Out Of The Race

MR. BLAINE WITHDRAWS. Tittsbukgh, Pa, Feb. 13 -The Commercial-tiazette pubhshes the íollowing: " Mr. B. F. Jones, chairman of the National Eepublican Cominittee, has reeeived a letter from Mr. Blaine declining to allow his name to be presented to the Nat'onal Republican convention aa a candidato íor the Presidency. Following is Mr. Blaine'e letter in full"Florenck, Italy, Jan. 25, 1S88.- B. F. Jone, Esq., Chairman of the Itepubltcan A'ational Committee- Sir: I wish through you to siate to the members of the Republican party that my name will not be presented to tlie National convention called to assemble in Chicago ín June next íor tlie nomination of candidatos íor President and Vice President of tlie United States. "I am constrained to this decisión by considerations entirelv i ersonal to myself, ot which you were adv. sed more than a year go. But I can not make the announcement with out giving expression to my deep sense of gratitude to the many thousands of my countrymen who have sustained me so long and so cordially that thelrfeeling ñas seemed to gobeyond the ordinary political adherence of fellow-partisans and to take somewhat of the nature of personal attachment. For this most generous loyalty of friendship I can make no adequate return, but I shall carry the mem ory of it while lite lasts. " Nor can I refrain from congratulating the Republican party upon the cheering prospects which disrnguish the opening of the National contest of 1888 as compared w th that of 1884. In 188-3 the Republican party throughout the Union met with a disastrous defeat. Ten States that had supported Garfield and Arthur in the election of 1880 were carried by the Democrats either by majorities or pluralities. The Republican loss in the North- ern elections compared with the preceding Na-i tional election exceeaed half a million votes, i and the electoral votes of the Union, dividedi on the basis of the result of 188-3, gave to the' Democrats over 30J electors out of a total of! 401. There was a partial reaction in favor of the Republicans in the elections of 1883, but the: Democrats still held possession of sevenNorth- ern States, and on the basis of the year's 1 test could show more than 100 majority in the electoral colleges of the whole country. "But against the discouragement naturally ' following the adverse elections of th'ese two. years the spirit of the Republican party in the, National contest of 1884 rose hvgb, and the1 Republican masses entered into the rampaign with such energy that the final result depended on the vote of a single State, and that State was carried by the Democratie party by a plurality so small that it represen ted less than 1-11 of 1 per cent of the en tire vote. The change of a single vote in every 2,000 of the total poll would have given the State to the Republicans. though only two years before the Democratie plurality exceeded 190,000. "The elections of 1886 and 1887 have demonstrated growing stre-ngth in the Republican ranks. Seldom in our political history has a party, defeated in a National election, rallied immediately with such vigor as have the Republicans since 1884. No comparison is possible between the spirit of the party in 1882-3 and its spirit in 1886-7. The two periods present simply a contrast- the one of general depression, the other of enthusiastic revival. Should the party gain, ia the results of 1888 over those of 1886-7, in any thing like the proportion of the gain of 1884 over 1882-3 it would secure one of the most remarkable victories of its entire existence. But victory does not depend on so large a ratio of increase; the party has only to maintain relatively its prestige of 1886-7 to give its National candidate every, Northern State but one, with a farbetter prospect of carrying that one than it has had for the last six years. "Another feature of the political situation should inspire Republicans with irresistible, strength. The present National Administra-; tion was elected with, if not upon, the repeated! assertions of its leading supporters in every' protection State that no issue on the tariff' was involved. However earnestiy Repub-i licans urged that question as the one of controlling importance in the cam- paign, they were met by the Democratie' leaders and journals with persistent evasion, concealment and denial. That resource the President has fortunately removed. The issue which the Republieans maintained and the1 Democrats avoided in 1884 has been promi-! nently and specifically brought forward by the ! Democratie President, and can not be hielden: out of slght in 1888. The country is now in the ' enjoyment of an industrial system whieh im a quarter of a century has assured a larger' national growth a more rapid accumulation and a broader distribution of wealth than were' sver before ltnownto history. The American people will now be openly and formally asked to decide whether this system shall be ; ly abandoned and a new trial be made of an old experiment which has uniformly led to national embarrassment and widespread ind. vidual i flistress. On the result of such an issue, fairly, prrsented to the popular judgment, there is no room for doubt. "One thing only is necessary to assure success- complete harmony and cordial oo-operation on the part of all Republicans- on the part! both of those who aspire to lead and ofthoss who are eager to follow. The duty is not one; mrely of honorable devotion to the party! whose record and whoae atms are! llke great, but it is on demanded by the tnBtinot of self-interest and by the still higher promptings oí ptriotism. " A oloser observation of the condltions of life among the older nations gtves a more intense desire that the American people shall malie no mistaUe in choosing the policy which! inspires labor with hope and crowns it with flignity, which gives safety to capitol and. protects its increase, which secures political power to every Citizen, comfort and culture to every home. To this end, not less earnestiy and more directly as a private citizen than as a public candidate, I shall devote myself, with the confldent belief that the administration of the Government will be restored to the party which has demonstrated the purpose and the power to wield it for the unity and honor of the republic, for the prosperity and progress of the people. I am very sincerely yours,