While in the Senate Mr. Blaine advocated the Chinese immigration bill, and opposed the electoral commission and Bland silver legislation.  Here, as throughout his political career, he was never on the fence on any question.  His position has always been clear and he has always taken strong grounds.

Mr. Elaine was a candidate for the presidential nomination in 1876, and came within twenty-seven votes of being successful.  His vote increased from two hundred and ninety-one on the first ballot to three hundred and fifty-one on the seventh, but he was beaten by a combination against him of the delegates supporting Morton, Conkling, Hartranft, Bristow, and Hayes, who united upon Hayes, and made him the nominee.  He was also one of the leading candidates for the presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in Chicago, in June, 1880.  Out of a total of seven hundred and fifty-five he received, on the first ballot, two hundred and eighty-four votes.  On the thirteenth and fourteenth ballots he received his highest vote, two hundred and eighty-five, which very gradually declined to two hundred and fifty-seven on the thirty-fifth ballot.  On the thirty-sixth ballot General Garfield was nominated by a combination of the elements opposed to General Grant and a third term.  As before, Mr. Blaine yielded to the inevitable, remaining true to his party principles, and contributing his aid to the election of James A. Garfield.

When President Garfield made up his Cabinet he offered Mr. Blaine the control of the state department.  This is how Mr. Blaine accepted the offer: 

  Washington, December 20, 1880.

My dear Garfield,—­Your generous invitation to enter your Cabinet as secretary of state has been under consideration for more than three weeks.  The thought had really never occurred to my mind until, at our late conference, you presented it with such cogent arguments in its favor, and with such warmth of personal friendship in aid of your kind offer.  I know that an early answer is desirable, and I have waited only long enough to consider the subject in all its bearings, and to make up my mind, definitely and conclusively.  I now say to you, in the same cordial spirit in which you have invited me, that I accept the position.  It is no affectation for me to add that I make this decision, not for the honor of the promotion it gives me in the public service, but because I think I can be useful to the country and to the party; useful to you as the responsible leader of the party and the great head of the government.  I am influenced somewhat, perhaps, by the shower of letters I have received urging me to accept, written to me in consequence of the mere unauthorized newspaper report that you had been pleased to offer me the place.  While I have received these letters from all sections of the Union, I have been especially pleased, and even