laine's departure. He did all the
work in his own room, telling no one of it till he left. Then he
presented it, through me, to the Board of Managers who were both
surprised and gratified. I believe they made him a present of $100 as a
thank-offering for an invaluable work." The book illustrates one great
feature in the success of Mr. Blaine. It is clear, and indicates his
mastery of facts in whatever he undertook, and his orderly presentation
of facts in detail. The fact that no one knew of it until the proper
time, when its effect would be greatest, shows that he naturally
possesses a quality that is almost indispensable to the highest
attainment of success.

He left Philadelphia for Augusta, Maine, where he became editor of the
_Kennebec Journal_. While editor and member of his State legislature,
he laid the foundation which prepared him to step at once to the front,
when in 1862 he was sent to the National Congress, when the country was
greatly agitated over the Five-twenty bonds, and how they should be
redeemed. Mr. Blaine spoke as follows:

"But, now, Mr. Speaker, suppose for the sake of argument, we admit that
the Government may fairly and legally pay the Five-twenty bonds in paper
currency, what then? I ask the gentleman from Massachusetts to tell us,
what then? It is easy, I know, to issue as many greenbacks as will pay
the maturing bonds, regardless of the effect upon the inflation of
prices, and the general derangement of business. Five hundred millions
of Five-twenties are now payable, and according to the easy mode
suggested, all we have to do is set the printing-presses in motion, and
'so long as rags and lampblack hold out' we need have no embarrassment
about paying our National Debt. But the ugly question recurs, what are
you going to do with the greenbacks thus put afloat? Five hundred
millions this year, and eleven hundred millions more on this theory of
payment by the year 1872; so that within the period of four or five
years we would have added to our paper money the thrilling inflation of
sixteen hundred millions of dollars. We should all have splendid times
doubtless! Wheat, under the new dispensation, ought to bring twenty
dollars a bushel, and boots would not be worth more than two hundred
dollars a pair, and the farmers of our country would be as well off as
Santa Anna's rabble of Mexican soldiers, who were allowed ten dollars a
day for their services and charged eleven for their rations and
c