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127-523: Boutelle was born to Charles and Lucy A. (Curtis) Boutelle in Damariscotta , Lincoln County, Maine . In 1848 his family moved from Damariscotta to Brunswick, Maine . He attended the public schools of Brunswick and later attended the Yarmouth Academy in 1850 and 1851. His father was a shipmaster , and Charles himself went to sea at the age of fifteen. He spent the next eleven years as

254-415: A Boston clerk who had been employed by Blaine's brother-in-law, testified that the allegations were true, that he had arranged the transaction, and that he had letters to prove it. The letters ended with the damning phrase: "Kindly burn this letter." When the investigating committee recessed, Blaine met with Mulligan that night in his hotel room. What happened between the men is unclear, but Blaine acquired

381-555: A $ 5.5 million award to Britain. Blaine's Anglophobia combined with his support of high tariffs. He had initially opposed a reciprocity treaty with Canada that would have reduced tariffs between the two nations, but by the end of his time in the Senate, he had changed his mind, believing that Americans had more to gain by increasing exports than they would lose by the risk of cheap imports. Hayes had announced early in his presidency that he would not seek another term which meant that

508-678: A Commissary-General under George Washington in the American Revolutionary War . Blaine's mother and her forebears were Irish Catholics who immigrated to Pennsylvania in the 1780s. Blaine's parents were married in 1820 in a Catholic ceremony, although Blaine's father remained a Presbyterian . Following a common compromise of the era, the Blaines agreed that their daughters would be raised in their mother's Catholic faith while their sons would be brought up in their father's religion. James Blaine's cousin, Angela Gillespie,

635-837: A Pan-American conference in 1882 to mediate disputes among the Latin American nations and to serve as a forum for talks on increasing trade. At the same time, Blaine hoped to negotiate a peace in the War of the Pacific then being fought by Bolivia , Chile , and Peru . Blaine favored a resolution that would not result in Peru yielding any territory, but Chile, which had by 1881 occupied the Peruvian capital, rejected any negotiations that would gain them nothing. Blaine sought to expand American influence in other areas, calling for renegotiation of

762-517: A Republican from Iowa offered an amendment to limit the silver coinage to two to four million dollars per month. This was still too much for Blaine, and he denounced the bill and the proposed amendment, but the amended Bland–Allison Act passed the Senate by a 48 to 21 vote. Hayes vetoed the bill, but Congress mustered the two-thirds vote to pass it over his veto. Even after the Bland–Allison Act's passage, Blaine continued his opposition, making

889-508: A blow to unite the two factions of the Republican Party, allowing him to ingratiate himself with Vice President Arthur and receive his coveted position. Guiteau was overpowered and arrested immediately, while Garfield lingered for two and a half months before he died on September 19, 1881. Guiteau was convicted of killing Garfield and hanged on June 30, 1882. Garfield's death was not just a personal tragedy for Blaine; it also meant

1016-619: A district delegate to the Republican National Convention at Cincinnati in 1876, and served as the president of the Maine (James G.) Blaine Club at the national convention of 1880. Gaining further prominence in the state Republican party, he was selected as the representative from Maine on the Republican National Committee at the national convention of 1884 that nominated James G. Blaine . He

1143-473: A famous speech: This is a grand year—a year filled with recollections of the Revolution ;... a year in which the people call for the man who has torn from the throat of treason the tongue of slander, the man who has snatched the mask of Democracy from the hideous face of rebellion ... Like an armed warrior, like a plumed knight, James G. Blaine from the state of Maine marched down the halls of

1270-524: A few vote shifts in the next five ballots, and Blaine climbed to 308 votes, with his nearest competitor having just 111. On the seventh ballot, however, the situation shifted drastically because anti-Blaine delegates began to coalesce around Hayes. By the time the balloting ended, Blaine's votes had risen to 351, but Hayes surpassed him with 384, a majority. Blaine received the news at his home in Washington and telegraphed Hayes his congratulations. In

1397-659: A newspaperman, unexpected as it was, started Blaine on the road to a lifelong career in politics. Blaine's purchase of the Journal coincided with the demise of the Whig party and the birth of the Republican party, and Blaine and Stevens actively promoted the new party in their newspaper. The newspaper was financially successful, and Blaine was soon able to invest his profits in coal mines in Pennsylvania and Virginia, forming

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1524-434: A potential nominee, and despite some reservations, he soon found himself back in the hunt for the presidency. In the months leading up to the 1884 convention , Blaine was once more considered the favorite for the nomination, but President Arthur was contemplating a run for election in his own right. George Edmunds was again the favored candidate among reformers and John Sherman had a few delegates pledged to him, but neither

1651-618: A sailor, becoming a shipmaster in his own right in 1860. Returning from a two-year voyage in 1862 to find the country at war, he volunteered his services to the Union Navy and was commissioned an Acting Master on April 5, 1862. He saw service on the Paul Jones , a double-ended, sidewheel, steam gunboat assigned to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. During this assignment, the shallow-draft vessel

1778-602: A series of speeches against it during the 1878 congressional campaign season. His time in the Senate allowed Blaine to develop his foreign policy ideas. He advocated expansion of the American navy and merchant marine , which had been in decline since the Civil War. Blaine also bitterly opposed the results of the arbitration with Great Britain over American fishermen's right to fish in Canadian waters, which resulted in

1905-478: A speaker than he was a writer, Congressman Boutelle was relentless in his support of Republican positions in the great debates of his time. He is especially remembered for speeches on the question of Hawaiian annexation ( 53rd Congress ) and the border dispute between Great Britain and Venezuela ( 54th Congress ); these were the two great foreign policy issues of the second Democratic administration of President Grover Cleveland (1892–1896). In April 1898, Boutelle

2032-476: Is located at the lower falls and head of navigation on the Damariscotta River. Early industries included two sawmills , a match factory and a tannery . Along the river were established several brickyards , which supplied much of the brick used to build Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. Shipbuilding in particular brought Damariscotta wealth in the 1800s, when clipper ships were launched at

2159-592: Is situated on the Damariscotta River , a tidal estuary of the Gulf of Maine . Hunt Hill, at an elevation of 350 feet (108 m) above sea level , is the town's highest point. As of the census of 2010, there were 2,218 people, 1,051 households, and 578 families residing in the town. The population density was 178.6 inhabitants per square mile (69.0/km ). There were 1,359 housing units at an average density of 109.4 per square mile (42.2/km ). The racial makeup of

2286-627: Is the Great Salt Bay, a mating area for horseshoe crabs in North America , and the state's first marine protected area. The river is home to 80% of the farmed oysters produced in Maine. According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 14.71 square miles (38.10 km ), of which 12.42 square miles (32.17 km ) is land and 2.29 square miles (5.93 km ) is water. Damariscotta

2413-560: Is the Superintendent of Schools. 44°01′58″N 69°31′07″W  /  44.03278°N 69.51861°W  / 44.03278; -69.51861 James G. Blaine James Gillespie Blaine (January 31, 1830 – January 27, 1893) was an American statesman and Republican politician who represented Maine in the United States House of Representatives from 1863 to 1876, serving as speaker of

2540-443: Is true that the law that made the fraud possible had been written before he was elected to Congress. But other Republicans were exposed by the accusations, including Vice President Colfax, who was dropped from the 1872 presidential ticket in favor of Henry Wilson . Although he supported a general amnesty for former Confederates, Blaine opposed extending it to include Jefferson Davis , and he cooperated with Grant in helping to pass

2667-634: The Advertiser in 1860, and he soon ceased editorial work altogether. Meanwhile, his political power was growing as he became chairman of the Republican state committee in 1859, replacing Stevens. Blaine was not a delegate to the Republican convention in 1860 , but attended anyway as an enthusiastic supporter of Abraham Lincoln . Returning to Maine, he was elected Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives in 1861 and reelected in 1862. With

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2794-497: The Blaine Amendment . The proposed amendment codified the church-state separation Blaine and Grant were promoting, stating that: No State shall make any law respecting an establishment of religion , or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ; and no money raised by taxation in any State for the support of public schools, or derived from any public fund therefor, nor any public lands devoted thereto, shall ever be under

2921-668: The Civil Rights Act of 1875 in response to increased violence and disenfranchisement of blacks in the South. He refrained from voting on the anti-third term resolution that overwhelmingly passed the House that same year, believing that to vote for it would look self-interested. Blaine was loyal to Grant, and the scandals of the Grant administration did not seem to affect how the public perceived him; according to his biographer, Blaine

3048-648: The Clayton–Bulwer Treaty to allow the United States to construct a canal through Panama without British involvement, as well as attempting to reduce British involvement in the strategically located Kingdom of Hawaii . His plans for the United States' involvement in the world stretched even beyond the Western Hemisphere, as he sought commercial treaties with Korea and Madagascar . On July 2, 1881, Blaine and Garfield were walking through

3175-569: The French and Indian Wars . The Province of Massachusetts Bay constructed Fort William Henry at Pemaquid in 1692, but it was destroyed in 1696. The last battle of King William's War was on September 9, the Battle of Damariscotta, in which Captain John March killed 25 native men. Fort Frederick, in 1729, successfully resisted the region's final two attacks, and was pulled down at the time of

3302-660: The Half-Breeds —but neither could he join the Republicans led by Conkling—later known as the Stalwarts —who opposed Hayes, because of the deep personal enmity between Blaine and Conkling. He opposed Hayes's withdrawal of federal troops from Southern capitals, which effectively ended the Reconstruction of the South , but to no avail. Blaine continued to antagonize Southern Democrats, voting against bills passed in

3429-458: The Journal ' s editors. When the newspaper's founder, Luther Severance , retired, Blaine was invited to purchase the publication along with co-editor Joseph Baker. He quickly accepted, borrowing the purchase price from his wife's brothers. In 1854, Baker sold his share to John L. Stevens , a local minister. The Journal had been a staunchly Whig newspaper, which coincided with Blaine's and Stevens' political opinions. The decision to become

3556-562: The Specie Payment Resumption Act of 1875. During his first three terms in Congress, Blaine had earned for himself a reputation as an expert of parliamentary procedure, and, aside from a growing feud with Roscoe Conkling of New York , had become popular among his fellow Republicans. In March 1869, when Speaker Schuyler Colfax resigned from office at the end of the 40th Congress to become vice president ,

3683-493: The United States Military Academy . Blaine voted to impeach Johnson in 1868, although he had initially opposed the effort. Later, Blaine was more ambiguous about the validity of the charges against Johnson, writing that "there was a very grave difference of opinion among those equally competent to decide," but he followed his party's leaders. Continuing his earlier battle with Stevens, Blaine led

3810-562: The Western Military Institute in Georgetown, Kentucky . Although he was only 18 years old and younger than many of his students, Blaine adapted well to his new profession. Blaine grew to enjoy life in his adopted state and became an admirer of Kentucky Senator Henry Clay . He also made the acquaintance of Harriet Stanwood, a teacher at the nearby Millersburg Female College and native of Maine. On June 30, 1850,

3937-639: The western hemisphere . His reasons were twofold: firstly, Blaine's old fear of British interference in the Americas was undiminished, and he saw increased trade with Latin America as the best way to keep Britain from dominating the region. Secondly, he believed that by encouraging exports, he could increase American prosperity, and by doing so position the Republican party as the author of that prosperity, ensuring continued electoral success. Garfield agreed with his Secretary of State's vision and Blaine called for

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4064-588: The "Twin Villages". The name Damariscotta derives from a native place-name meaning place of abundance of small fish ( alewives ). The area was once inhabited by the Wawenock (or Walinakiak, meaning "People of the Bays") Abenaki Indians , who left behind 2,500-year-old oyster shell middens along the banks of the Damariscotta River. The Whaleback Shell Midden is now a state historic site. The land became part of

4191-540: The American Congress and threw his shining lance full and fair against the brazen foreheads of every traitor to his country and every maligner of his fair reputation. The speech was a success and Ingersoll's description of Blaine as a "plumed knight" remained a nickname for Blaine for years to come. On the first ballot, no candidate received the required majority of 378, but Blaine had the most votes, with 285, and no other candidate had more than 125. There were

4318-652: The Chairman of the House Naval Affairs Committee in the 51st, 54th, 55th, and 56th Congresses. During his tenure in that position, he provided powerful leadership in modernizing the navy and was instrumental in the development of the first steel battleships, along with the industries that supported their construction and outfitting. The growth of the Bath Iron Works can be partly attributed to his leadership position. No less charismatic

4445-580: The Cleveland administration's policies. By the time of the 1886 Congressional elections , Blaine was giving speeches and promoting Republican candidates, especially in his home state of Maine. Republicans were successful in Maine, and after the Maine elections in September, Blaine went on a speaking tour from Pennsylvania to Tennessee, hoping to boost the prospects of Republican candidates there. Republicans were less successful nationwide, gaining seats in

4572-551: The Confederate ironclad CSS  Albemarle . During that engagement, Sassacus rammed the Albemarle as it attempted to escape. Sassacus took a direct hit to the starboard boiler and sustained significant damage when the boiler exploded. It was during that battle that Boutelle was cited “for gallant conduct,” resulting in his promotion to the rank of Volunteer Lieutenant, the highest rank granted volunteer officers not of

4699-587: The Congressman. Damariscotta Damariscotta (/ dæmrɪˈskɒtə / DAM -rih- SKOT -ə ) is a town in Lincoln County, Maine , United States. The population was 2,297 at the 2020 census . Damariscotta is the oyster capital of New England. A popular tourist destination, the towns of Damariscotta and Newcastle are linked by the Main Street bridge over the Damariscotta River , forming

4826-645: The Democrat-controlled House that would reduce the Army's appropriation and repeal the post-war Enforcement Acts he had helped pass. Such bills passed Congress several times and Hayes vetoed them several times; ultimately, the Enforcement Acts remained in place, but the funds to enforce them dwindled. By 1879, there were only 1,155 soldiers stationed in the former Confederacy, and Blaine believed that this small force could never guarantee

4953-549: The Democrats, as well, and during the 1872 campaign he was accused of receiving bribes in the Crédit Mobilier scandal . Blaine denied any part in the scandal, which involved railroad companies bribing federal officials to turn a blind eye to fraudulent railroad contracts that overcharged the government by millions of dollars. No one was able to satisfactorily prove Blaine's involvement. Though not an absolute defense, it

5080-563: The Edmunds delegates defected to him. Unlike in previous conventions, the momentum for Blaine in 1884 would not be halted. On the fourth ballot, Blaine received 541 votes and was, at last, nominated. Logan was named vice presidential nominee on the first ballot, and the Republicans had their ticket . The Democrats held their convention in Chicago the following month and nominated Governor Grover Cleveland of New York. Cleveland's time on

5207-601: The House while losing seats in the Senate, but Blaine's speeches kept him and his opinions in the spotlight. Blaine and his wife and daughters sailed for Europe in June 1887, visiting England, Ireland, Germany, France, Austria-Hungary , and finally Scotland , where they stayed at the summer home of Andrew Carnegie . While in France, Blaine wrote a letter to the New-York Tribune criticizing Cleveland's plans to reduce

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5334-666: The House. He enjoyed the job and made his presence in Washington more permanent by buying a large residence on Fifteenth Street in the city. At the same time, the Blaine family moved to a mansion in Augusta. During Blaine's six-year tenure as Speaker his popularity continued to grow, and Republicans dissatisfied with Grant mentioned Blaine as a potential presidential candidate prior to the 1872 Republican National Convention . Instead, Blaine worked steadfastly for Grant's re-election . Blaine's growing fame brought growing opposition from

5461-585: The Instruction of the Blind (now Overbrook School for the Blind ) in 1852, teaching science and literature. Philadelphia's law libraries gave Blaine the chance to, at last, begin to study the law, but in 1853 he received a more tempting offer: to become editor and co-owner of the Kennebec Journal . Blaine had spent several vacations in his wife's native state of Maine and had become friendly with

5588-596: The New York Republican party, failed to actively campaign for him. Blaine hoped that he would have more support from Irish Americans than Republicans typically did; while the Irish were mainly a Democratic constituency in the 19th century, Blaine's mother was Irish Catholic, and he believed his career-long opposition to the British government would resonate with the Irish. Blaine's hope for Irish defections to

5715-478: The Pacific diplomacy, defending himself against allegations that he owned an interest in the Peruvian guano deposits being occupied by Chile, but otherwise stayed away from the Capitol . The publication of the first volume of Twenty Years in early 1884 added to Blaine's financial security and thrust him back into the political spotlight. As the 1884 campaign loomed, Blaine's name was being circulated once more as

5842-628: The Pemaquid Patent, granted by the Plymouth Council in 1631 to Robert Aldsworth and Gyles Elbridge, merchants from Bristol , England. At Pemaquid (now Bristol ), they built a fort and trading post . Some colonists moved upriver from the village at Pemaquid about 1640 to settle what is today Damariscotta. But the settlements were attacked in 1676 during King Philip's War , with the inhabitants either driven off or massacred. Attempts to rebuild alternated with further attacks during

5969-412: The Republican standard were dashed late in the campaign when one of his supporters, Samuel D. Burchard , gave a speech denouncing the Democrats as the party of "Rum, Romanism , and Rebellion." The Democrats spread the word of this insult in the days before the election, and Cleveland narrowly won all four of the swing states, including New York by just over one thousand votes. While the popular vote total

6096-621: The Revolution so that the British could not occupy it. With peace at last, Damariscotta grew as a trade center. It was incorporated as a separate town on March 15, 1848, set off from parts of Bristol and Nobleboro . The name Damariscotta is an extreme corruption of the Algonquian word "Madamescontee", meaning "place of an abundance of alewives ", which are small, salty fish that spawn in Damariscotta Lake. The main village

6223-475: The Senate on March 4, 1881. Blaine saw presiding over the cabinet as a chance to preside over the Washington social scene, as well, and soon ordered construction of a new, larger home near Dupont Circle . Although his foreign policy experience was minimal, Blaine quickly threw himself into his new duties. By 1881, Blaine had completely abandoned his protectionist leanings and now used his position as Secretary of State to promote freer trade, especially within

6350-587: The Sixth Street Station of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad in Washington when Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau , a crazed office seeker who had made repeated demands for Blaine and other State Department officials to appoint him to a consulship for which he was grossly unqualified. Guiteau, a self-professed Stalwart, believed that after assassinating the President, he would strike

6477-407: The Stalwarts by endorsing Chester A. Arthur of New York, a Conkling loyalist, as nominee for vice president, but it was to Blaine and his delegates that Garfield owed his nomination. When Garfield was elected over Democrat Winfield Scott Hancock , he turned to Blaine to guide him in selection of his cabinet and offered him the preeminent position: Secretary of State. Blaine accepted, resigning from

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6604-399: The U.S. House of Representatives from 1869 to 1875, and then in the United States Senate from 1876 to 1881. Blaine twice served as Secretary of State , first in 1881 under President James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur , and then from 1889 to 1892 under President Benjamin Harrison . He is one of only two U.S. Secretaries of State to hold the position under three separate presidents,

6731-507: The alleged transaction was presented as a sham designed to bribe Blaine. Blaine denied the charges, as did the Union Pacific's directors. Blaine claimed that he never had any dealings with the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad except to purchase bonds at market price and that he had lost money on the transaction. Democrats in the House of Representatives, however, demanded a congressional investigation. The testimony appeared to favor Blaine's version of events until May 31, when James Mulligan,

6858-405: The average family size was 2.65. In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.6% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 30.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.0 males. The median income for a household in the town

6985-409: The basis of his future wealth. Blaine's career as a Republican newspaperman led naturally to involvement in party politics. In 1856, he was selected as a delegate to the first Republican National Convention . From the party's early days, Blaine identified with the conservative wing, supporting Supreme Court Justice John McLean for the presidential nomination over the more radical John C. Frémont ,

7112-422: The bride's home town. Together they had three daughters, Grace Hodsdon Boutelle, Elizabeth Boutelle, and Anne ("Annie") Curtis Boutelle. In 1890 Anne Boutelle sponsored the protected cruiser Newark , the US Navy's first modern cruiser. Following the war, Boutelle became the master of a steamer running between New York and Wilmington. He was associated briefly with a New York commission house, but, in 1870, he

7239-401: The care of the superintendent, Dr. Edward Cowles, he was diagnosed with "brain trouble" arising from the seizure, as well as underlying renal and cardiac disease. Although he made slow progress toward recovery, he never again fully regained his faculties and remained hospitalized for the rest of his life. Despite this, however, the loyalty he commanded from the voters of his district, as well as

7366-413: The chairmanship of the Committee on Civil Service and Retrenchment , but he never achieved the role of leadership that he had held as a member of the House. The Senate in the 45th Congress was controlled by a narrow Republican majority, but it was a majority often divided against itself and against the Hayes administration. Blaine did not number himself among the administration's defenders—later known as

7493-485: The civil and political rights of black Southerners—which would mean an end to the Republican party in the South. On monetary issues, Blaine continued the advocacy for a strong dollar that he had begun as a Representative. This stance was in opposition to Senate Republican leadership, including Senate President Pro Tempore Thomas W. Ferry , who generally supported the greenback movement. The issue had shifted from debate over greenbacks to debate over which metal should back

7620-414: The collapse a political stunt, with one Democratic newspaper reporting the event as "Blaine Feigns a Faint." Rumors of Blaine's ill health, combined with the lack of hard evidence against him, garnered him sympathy among Republicans and, when the Republican convention began in Cincinnati later that month, he was again seen as the frontrunner. Though he was damaged by the Mulligan letters, Blaine entered

7747-565: The completion of the first volume of his memoir , Twenty Years of Congress. Friends in Maine petitioned Blaine to run for Congress in the 1882 elections , but he declined, preferring to spend his time writing and supervising the move to the new home. His income from mining and railroad investments was sufficient to sustain the family's lifestyle and to allow for the construction of a vacation cottage, "Stanwood" on Mount Desert Island , Maine, designed by Frank Furness . Blaine appeared before Congress in 1882 during an investigation into his War of

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7874-459: The contest for the Republican nomination in 1880 was open to all challengers—including Blaine. Blaine was among the early favorites for the nomination, as were former President Grant, Treasury Secretary John Sherman of Ohio, and Senator George F. Edmunds of Vermont. Although Grant did not actively promote his candidacy, his entry into the race re-energized the Stalwarts and when the convention met in Chicago in June 1880, they instantly polarized

8001-467: The continental liar from the state of Maine, 'Burn this letter!'" To counter Cleveland's image of superior morality, Republicans discovered reports that Cleveland had fathered an illegitimate child while he was a lawyer in Buffalo, New York , and chanted "Ma, Ma, where's my Pa?"—to which the Democrats, after Cleveland had been elected, appended, "Gone to the White House, Ha! Ha! Ha!" Cleveland admitted to paying child support in 1874 to Maria Crofts Halpin,

8128-470: The control of any religious sect; nor shall any money so raised or lands so devoted be divided between religious sects or denominations. The effect was to prohibit the use of public funds by any religious school, although it did not advance Grant's other aim of requiring states to provide public education to all children. The bill passed the House but failed in the Senate. Although it never passed Congress, and left Blaine open to charges of anti-Catholicism ,

8255-432: The convention as the favorite. Five other men were also considered serious candidates: Benjamin Bristow , the Kentucky-born Treasury Secretary ; Roscoe Conkling, Blaine's old enemy and now a Senator from New York; Senator Oliver P. Morton of Indiana ; Governor Rutherford B. Hayes of Ohio ; and Governor John F. Hartranft of Pennsylvania. Blaine was nominated by Illinois orator Robert G. Ingersoll in what became

8382-532: The convention nominated him, but the delegates finally accepted Blaine's refusal. John Sherman was the most prominent candidate and sought to attract the Blaine supporters to his candidacy, but instead found them flocking to former senator Benjamin Harrison of Indiana after a telegram from Carnegie suggested that Blaine favored him. Blaine returned to the United States in August 1888 and visited Harrison at his home in October, where twenty-five thousand residents paraded in Blaine's honor. Harrison defeated Cleveland in

8509-477: The delegates into Grant and anti-Grant factions, with Blaine the most popular choice of the latter group. Blaine was nominated by James Frederick Joy of Michigan , but in contrast to Ingersoll's exciting speech of 1876, Joy's lengthy oration was remembered only for its maladroitness. After the other candidates were nominated, the first ballot showed Grant leading with 304 votes and Blaine in second with 284; no other candidate had more than Sherman's 93, and none had

8636-438: The dollar: gold and silver , or gold alone . The Coinage Act of 1873 stopped the coinage of silver for all coins worth a dollar or more, effectively tying the dollar to the value of gold. As a result, the money supply contracted and the effects of the Panic of 1873 grew worse, making it more expensive for debtors to pay debts they had entered into when currency was less valuable. Farmers and laborers, especially, clamored for

8763-446: The emergence of the Mulligan letters . Though no evidence of corruption ever surfaced from these allegations, they nevertheless plagued his 1884 presidential candidacy . As Secretary of State, Blaine was a transitional figure, marking the end of an isolationist era in foreign policy and foreshadowing the rise of the American Century that would begin with the Spanish–American War . His efforts to expand U.S. trade and influence began

8890-518: The end of his dominance of the cabinet, and the end of his foreign policy initiatives. With Arthur's ascent to the presidency, the Stalwart faction now held sway, and Blaine's days at the State Department were numbered. While Arthur asked all of the cabinet members to postpone their resignations until Congress recessed that December, Blaine nonetheless tendered his resignation on October 19, 1881, but he agreed to remain in office until December 19, when his successor would be in place. Blaine's replacement

9017-504: The eventual nominee. The following year, Blaine was offered the editorship of the Portland Daily Advertiser , which he accepted, selling his interest in the Journal soon thereafter. He still maintained his home in Augusta, however, with his growing family. Although Blaine's first son, Stanwood, died in infancy, he and Harriet had two more sons soon afterward: Walker , in 1855, and Emmons, in 1857. They would have four more children in years to come: Alice, James, Margaret, and Harriet. It

9144-457: The fight in Congress for a strong dollar. After the issuance of 150 million dollars in greenbacks— non-gold-backed currency —the value of the dollar stood at a low ebb. A bipartisan group of inflationists, led by Republican Benjamin F. Butler and Democrat George H. Pendleton , wished to preserve the status quo and allow the Treasury to continue to issue greenbacks and even to use them to pay

9271-533: The first ballot, Blaine led the count with 334½ votes. While short of the necessary 417 for nomination, Blaine had far more than any other candidate with Arthur in second place at 278 votes. Blaine was unacceptable to the Arthur delegates just as Blaine's own delegates would never vote for the President, so the contest was between the two for the delegates of the remaining candidates. Blaine's total steadily increased as Logan and Sherman withdrew in his favor and some of

9398-503: The highly regarded Blaine was the unanimous choice of the Republican Congressional Caucus to become Speaker of the House for the 41st Congress . In the subsequent March 4, 1869, election for Speaker , Blaine easily defeated Democrat Michael C. Kerr of Indiana by a vote of 135 to 57. Republicans remained in control of the House in the 42nd and 43rd congresses, and Blaine was re-elected as speaker at

9525-461: The interest due on pre-war bonds. Blaine called this idea a repudiation of the nation's promise to investors, which was made when the only currency was gold . Speaking several times on the matter, Blaine said that the greenbacks had only ever been an emergency measure to avoid bankruptcy during the war. Blaine and his hard money allies were successful, but the issue remained alive until 1879, when all remaining greenbacks were made redeemable in gold by

9652-522: The investigation a partisan attack by Southern Democrats in revenge for his exclusion of Jefferson Davis from the amnesty bill of the previous year. He read selected passages from the letters aloud and said, "Thank God Almighty, I am not afraid to show them!" Blaine even succeeded in extracting an apology from the committee chairman. The political tide turned anew in Blaine's favor, but the pressure had begun to affect Blaine's health, and he collapsed while leaving church services on June 14. His opponents called

9779-495: The letters or, as Mulligan told the committee, snatched them from Mulligan's hands, and fled the room. In any event, Blaine had the letters and refused the committee's demand to turn them over. Opinion swiftly turned against Blaine. The June 3 The New York Times carried the headline "Blaine's Nomination Now Out of the Question." Blaine took his case to the House floor on June 5, theatrically proclaiming his innocence and calling

9906-420: The letters were genuine, but denied that anything in them impugned his integrity or contradicted his earlier explanations. Nevertheless, what Blaine described as "stale slander" served to focus the public's attention negatively on his character. On some of the most damaging correspondence, Blaine had written "Burn this letter," giving Democrats the last line to their rallying cry: "Blaine, Blaine, James G. Blaine,

10033-554: The nation's shift to a more active American foreign policy . Blaine was a pioneer of tariff reciprocity and urged greater involvement in Latin American affairs. Blaine was also an expansionist, and his policies would lead in less than a decade to the U.S. acquisition of Pacific colonies and the establishment of dominance in the Caribbean. James Gillespie Blaine was born January 31, 1830, in West Brownsville, Pennsylvania ,

10160-468: The national scene was brief, but Democrats hoped that his reputation as a reformer and an opponent of corruption would attract Republicans dissatisfied with Blaine and his reputation for scandal. They were correct, as reform-minded Republicans (called " Mugwumps ") denounced Blaine as corrupt and flocked to Cleveland. The Mugwumps, including such men as Carl Schurz and Henry Ward Beecher , were more concerned with morality than with party, and felt Cleveland

10287-609: The now-vacant Senate seat. When the Maine Legislature reconvened that autumn, it confirmed Blaine's appointment and elected him to the full six-year term that would begin on March 4, 1877. Blaine was appointed to the Senate on July 10, 1876, but did not begin his duties there until the Senate convened in December of that year. While in the Senate, he served on the Appropriations Committee and held

10414-459: The old allegations from the Mulligan letters that Blaine had corruptly influenced legislation in favor of railroads, later profiting on the sale of bonds he owned in both companies. Although the stories of Blaine's favors to the railroads had made the rounds eight years earlier, this time more of his correspondence was discovered, making his earlier denials less plausible. Blaine acknowledged that

10541-425: The other being Daniel Webster . Blaine unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for President in 1876 and 1880 before being nominated in 1884 . In the 1884 general election , he was narrowly defeated by Democratic nominee Grover Cleveland . Blaine was one of the late 19th century's leading Republicans and a champion of the party's moderate reformist faction , later known as the " Half-Breeds ". Blaine

10668-460: The outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, he supported Lincoln's war effort and saw that the Maine Legislature voted to organize and equip units to join the Union Army . Blaine had considered running for the United States House of Representatives from Maine's 4th district in 1860, but agreed to step aside when Anson P. Morrill , a former governor, announced his interest in the seat. Morrill

10795-512: The owner, J. H. Lynde, Boutelle, along with a partner, B. A. Burr, purchased the Daily Whig and Courier on May 15, 1874. He continued active editorial control until failing health and growing competition finally forced him to sell the paper in March, 1900. Boutelle's robustly-conservative Republican editorial positions drew him further into both state and national politics. He was selected as

10922-407: The population. There were 942 households, out of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% were non-families. 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and

11049-698: The proposed amendment served Blaine's purpose of rallying Protestants to the Republican party and promoting himself as one of the party's foremost leaders. Blaine entered the 1876 presidential campaign as the favorite, but his chances were almost immediately harmed by the emergence of a scandal. Rumors had begun to spread in February that Blaine had been involved in a transaction with the Union Pacific Railroad which had paid Blaine $ 64,000 for some Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad bonds he owned even though they were nearly worthless. In essence,

11176-426: The radical camp. The Republican Congress also played a role in the governance of the conquered South, dissolving the state governments President Andrew Johnson had installed and substituting military governments under Congress' control. Blaine voted in favor of these new, harsher measures, but also supported some leniency toward the former rebels when he opposed a bill that would have barred Southerners from attending

11303-635: The rank of captain, entitling him to half-pay at that rank for life. He resigned from Congress on March 3, 1901, prior to the commencement of the 57th Congress. Suffering from a sudden case of pneumonia while hospitalized in Massachusetts, Charles Addison Boutelle died on May 21, 1901, and was interred in Mount Hope Cemetery , Bangor, Maine . "Boutelle Road", a street in the Fairmount Park neighborhood of Bangor , memorializes

11430-507: The regular navy. Lieutenant Boutelle was subsequently given command of the Nyanza , another of the shallow-draft and lightly armored steam vessels known as ' tinclads '. During his command, Nyanza participated, under Admiral David Farragut , in the Battle of Mobile Bay , on August 5, 1864, where Lieutenant Boutelle was credited with receiving the surrender of the Confederate fleet. Following

11557-457: The required majority of 379. Sherman's delegates could swing the nomination to either Grant or Blaine, but he refused to release them through twenty-eight ballots in the hope that the anti-Grant forces would desert Blaine and flock to him. Eventually, they did desert Blaine, but instead of Sherman they shifted their votes to Ohio Congressman James A. Garfield , and by the thirty-sixth ballot he had 399 votes, enough for victory. Garfield placated

11684-399: The return of coinage in both metals, believing the increased money supply would restore wages and property values. Democratic Representative Richard P. Bland of Missouri proposed a bill, which passed the House, that required the United States to coin as much silver as miners could sell the government, thus increasing the money supply and aiding debtors. In the Senate, William B. Allison ,

11811-615: The start of both of them. His time as speaker came to an end following the 1874-75 elections which produced a Democratic majority in the House for the 44th Congress . Blaine was an effective Speaker with a magnetic personality. In the words of Washington journalist Benjamin Perley Poore , Blaine's "graceful as well as powerful figure, his strong features, glowing with health, and his hearty, honest manner, made him an attractive speaker and an esteemed friend." Moreover, President Ulysses S. Grant valued his skill and loyalty in leading

11938-508: The start of the 38th Congress , the Union Army had turned the tide of the war with victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg . As a first-term congressman, he initially said little, mostly following the administration's lead in supporting the continuing war effort. He did clash several times with the leader of the Republicans' radical faction , Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania, firstly over payment of states' debts incurred in supporting

12065-455: The state conventions drew nearer, Blaine announced that he would not be a candidate. His supporters doubted his sincerity and continued to encourage him to run, but Blaine still demurred. Hoping to make his intentions clear, Blaine left the country and was staying with Carnegie in Scotland when the 1888 Republican National Convention began in Chicago. Carnegie encouraged Blaine to accept if

12192-537: The state party chiefs, was so great that he was again nominated, and elected, to the 57th Congress. In addition to his poor health, his last years were plagued with financial troubles. In response to his situation, as well as in tribute to his long service to the nation, the Maine Republican delegation led a joint resolution of Congress January 16, 1901, naming him to the Naval Retired List with

12319-455: The subsequent contest of 1876 , Hayes was elected after a contentious compromise over disputed electoral votes . The results of the convention had further effects on Blaine's political career because Bristow, having lost the nomination, resigned as Treasury Secretary three days after the convention ended. President Grant selected Senator Lot M. Morrill of Maine to fill the cabinet post, and Maine's governor, Seldon Connor , appointed Blaine to

12446-543: The tariff, saying that free trade with Europe would impoverish American workers and farmers. The family returned to the United States in August 1887. His letter in the Tribune had raised his political profile even higher, and by 1888 Theodore Roosevelt and Henry Cabot Lodge , both former opponents, urged Blaine to run against Cleveland again. Opinion within the party was overwhelmingly in favor of renominating Blaine. As

12573-409: The third child of Ephraim Lyon Blaine and his wife Maria (Gillespie) Blaine. He had two older sisters, Harriet and Margaret. Blaine's father was a western Pennsylvania businessman and landowner, and the family lived in relative comfort. On his father's side, Blaine was descended from Scotch-Irish settlers who first emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1745. His great-grandfather Ephraim Blaine served as

12700-558: The town was 97.0% White , 0.4% African American , 0.8% Asian , 0.3% from other races , and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.6% of the population. There were 1,051 households, of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.0% were non-families. 39.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.7% had someone living alone who

12827-495: The town's shipyards . During that time, many fine examples of Federal , Greek Revival and Italianate style architecture were erected, giving the old seaport a considerable charm which each summer attracts throngs of tourists. Damariscotta is home of the Skidompha Public Library , whose name is an acronym formed from the first letter of several founders' surnames . The terminus of the Damariscotta River

12954-399: The town. The population density was 164.4 inhabitants per square mile (63.5/km ). There were 1,151 housing units at an average density of 92.7 per square mile (35.8/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 98.92% White , 0.20% African American , 0.20% Native American , 0.24% Asian , 0.05% from other races , and 0.39% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.49% of

13081-538: The two wed. Blaine once again considered taking up the study of law, but instead took his new bride to visit his family in Pennsylvania. They next lived with Harriet Blaine's family in Augusta, Maine , for several months, where their first child, Stanwood Blaine, was born in 1851. The young family soon moved again, this time to Philadelphia where Blaine took a job at the Pennsylvania Institution for

13208-540: The victory at Mobile, Boutelle was placed in command of Union naval forces in the Mississippi Sound. Lieutenant Boutelle continued in naval service until the conclusion of the war when he voluntarily separated from service. He was granted an honorable discharge on January 14, 1866. Soon after his departure from naval service, he married Elizabeth ("Lizzie") Hodsdon, daughter of attorney and Maine Adjutant General, John L. Hodsdon, on May 16, 1866, in Augusta ,

13335-408: The war, and again over monetary policy concerning the new greenback currency . Blaine also spoke in support of the commutation provision of the military draft law passed in 1863 and proposed a constitutional amendment allowing the federal government to impose taxes on exports, but it never passed. Blaine was reelected in 1864 and, when the 39th Congress assembled in December 1865, the main issue

13462-490: The woman who claimed he fathered her child named Oscar Folsom Cleveland. Halpin was involved with several men at the time, including Cleveland's friend and law partner, Oscar Folsom, for whom the child was also named. Cleveland did not know which man was the father, and is believed to have assumed responsibility because he was the only bachelor among them. At the same time, Democratic operatives accused Blaine and his wife of not having been married when their eldest son, Stanwood,

13589-526: Was Frederick T. Frelinghuysen , a New Jersey Stalwart; while Arthur and Frelinghuysen undid much of Blaine's work, cancelling the call for a Pan-American conference and stopping the effort to end the War of the Pacific, they did continue the drive for tariff reductions, signing a reciprocity treaty with Mexico in 1882. Blaine began the year 1882 without a political office for the first time since 1859. Troubled by poor health, he sought no employment other than

13716-460: Was $ 36,188, and the median income for a family was $ 47,105. Males had a median income of $ 31,953 versus $ 23,064 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 23,146. About 6.7% of families and 11.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 16.4% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over. Damariscotta is part of the Maine AOS #93 school system. Steven Bailey

13843-489: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.03 and the average family size was 2.66. The median age in the town was 50.7 years. 18.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.7% were from 25 to 44; 27.8% were from 45 to 64; and 29.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 44.2% male and 55.8% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 2,041 people, 942 households, and 548 families residing in

13970-425: Was a foray into education policy. In late 1875, President Grant made several speeches on the importance of the separation of church and state and the duty of the states to provide free public education . Blaine saw in this an issue that would distract from the Grant administration scandals and let the Republican party regain the high moral ground. In December 1875, he proposed a joint resolution that became known as

14097-588: Was a kindred soul who would promote civil service reform and fight for efficiency in government. However, even as the Democrats gained support from the Mugwumps, they lost some blue-collar workers to the Greenback Party , led by Benjamin F. Butler , Blaine's antagonist from their early days in the House. The campaign focused on the candidates' personalities, as each candidate's supporters cast aspersions on their opponents. Cleveland's supporters rehashed

14224-514: Was a member of the Washington Literary Society , one of the college's debating societies. Blaine succeeded academically, graduating near the top of his class and delivering the salutatory address in June 1847. After graduation, Blaine considered attending Yale Law School , but ultimately decided against it, instead moving west to find a job. In 1848, Blaine was hired as a professor of mathematics and ancient languages at

14351-680: Was a nun and founded the American branch of the Sisters of the Holy Cross. In politics, Blaine's father supported the Whig Party . Blaine's biographers describe his childhood as "harmonious," and note that the boy took an early interest in history and literature. At the age of thirteen, Blaine enrolled in his father's alma mater, Washington College (now Washington & Jefferson College ), in nearby Washington, Pennsylvania . There, he

14478-493: Was a supporter of black suffrage , but opposed some of the more coercive measures of the Radical Republicans . Initially in favor of high tariffs , he later worked to lower tariffs and expand international trade. Railroad promotion and construction were important issues in his time and, as a result of his interest and support, Blaine was widely suspected of corruption in awarding railroad charters, especially with

14605-580: Was among the six representatives who voted against declaring war on Spain . Boutelle was at the peak of his political popularity when, on December 21, 1899, he suffered an apparent seizure during a stay in a Boston hotel; the seizure left him unconscious. He was treated briefly at his home in Bangor, but he was soon moved to the McLean Asylum in the Waverley section of Belmont, Massachusetts . Under

14732-656: Was around this time that Blaine left the Presbyterian church of his childhood and joined his wife's new denomination, becoming a member of the South Parish Congregational Church in Augusta. In 1858, Blaine ran for a seat in the Maine House of Representatives , and was elected. He ran for reelection in 1859, 1860, and 1861, and was successful each time by large majorities. The added responsibilities led Blaine to reduce his duties with

14859-519: Was born in 1851; this rumor was false, however, and caused little excitement in the campaign. Halpin disputed the claims of being involved with several men, accusing Cleveland of raping and impregnating her, then institutionalizing her against her will to gain control of their child. Both candidates believed that the states of New York, New Jersey, Indiana, and Connecticut would determine the election. In New York, Blaine received less support than he anticipated when Arthur and Conkling, still powerful in

14986-586: Was born in the western Pennsylvania town of West Brownsville and moved to Maine after completing college where he became a newspaper editor. Nicknamed "the Magnetic Man", he was a charismatic speaker in an era that prized oratory . He began his political career as an early supporter of Republican Abraham Lincoln and the Union war effort in the American Civil War . During Reconstruction , Blaine

15113-585: Was both a delegate-at-large and chairman of the Maine delegation at the Republican national convention of 1888, during which he read to the convention the cablegram from Blaine refusing to be nominated. He was a member of the Maine Republican State Committee from 1875 to 1882. An obvious choice for U.S. Congress, he first stood as the Republican candidate for the 4th Maine Congressional District (comprising Aroostook, Penobscot, Piscataquis and Washington counties) on June 24, 1880, but

15240-458: Was close, with Cleveland winning by just one-quarter of a percent, the electoral votes gave Cleveland a majority of 219–182. Blaine accepted his narrow defeat and spent most of the next year working on the second volume of Twenty Years of Congress. The book continued to earn him enough money to support his lavish household and pay off his debts. Although he spoke to friends of retiring from politics, Blaine still attended dinners and commented on

15367-473: Was engaged in intelligence-gathering, patrolling the river outlets, and guarding against Confederate river traffic attempting to run the blockade of the Georgia coastline. His next assignment was aboard Sassacus , another double-ended, steam gunboat engaged in the blockades of Charleston and Wilmington. On May 5, 1864, while assigned to that vessel, his ship, along with other Union vessels, saw action against

15494-478: Was expected to command much support at the convention. John A. Logan of Illinois hoped to attract Stalwart votes if Arthur's campaign was unsuccessful. Blaine was unsure he wanted to try for the nomination for the third time and even encouraged General William T. Sherman , John Sherman's older brother, to accept it if it came to him, but ultimately Blaine agreed to be a candidate again. William H. West of Ohio nominated Blaine with an enthusiastic speech and after

15621-406: Was narrowly defeated (by 855 votes) by the incumbent, Dr. George W. Ladd of the Greenback Party . He was elected Maine representative-at-large to the 48th Congress by a substantial majority in the 1882 election, and he was subsequently elected 4th District Representative in every election after that, until his resignation in 1901. Congressman Boutelle drew on his maritime background, serving as

15748-568: Was never more popular than when he was Speaker. Liberal Republicans saw him as an alternative to the evident corruption of other Republican leaders, and some even urged him to form a new, reformist party . Although he remained a Republican, this base of moderate reformers remained loyal to Blaine and became known as the Half Breed faction of the party. Once out of the speaker's chair, Blaine had more time to concentrate on his presidential ambitions, and to develop new policy ideas. One result

15875-477: Was recommended for the position of Editor-in-Chief of the Bangor Daily Whig and Courier , a Republican newspaper. He took that position and moved his young family to Bangor in their home state of Maine, where they lived for the rest of his life. Boutelle was a dynamic editor, and, under his leadership, the paper became one of the most influential in the northeastern United States. Upon the death of

16002-498: Was successful, but after redistricting placed Blaine in the 3rd district for the 1862 election , he allowed his name to be put forward. Running on a campaign of staunch support for the war effort, Blaine was elected by a wide margin; though nationwide, the Republican Party lost a significant number of seats in Congress as the Union war effort to date had been only weakly successful. By the time Blaine took his seat in December 1863, at

16129-481: Was the Reconstruction of the defeated Confederate States . Although he was not a member of the committee charged with drafting what became the Fourteenth Amendment , Blaine did make his views on the subject known and believed that three-fourths of the non-seceded states would be needed to ratify it, rather than three-fourths of all states, an opinion that did not prevail and placed him, atypically, in

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