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'''James Gillespie Blaine''' (1830-1893) was a leading Republican politician and statesman of the [[Gilded Age]], and a power in the [[Third Party System]]. He served in the House and Senate from [[Maine]]. He was defeated for president by [[Grover Cleveland]] in a close race in 1884, when the [[Mugwumps]] (reform Republicans) broke away. He closed his career as a successful Secretary of State in the early 1890s.  A powerful party leader, he was surrounded by suspicions of corruption, but created an innovative [[American foreign policy]].

 

'''James Gillespie Blaine''' (January 31, 1830 – January 27, 1893) was a leading Republican politician and statesman of the [[Gilded Age]], and a power in the [[Third Party System]]. He served in the House and Senate from [[Maine]]. He was defeated for president by [[Grover Cleveland]] in a close race in 1884, when the [[Mugwumps]] (reform Republicans) broke away. He closed his career as a successful Secretary of State in the early 1890s.  A powerful party leader, he was surrounded by suspicions of corruption, but created an innovative [[American foreign policy]].

 

==Career==

==Career==

Blaine was born in West Brownsville, Pa., Jan. 31, 1830, moving in 1841 with his parents to Washington, Pa. He graduated from Washington and Jefferson College in 1847 and studied law. Blaine taught school, first in slaveholding Kentucky (1848-1852) and then in Philadelphia (1852-1854). In 1854 he moved to his wife's home in Augusta, Maine, and purchased an interest in the Republican newspaper the ''Kennebec Journal''. He entered politics as a Republican, was elected to the state legislature in 1858, and was twice reelected, serving as speaker in 1861 and 1862. From 1859 to 1881 he was chairman of the Republican State Committee in Maine. Blaine was a fluent writer and a master at political management, In 1862 he was elected to Congress, where he took the lead in financial legislation. He never served in uniform. He held the powerful position of Speaker the House from 1869 to 1875, during [[Reconstruction]]. On July 10, 1876, he was appointed to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate, and later was elected to the six-year term, serving until 1881.

Blaine was born in West Brownsville, Pa., Jan. 31, 1830, moving in 1841 with his parents to Washington, Pa. He graduated from Washington and Jefferson College in 1847 and studied law. Blaine taught school, first in slaveholding Kentucky (1848-1852) and then in Philadelphia (1852-1854). In 1854 he moved to his wife's home in Augusta, Maine, and purchased an interest in the Republican newspaper the ''Kennebec Journal''. He entered politics as a Republican, was elected to the state legislature in 1858, and was twice reelected, serving as speaker in 1861 and 1862. From 1859 to 1881 he was chairman of the Republican State Committee in Maine. Blaine was a fluent writer and a master at political management, In 1862 he was elected to Congress, where he took the lead in financial legislation. He never served in uniform. He held the powerful position of Speaker the House from 1869 to 1875, during [[Reconstruction]]. On July 10, 1876, he was appointed to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate, and later was elected to the six-year term, serving until 1881.

[[Image:Burnletter.jpg|thumb|300px|"Burn this letter!" Keppler cartoon shows public opinion hostile to Blaine, begging forgiveness; ''Puck'' 1884]]

[[Image:Burnletter.jpg|thumb|300px|"Burn this letter!" Keppler cartoon shows public opinion hostile to Blaine, begging forgiveness; ''Puck'' 1884]]

Blaine was again the leading candidate in 1880; but the same bitter factionalism defeated him once more. His ally [[James A. Garfield]] was nominated and elected, and Blaine was appointed Secretary of State.  Garfield was soon assassinated and after a few months Blaine left the cabinet.  

Blaine was again the leading candidate in 1880; but the same bitter factionalism defeated him once more. His ally [[James A. Garfield]] was nominated and elected, and Blaine was appointed Secretary of State.  Garfield was soon assassinated and after a few months Blaine left the cabinet.  

===Lost in 1884===

===Lost in 1884===

Finally in 1884 Blaine was nominated on the first ballot, with General [[John A. Logan]] of Illinois as his running mate. Blaine's opponent was [[Grover Cleveland]], a conservative [[Bourbon Democrats|Bourbon Democrat]]  who, as governor of New York, was a leader in political reform, particularly of the civil service.  The election was very close but Blaine could not shake the corruption allegations. [[Mugwumps]], led by prominent Republican reformers, switched to Cleveland. Late in the campaign came an indiscreet remark of one of his supporters, the Reverend S. D. Burchard, who ridiculed the Democratic opposition as the party of "rum, Romanism, and rebellion." (That is, saloons, Catholics and ex-Confederates.) It was an insult especially to Irish Catholics, a Democratic constituency Blaine was courting. Blaine won only 182 out of a total of 401 electoral votes, but Cleveland's popular vote margin was less than 25,000 in a total of more than 10,000,000.

Finally in 1884 Blaine was nominated on the first ballot, with General [[John A. Logan]] of Illinois as his running mate. Blaine's opponent was [[Grover Cleveland]], a conservative [[Bourbon Democrats|Bourbon Democrat]]  who, as governor of New York, was a leader in political reform, particularly of the civil service.  The election was very close but Blaine could not shake the corruption allegations. [[Mugwumps]], led by prominent Republican reformers, switched to Cleveland. Late in the campaign came an indiscreet remark of one of his supporters, the Reverend S. D. Burchard, who ridiculed the Democratic opposition as the party of "rum, Romanism, and rebellion." (That is, saloons, Catholics and ex-Confederates.) It was an insult especially to Irish Catholics, a Democratic constituency Blaine was courting. Blaine won only 182 out of a total of 401 electoral votes, but Cleveland's popular vote margin was less than 25,000 in a total of more than 10,000,000.

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