but it would have resulted in his own political downfall. To
expect any ambitious man to make such a sacrifice as this was contrary
to human nature.

The truth was that Mr. Blaine had been chiefly instrumental in bringing
about a condition of affairs at the South which made it impossible for
any of his Democratic or Republican friends in that section to be of any
material service to him at the time he most needed them. And yet, he
could not see this until it was too late. In spite of this he would have
been elected, but for the fact that he lost the pivotal State of New
York by a small plurality, about eleven hundred and forty-seven, the
reasons for which have been given in a previous chapter. It is therefore
sad, but true, that by his own act this able and brilliant statesman,
like Henry Clay, died without having reached the acme of his
ambition,--the Presidency of the United States.

CHAPTER XXIII

THE ELECTION OF GROVER CLEVELAND

The Republicans of my district insisted that I make the race for
Congress again in 1884, and I decided to do so, although I knew it would
be useless for me to do so with any hope of being elected, for I knew
the prospect of success was not as favorable as two years previous.

Judge Van Eaton, the Democratic candidate for Congressman in 1882, was a
representative of the better element, and would, therefore, rather be
defeated than be declared elected through the enforcement and
application of questionable methods. He publicly declared on several
occasions that, as anxious as he was to be a member of Congress, he
would rather be defeated than have a certificate of election tainted
with fraud. In other words, if he could not be fairly and honestly
elected he preferred to be defeated. He insisted upon a fair election
and an honest count. This was not agreeable to many of his party
associates. They believed and privately asserted that his open
declarations on that point not only carried an implied reflection upon
his party in connection with previous elections, but that he was taking
an unnecessary risk in his own case. Chiefly for these reasons, the
Judge, though a strong and able man, was denied the courtesy of a
nomination for a second term. It had always been the custom to allow a
member to serve at least two terms; but this honor was denied Judge Van
Eaton, the nomination being given to Honorable T.R. Stockdale, of Pike
county.

Stockdale was a different type of a man from V