Wisconsin │ 146,459 │ 161,157│ 4,598 │ 7,656 ║ ―― │ 11 Minnesota │ 70,144 │ 111,923│ 3,583 │ 4,684 ║ ―― │ 7 Iowa │ 177,316 │ 197,089│ ―――――― │ 1,472 ║ ―― │ 13 Nebraska │ 54,391 │ 79,912│ ―――――― │ 2,899 ║ ―― │ 5 Kansas │ 90,132 │ 154,406│ 16,341 │ 4,495 ║ ―― │ 9 Colorado │ 27,723 │ 36,290│ 1,953 │ 761 ║ ―― │ 3 Nevada │ 5,578 │ 7,193│ 26 │ ―――――― ║ ―― │ 3 California │ 89,288 │ 102,416│ 2,017 │ 2,920 ║ ―― │ 8 Oregon │ 24,604 │ 26,860│ 726 │ 492 ║ ―― │ 3 ├──────────┼─────────┼──────────────┼─────────╫──────────┼────── │4,874,986 │4,851,981│ 175,370 │ 150,369 ║ 219 │ 182 ══════════════╧══════════╧═════════╧══════════════╧═════════╩══════════╧══════ No man was ever big enough to conduct a Presidential contest for himself. The intense interest a candidate must have in the struggle, and the constant strain upon him, would unbalance the most forceful intellect the world has ever produced. Blaine would have been matchless in the skilful management of a Presidential campaign for another, but he was dwarfed by the overwhelming responsibilities of conducting the campaign for himself, and yet he assumed the supreme control of the struggle and directed it absolutely from start to finish. He was of heroic mould, and he wisely planned his own campaign tours to accomplish the best results. In point of fact, he had won his fight after stumping the country, and lost it by his stay in New York on his way home. He knew how to sway multitudes, and none could approach him in that important feature of a conflict; but he was not trained to consider the thousand intricacies which fall upon the management of every Presidential contest. Three causes combined to lose New York by 1100 majority when the electoral vote of that State would have made him President. One was his implacable quarrel with Conkling, that lost him 1000 votes, cast directly for his opponent in Conkling’s county of Oneida. They had quarrelled when both were comparatively young and rivals for the leadership of the House. In a heated controversy between them Blaine unhorsed Conkling, and inflicted wounds which never healed, and they never spoke from that time during their lives. When both were members of the Senate, if either had occasion to refer to the remarks made by the other, instead of referring to the “Senator from Maine” or the “Senator from New York,” they would say: “It has been stated on this floor.” Many efforts were made to bring them together, but Conkling was an intense hater, and Blaine was willing to be broken rather than bend. He dined with Jay Gould during his brief stay in New York City, and that brought him no votes and lost him many.