The Republican Presidential nomination of James G. Blaine resulted in a
political revolt such as the nation had not known. Blaine was immensely
popular, but he had many enemies in his own party. There
were strong suspicions of his being connected with doubtful
financiering-enterprises, more or less sensitive to official influence,
and while these scandals had become quieted a very large portion of the
Republican constituency refused to believe them unjustified. What might
be termed the intellectual element of Republicanism was against Blame:
George William Curtis, Charles Dudley Warner, James Russell Lowell,
Henry Ward Beecher, Thomas Nast, the firm of Harper & Brothers, Joseph
W. Hawley, Joseph Twichell, Mark Twain--in fact the majority of thinking
men who held principle above party in their choice.
On the day of the Chicago nomination, Henry C. Robinson, Charles E.
Perkins, Edward M. Bunce, F. G. Whitmore, and Samuel C. Dunham were
collected with Mark Twain in his billiard-room, taking turns at the game
and discussing the political situation, with George, the colored butler,
at the telephone down-stairs to report the returns as they came in. As
fast as the ballot was received at the political headquarters down-town,
it was telephoned up to the house and George reported it through the
speaking-tube.
The opposition to Blaine in the convention was so strong that no one of
the assembled players seriously expected his nomination. What was their
amazement, then, when about mid-afternoon George suddenly announced
through the speaking-tube that Blaine was the nominee. The butts of the
billiard cues came down on the floor with a bump, and for a moment the
players were speechless. Then Henry Robinson said:
“It's hard luck to have to vote for that man.”
Clemens looked at him under his heavy brows.
“But--we don't--have to vote for him,” he said.
“Do you mean to say that you're not going to vote for him?”
“Yes, that is what I mean to say. I am not going to vote for him.”
There was a general protest. Most of those assembled declared that when
a party's representatives chose a man one must stand by him. They might
choose unwisely, but the party support must be maintained. Clemens said:
“No party holds the privilege of dictating to me how I shall vote. If
loyalty to party is a form of patriotism, I am no patriot. If there is
any valuable difference between a monarchist and an American, it lies
in the theory that the American can decide for himself what is patriotic
and what isn't. I claim that difference. I am the only person in the
sixty millions that is privileged to dictate my patriotism.”
There was a good deal of talk back and forth, and, in the end, most of
those there present remained loyal to Blaine. General Hawley and his
paper stood by Blaine. Warner withdrew from his editorship of the
Courant and remained neutral. Twichell stood with Clemens and came near
losing his pulpit by it. Open letters were published in the newspapers
about him. It was a campaign when politics divided neighbors, families,
and congregations. If we except the Civil War period, there never had
been a more rancorous political warfare than that waged between the
parties of James G. Blaine and Grover Cleveland in 1884.
That Howells remained true to Blaine was a grief to Clemens. He had gone
to the farm with Howells on his political conscience and had written
fervent and imploring letters on the subject. As late as September 17th,
he said:
Somehow I can't seem to rest quiet under the idea of your voting for
Blaine. I believe you said something about the country and the
party. Certainly allegiance to these is well, but certainly a man's
first duty is to his own conscience and honor; the party and country
come second to that, and never first. I don't ask you to vote at
all. I only urge you not to soil yourself by voting for Blaine....
Don't be offended; I mean no offense. I am not concerned about the
rest of the nation, but well, good-by.
Yours ever, MARK.
Beyond his prayerful letters to Howells, Clemens did not greatly concern
himself with politics on the farm, but, returning to Hartford, he went
vigorously into the campaign, presided, as usual, at mass-meetings, and
made political speeches which invited the laughter of both parties,
and were universally quoted and printed without regard to the paper's
convictions.
It was during one such speech as this that, in the course of his
remarks, a band outside came marching by playing patriotic music so
loudly as to drown his voice. He waited till the band got by, but by the
time he was well under way again another band passed, and once more he
was obliged to wait till the music died away in the distance. Then he
said, quite serenely:
“You will find my speech, without the music, in the morning paper.”
In introducing Carl Schurz at a great mugwump mass-meeting at
Hartford, October 20, 1884., he remarked that he [Clemens] was the only
legitimately elected officer, and was expected to read a long list of
vice-presidents; but he had forgotten all about it, and he would ask all
the gentlemen there, of whatever political complexion, to do him a great
favor by acting as vice-presidents. Then he said:
As far as my own political change of heart is concerned, I have not
been convinced by any Democratic means. The opinion I hold of Mr.
Blaine is due to the comments of the Republican press before the
nomination. Not that they have said bitter or scandalous things,
because Republican papers are above that, but the things they said
did not seem to be complimentary, and seemed to me to imply
editorial disapproval of Mr. Blame and the belief that he was not
qualified to be President of the United States.
It is just a little indelicate for me to be here on this occasion
before an assemblage of voters, for the reason that the ablest
newspaper in Colorado--the ablest newspaper in the world--has
recently nominated me for President. It is hardly fit for me to
preside at a discussion of the brother candidate, but the best among
us will do the most repulsive things the moment we are smitten with
a Presidential madness. If I had realized that this canvass was to
turn on the candidate's private character I would have started that
Colorado paper sooner. I know the crimes that can be imputed and
proved against me can be told on the fingers of your hands. This
cannot be said of any other Presidential candidate in the field.
Inasmuch as the Blaine-Cleveland campaign was essentially a campaign of
scurrility, this touch was loudly applauded.
Mark Twain voted for Grover Cleveland, though up to the very eve of
election he was ready to support a Republican nominee in whom he had
faith, preferably Edmunds, and he tried to inaugurate a movement by
which Edmunds might be nominated as a surprise candidate and sweep the
country.
It was probably Dr. Burchard's ill-advised utterance concerning the
three alleged R's of Democracy, “Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion,” that
defeated Blaine, and by some strange, occult means Mark Twain's butler
George got wind of this damning speech before it became news on
the streets of Hartford. George had gone with his party, and had a
considerable sum of money wagered on Blaine's election; but he knew it
was likely to be very close, and he had an instant and deep conviction
that these three fatal words and Blaine's failure to repudiate them
meant the candidate's downfall. He immediately abandoned everything in
the shape of household duties, and within the briefest possible time had
changed enough money to make him safe, and leave him a good margin of
winnings besides, in the event of Blame's defeat. This was evening.
A very little later the news of Blaine's blunder, announced from the
opera-house stage, was like the explosion of a bomb. But it was no news
to George, who went home rejoicing with his enemies.