Do you not think Blaine has dug his grave deep by his serenade speech? There are, I understand, a good many Republicans here who voted for him and are now heartily glad he is defeated.—Cordially yours.
TO GEORGE FRED. WILLIAMS
Your letter of the 24th did not alarm me at all. I read it with great interest and thank you for it. Your first argument, that the address “reflects upon our constituency,” and that if there is any reason for apprehension as to some of our people, Mr. Cleveland should be cautioned privately, certainly deserves consideration—although I am not quite as sure as you seem to be, that the public would take it as a reflection. It is a very unfortunate circumstance that by the indiscretion of somebody in Wisconsin the thing got into the papers, and that, if there is any mischief, that mischief is already done. I did not know that Bowker was going to Boston and have not seen him since his return. No meeting of the Committee has been called since he got back, as far as I know.
The second branch of your argument referring to the question whether office should be accepted if Cleveland offers it, you seem to have pointed at me personally. I will give you my opinion quite frankly. You are aware that almost the whole Independent press is opposed to acceptance. You have probably seen the articles in the Evening Post, Nation and in the Boston Herald. I admit that the arguments produced there are not all correct and on the whole not conclusive. There is undoubtedly great force in what you say. It would perhaps be well to have the matter openly and thoroughly discussed. If Mr. Cleveland should tell the Independents that he needed one
