Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 February 1893 — BLAINE IS NO KOBE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BLAINE IS NO KOBE.

Death Finally Comes to the Great Statesman. MADE A NOBLE COMBAT AMERICA MOURNS HER BRILLIANT DIPLOMAT. Btory of the Life and Achievements of the Bon of Pennsylvania—HU Prominence in Maine and National Politics—The Peer of the World’s Greatest Political Students—Story of His Brave Fight for Life. Will Live In History. Blaine Is dead. The end of his long illness has been reached, and his struggle for existence, so heroically made, has come to its inevitable conclusion.

James G. Blaine, the brilliant Republican leader in Congress and for three terms Speaker of the House of Representatives. then a member of the Senate for the State of Maine, subsequently Secretary of State in the Cabinet of President Garfleld, and the man to whom the nation turned with the greatest confidence in the gloomy weeks that Intervened between the shooting and the death of Garfield, next tho nominee of the Republicans for President of the United States, and again Secretary of State from March 4, 1889, to June 4, 1891, has passed to the beyond. Mr. Blaine’s Illness first took a serious turn in the summer of 1891, after a period of intense mental labor incident to the seizure of the Chilian steamer Itata and the preliminary negotiations regarding the Behring Sea controversy. Mr. Blaine relinquished the aotive direction of the State Department until early last spring, when he returned to Washington still in an enfeebled condition. He resumed his official duties, however, and in their performance displayed something of his old force. He had, however, several spells of severe indisposition, once being attacked while at a public dinner from which he had to be conveyed to his home very much prostrated. During early winter the dispatches made frequent reference to Mr. Blaine’s condition, but until recently these references were of a general and indefinite nature, the only fact apparent being that he was not as well as he had been during the summer. Two months ago, after having kept to his room for a week or more, he went out for a drive. The day was cold and a chill was the natural result to one in his debilitated condition. In spite of the family’s aversion to and efforts to avoid publicity in the matter, it came to be generally understood that there was practically no hope of Mr. Blaine’s recovery, and that his death might occur at any time.

An Organic Disease. The statement given out by Dr. Johnston was the first admission from any authoritative source, however, that Mr. Blaine was suffering from an organic disease. In all of Mr. Blaine’s previous illnesses it has been denied that the sufferer was afflicted in any way that permanently affected his system, and it has been always asserted by those in a position to know that his ailments were due to temporary causes and local conditions which yielded readily to medical treatment. The careful concealment of the real condition of Mr. Blaine’s health both by the family and the physicians in attendance induced the general publio to believe that he would get well, and the rallies that the naturally vigorous constitution of the Invalid had made from all former attaoks led most of his friends to expect his recovery upon this as upon all previous occasions. On the morning of Dee. 18 he had a slight attack of hemorrhage of the lungs, resulting, It is claimed, from the severe cold, and this was followed by a sinking spell, such as afflicted him during his Bar Harbor sickness and upon the occasion of his serious illness in New York some time ago. So severe aDd so prolonged was this attack that It was believed Mr. Blaine was dying. It continued until 1 o’clock, and at that hour the patient, apparently in his last earthly moments, was surrounded by hie fqinlly. It was even by the two physicians present that he was dying, and tho family, giving up all hope, gathered for the final farewell. Sudenly he rallied, and within tali an hour he was apparently much better. The cause of these sinking spells or spasms has always been mysteriously kept secret by the physicians and family, though the publio and press have frequently attributed them to Bright’s diseasb of the kidneys; at other times brain trouble was alleged, but the most frequent conclusion was that Mr. Blaine was suffering from kidney disease of some sort. It is now asserted that the disease which has so long and so insidiously undermined his constitution and destroyed his health is what Is known as waxy degeneration of the kidneys. To its ravages is attributed the general break-down of his physical system, his remarkable pallor during the past few years, and his occasional attacks of Illness marked by severe fainting spells. The following day Mr. Blaine seemed to be considerably better. He sat up up for a short time and talked with members of the family in a very cheerful frame of mind. The sinking spell

of the previous day seemed to have lost its effect, and the reaction apparently left the invalid stronger than before. From this time until the end came little remains to be told concerning the great statesman’s illness. For nearly another month he lingered on the very brink of the grave. The ablest physicians were almost continuously at his bedside, but their attendance was of no avail other than to make restful the sufferer’s last days, for it was well known that he was beyond the aid of medical skill. It was a constant struggle with death, and grim, unconquerable death was the victor. . - Breathes HU Lut , The end came at 11 o'clock Friday morning. Surrounded by his sorrow-

ing wife and f&mllv he ceased to live, and the soul of one of the greatest statesmen the world ever knew passed beyond the veil and made Its entiy into the realm of the unknown. Throughout Thursday night the end was hourly expected, but the man who had achieved so much in his life seemed ready to give death a battle, be it short and against him. The devoted physicians remained until the end. Ready to administer any stimulant that would extend his life, they found themselves baffled by the insidious disease. When the eitraordinnry strength of will Mr. Blaine has shown began to succumb to coma, the last of fatal symptoms to manifest itself, efforts becafne hopeless. Nothing but the original vigor of Mr. Blaine’s constitution and his powers of vitality protracted his life so long. As is usual in such cases,-he passed away peacefully as one •* sinking Into a profound sleep. Little by little the poison crept through his brain, benumbing his faculties. It was only by constant watching for the cessation of the breath and the stopping of the enfeebled heart that the moment of death could be determined. To those who were with him at the last he was unable to give any sign of recognition at the end. Shortly before sinking into the fatal and final sleep the change of expression of his eyes

showed that lie recognized Mrs. Blaine and the physicians. But he was unable to give any further sign. CAREER OF JAMES G. BLAINE. Striking Feature* of the Life of the Famous American Statesman. James Gillespie Blaine, Becond son of Ephraim L. and Maria Gillespie Blaine, was born at the Indian Hill Farm, Washington County, Pennsylvania, Jan. 31,1830. The old stone house In which he was bom was the first structure of the kind ever erected west of the Monongahela River. It was built by the greatgrandfather of Mrs. Gillespie Blaiue in 1778, and it now stands within the city limits of West Brownsville. - From his father the son inherited the hardy, energetic qualities of a Sootch-Irish ancestry. Ephraim Blaine, his great-gTandfather, was Commissary General of the American army from 1778 to the close of the revolution in 1788. This great-grandfather was possessed of ample means, and daring the trying times of deprivation in Valley Forge the continental army was materially aided from his private purse. The grandfather for whom young Blaine was named, first chose a political career. A protracted stay in Europe, after he had finished his studies, estranged him from his early ambition. He returned to America in 1793, and a* a special hearer of dispatches, delivered to the American Govemmeht a treaty with some foreign power. Afterward he retired to private life. The father of James G. Blaine was bom and reared in Carlisle. In 1818 he removed to Washington County. Hi hgd Inherited considerable wealth, and owned landed property in the western part of the State. These lands, however, had not been developed, and a large family made heavy drains upon his means. In 182 S he deeded to the Economites a tract of land now occupied by the Bite of Philadelphia.

Other lands, since found rich fn minerals, were sold for almost nothing. Mr. Blaine’s mother was a woman of strong character and superior Intelligence. She was a devout Catholic, but the son adhered to the Presbyterian convictions of his paternal ancestry. The son James received every advantage of education. In 1842 Mr. Blaine's father was elected prethonotary of the County Court of Washington County. The father was then in poor circumstances and his removal to the county seat enabled him to send the son to college. James entered the freshman class of Washington College in November, 1843. At the age of 17 years and 8 months he was graduated In a class of thirty-three, sharing first honors with John C. Hervey, who was afterward Superintendent of Public Instruction at Wheeling. Beginning of His Career. Soon after graduation Mr. Blaine became a teaoher in the Western Military Institute at Blue Lick, Ky. Here he met Miss Harriet Stanwood of Maine. Miss Stanwood was a teacher in a seminary for young ladies at Millersburg, and the two were shortly afterward married. Mr. Blaine returned with his wife to became a teacher in the Institute for the Blind at Philadelphia. Instruction was chiefly oral and the young teacher was given charge of the higher class in literature and science. For two years Mr. Blaine was associated with the school. In 1864 he moved to Augusta, Me., where he has since made his home. He purchased a half Interest In the Kennebec Journal and became its editor. .He had a ready faculty for the work, and within three years was a master spirit In State politics. He engaged ardently in the'formation of the Republican party. In 1836 he was a delegate to the first national convention of the Republican party which nominated John C. Fremont for the Presidency. It was shortly afterward, at a public meeting, when he first claimed attention as a public speaker. At this meeting he rendered an official report, stammering in confusion at the outset. But as he proceeded he gained confidence and wound up in a manner which called attention to him as a public orator. In 1857 he broadened his newspaper field by assuming the editorship of the Portland Advertiser. His political genius, however, had eclipsed the journalist within him. In 1868 he was elected to the State Legislature and was afterward successively chosen for four years. The last two years in the House he served that body as Speaker. At the beginning of the civil war Mr. Blaine gained distinction In the debates which grew out of that crisis. At the time of his election to the Legislature he was made Chairman of the Republican State Committee, and for twenty years he held that office. During this time he led and shaped every politleal campaign in the State of Maine. He -was elected to Congress In 1862 and tee a period of eighteen years h* was

• • mem be* of one or the other houses of Coni nee*. Hie growth in political strength ana Influence was rapid as ft was unbroken. Daring his first term in Congress he made only on* extended speech. This was an argument in favor of the assumption of the State war debts by the general government and contending that the North was able to carry on the war to a final Conclusion. He broadened in this argumentative field, however, and gained « reputation as an effective debater. HU Career In Congress. His career in the National Congress was an eventful one. His antagonism to the Stevens reconstruction bill in 1867 created a stir in the nation, and after a seeming defeat his amendment modifying this proposed military law in the South was carried through both House and Senate. In 1868 Mr. Blaine was elected Speaker of the House, acting in that capacity for six successive years. His career in the House has always been regarded as exceptionally brilliant. The political revulsion of 1874 placed the Democracy in power in the House and Mr. Blaine became the leader of the Republican minority. Preceding the Presidential contest of 1876 the session of the House was a stormy one, and in the general amnesty bill, removing the disabilities of participants in the rebellion. Mr. Blaine stood up for an exception in the case of Joffersou Davis. One of his most notable speeches was made at this time nnder the spar or opposition from Mr. Hill, of Georgia. In 1876 he was called npon to defend his political character against charges of bribery from the Union Pacific and other railroad companies. The Mulligan letters were produced and the stormy scenes of May and June of that year followed. Junes Mr. Blaine, rising to a personal explanation, denied the right of congress to compel the production of his private papers. He expressed his willingness to stand any examination, and having possessed himself of these letters he declared ms purpose to re-

serve nothing. He stood up In the house holding the letters In hts hand. “Thank God,” said he, “I am not ashamed to show them. There is the very original package. And, with some sense of humiliation, with a mortification I do not attempt to conceal, with a sense of outrage, which, I think, any man in my position would feel, I invite the confidence of forty-four millions of my countrymen while I read these letters from this desk.” At this time Josiah Caldwell, trae of the

originators ot the Little Book and Fort Smith Railroad, was traveling In Europe, and efforts had been made at Mr. Blaine’s suggestion to reach him by telegraph. Alter reading these letters Mr. Blaine turned to the Chairman ol the Investigating Committee and demanded to know 11 any answer had been received Irom Mr. Caldwell. The Chairman returned an evasive answer when Mr. Blaine turned upon him, charging, as within his own knowledge that the Chairman had received such a dispatch, “completely and absolutely exonerating me Irom this charge, and you have suppressed It.” Ol this scene General Garfield once said that it exceeded anything he had ever seen In Congress. As a Candidate for President. June 11 was the time ol the Bepubllcan National Convention. The previous Sunday he had been prostrated by the heat, and lears were entertained lor his lile. In the convention, however, his Irlends stood firm. On the first ballot he received 285 votes out ot the total ol 754. The remainder were divided between Senator Morton, Secretary Bristow, Senator ConkUng, Gov. Hayes, and others. On the seventh ballot his vote rise to 351, lacking only 23 ol a nomination. A combination upon Hay/es, however, deleated him. Mr. Blaine entered the Senate some months later. Again in 1880 his Irlends ot lour years before stood by him in the national convention. The first vote stood: Grant, 304; Blaine, 284; Sherman, 93; Edmunds, 34; Washburne, 80; Wlndom, 10, and Garfield, 1. On the final ballot, however, the Blaine forces united on Garfield, who was nominated. Alter his election Mr. Blaine was made Secretary of State. He was in the Cabinet ten months. Alter Garfield’s death Mr. Blaine retired from the Cabinet. On his retirement he was lor the first time in twenty-three years out ol publlo station. He took up his well-known historical work, “Twenty Years ol Congress,” and issued the first volume in January, 1884. In this year he was again before the Bepubllcan Convention lor the nomination to the Presidency. On the fourth ballot he received 641 ol the 813 votes and was nominated. President Arthur was his chief competitor. This campaign was a peculiarly bitter one. The result hinged upon New York, which went Democratic and elected Grover Cleveland. He returned at once to his history and completed the second volume in 1886. Later he traveled extensively In Europe, his health being much broken. At the time ol the Bepubllcan Convention in 1888 be refused to acsept the nomination, cabling from Scotland to the Chicago gathering to that effect. Several months earlier he had written a letter refusing to be considered a candidate. As Secretary of State. He worked lor the success ot Mr. Harrison In the succeeding campaign and at the begin-

lng ol the present national administration he entered the President’s Cabinet as Secretary of State. His distinguished career In that position is well remembered. The Pan-American Congress, the reciprocity treaties, and other striking incidents, rendered his work remarkable. Owing to personal differences with the President he resigned his position In the Cabinet a lew days before the meeting ol the Nation Convention of his party. Though a short time before he had declined in set terms to be a candidate before the convention he permitted his friends to use his name. On the first ballot, however. President Harrison was renominated. Though In bad health Mr. Blaine wrote a letter and made a speech lor his party during the campaign lately closed.

Hebculile, the new French explosive, is so powerful that hajf a pound of it, in a recent test, displaced a stone weighing thirty tons.—Peoria Journal.

BLAISE’S BIRTHPLACE.

MRS. BLAINE.

JAMES GILLESPIE BLAINE.

BLAINE'S BAR HARBOR HOME.

WHERE HIS FIRST SCHOOL DATS WERE SPENT.