| Show JAMES G BLAINE he is fallen I 1 we may now contemplate the most conspicuous figure of our day and nation as one whose hour upon the stage to is past whose part in lifes drama is played who has bas gone behind the scenes and there awaits the verdict of those who sit in judgment upon what he has done and how it was done no more the plumed knight P P at the head bead of trained and valiant followers waking making the arena reverberate again and again with the clangor of forensic strife no more the navarre of the rostrum binding as with a spell by the magical force of masterful rhetoric and clarion tones the throngs that gathered fur fm r and wide to hear bear him no more the nestor of the administration he did so much to bring into existence no DID more the man of magnetism of influence of prestige of teaming learning of determination of all but complete success but just the mortal clay which contained a worn out sorrowing disappointed ambitious soaring aggressive and withal most maste masterful rf u I 1 soul blaine Is dead those who have been so familiar with his combative exploits me bis intellectual achievements his lofty purposes and bis big general aptitude in the domain of statecraft craft and what american old or young that has not will have to read that sentence several times to realize its full import an event ex pecked every hour for months and yet so difficult to conceive of when it does doe comel this of itself to is a tribute one containing more than could be fashioned out of mere words it shows that he was foremost of all mortal subjects in the thoughts of the people that while they know knew they must soon bow to the inevitable the hope that the worst might by some providence be deferred remained with them and went out to him even as they recognized that life lifers Is candle was burning low and dim in all hearts was that one touch of human nature that makes us all akin and aad even those who opposed who warred against who even abused the wonderful man in his lifetime had bad naught but a feeling of genuine sympathy in their breasts a at t the spectacle ocle of the une who fought them so stubbornly and effectively being slowly consumed in the grasp of the relentless and remorseless destroyer james gillespie blaine was born in west brownsville Browns ville washington irton county pennsylvania on the slat day of January 1880 his ancestry was scotch irish and he constantly exhibited in public and private the char of both nationalities his early career was in the line of intellectual pursuits being oftener engaged in teaching in the schools schoola than anything else in 1864 he removed to augusta maine where he bought an interest in the kennebec Kenn ebeo journal and began what proved to be a successful journalistic career here be met the woman who subsequently became his bis wife miss harriet stanwood the agitation in the land look ing to the formation of a national party opposed to slavery enlisted his early and earnest attention and in 1856 he was one one of the delegates to the convention which nominated john C premont fremont for president he kept on as a journalist and in 1858 began h his 1 8 political lotical career by being a candidate a te jor for the legislature and a successful one he was wag reelected elected re three consecutive timer the last two terms serving as aa speaker of the house boure in 1862 the prestige gained by the conspicuously able manner in which his legislative duties had been discharged and his devotion to the union cause was recognized in an election to congress and he made the remarkable record of being chosen six consecutive times more mor during three of these terms he was speaker he was then elected to the senate and served there for four years and then went into president cabinet upon his retirement from which shortly after his chiefs as assassin sassi nation he beg began 8 n work upon his book entitled twenty years in congress he received the republican nomination for presides president at chicago in 1884 having been the most moist conspicuous candidate for the honor at the two previous conventions but was defeated on bauh occasion in the campaign which followed mr blaine took the stump and made a most remarkable canvass canvas fi but he was defeated by grover cleveland the rest of his history ishoo well known to need men tion here in making up cne record of james G blaines blaine Is life the historian will be confronted with some difficulties of the subjects surpassing ability and aggressiveness many there be who when the look backward to la taken will remember some of the things said and done by the great statesman to which the keenest criticism will be applied that he made enemies was a natural consequence and that his friends were in great number and measure distrustful of him at times is well understood he made the mistake of his life when he be raised the ire of roscoe Cob cobbling kling in their memorable debate in the house of representatives representative Conkli conkling Dg w was an imperious and very able aveto the point of absurdity when per personally smally attacked the burning Parc carcase isern which mr blaine poured out upon the now new yorker rankled in the latter lantere lat tere is breast forever after and when the former was within a few votes of the nomination for president at cincinnati in 1874 conkling swung his own following and influenced the combined opposition to do likewise to hayes who was nominated victory was thus snatched from the one who seemed to be a veritable man of destiny and that too when it was i early with in bib grasp he never got up quite so BO high again although receiving the nomination eight yeam later it was only to be defeated at the polls it looked as though the blighting force of Con klings hatred outlived the author of it and followed the man from hejne maibe throughout the rest of his career liters lifes fitful fever is over all the ambitions and sorrows the hopes bobee and disappoint disappointments mints that made the heart swell with joy or depressed with umul filled promise count for nothing at last beside the bier of the man so great on earth so go much admired even if feared at home and abroad a stricken wife some sorrowing children and a few sympathizing friends blend their tears and lot let their bruised hearts find expression when at all in soulful sighs the vanities and vexatious of life paw pass before them like a dream perhaps BR as they look upon that thin wan and colorless colo rIeBa face once so ao expressive and so ao vigorous and perhaps they gay aay to themselves that it is all a fleeting show a hollow pageant a mystify mystifying in mockery in the republic of the deal dead may he find that repose and peace which were seldom hla his in the one from which he has taken his hii final departure |
