner announced than with one accord all said that BLAINE would be secretary of state and virtual President being so much stronger than HAIUIISOX that the latter would have to defer to him All during the campaign and up to the very day when the cabinet was announced it was universally conceded that BLAINE would be premier and almost as generally admitted that he would be actual master the President being be-ing only nominally the head General HAKII > OX was in an awkward predicament Tohae ignored Biuxm would have been to make an enemy of the greatest statesman in the party and the one who wielded more influence than any other Republican Re-publican To yield to ELAINE what he expected ex-pected would be to surrender the administration adminis-tration into his hand and to confess that he IlAiiitisoN was a mere fig rehead Hi oar had to be taken into the cabinet and crushed there if at all The Hoosier displayed wisdom and at the same time manifested a good deal more backbone courage and independence than people had given him credit for possessing He fulfilled the obligation he was under to make BIAIXC secretary of state thus avoiding cause for a quarrel but having done this it became necessary in order to maintain his own self respect for HAt ii SON to dwarf the Maine man To have done otherwise would have been fatal to the President asa statesman There has been somuch talk of how Buvixn would control HAKKISOX that we believe the latter has go lie out nf his Sva 3 In assert tnis mas oww w tery over the former ignoring liLtiNg and denying him more than he would have done if less had been said of the plumed knights purpose and the Hoosiers weakness weak-ness At any rate BrIE has been snubbed and treated with disregard from the first and has already degenerated into an insignificant member of the cabinet without influence with the President or in the administration People who know the man will insist that his treatment by the President morethan rheumatism is responsible respon-sible for his prostration and there are I many who will expect any day to hear that BLAINE has retired from the cabinet It is not in his nature to remain in a place where he cannot be master and especially where he is not permitted to retain his self respect as a subordinate We believe he will go and that his sickness is a preliminary pre-liminary incident to his retirement An excuse Js needed and one which will make it appear that he does not go out disgruntled over having been sat down upon by a man he has always regarded as an inferior If that excts eta be found in sickness BLAINE will adopt it and get out of a place into which circumstances forced him but where it is apparent it will be painful to continue |