Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-07-20
SPEAKER BLAINE AND HIS IRA
DFTCEPS

ally in the Portland Argus and those two inn
maculate Journals renew the attack upon Mr..
Blaine with unabsted virulence, repeating the
unfounded charges and continuing the mali
cious iYnputations which have characterized
this crusade against one of our most able and
distinguished public men.
As a rule we have refrained from dignity
Ing the abuse and SANDER, with which the col
umns of these papers are constantly reekng,
with any notice, regarding their vaporings as
unworthy any serious attention, and most fit
" treated with contemptuous silence. But
the INSCRIPTIONS calumnv and malignant vi
tuperation which they have poured out in this
assault. have been so outrageous to every
principle of justice or decency, that it was inn
possible for us to permit them to pass unre-
buked.
Mr. Blaine is not q resident of this district
and is not dependent upon us for the vindica-
ton of his political course but as one OF our
most eminent representatives., filling an office
only third in importance and responsibility IN
our National government. in which he has
won the general confidence and esteem OF all
sections, we have an interest in his reputation
and pride in the honor which his accomplish
ments have reflected upon our State. From
| all quarters he has received the mel ited en-
comiums of the press and people as having
permitted the high station, in which he has
! been preceded by some Of the most eminent
men in our history, to lose no dignity or lustre
by his occupancy, and it remained for few
| prejudiccd and unprncipled detractors in his
| own State to utter the only words OF dispar-
/ agcment or reproach.
As we stated in our former article, these
purveyors of aspersion have been unatle to
challenge the rectitude of any official action
of Mr. Blaine. or to impeach any vote which
4 10 ,s. Conn nd 4 "
/ haust their ingenuity in endeavoring to hold
/ him responsible for the passage of the Copper
| Tariff bill, upon which he did not vote at all.
! The ab.urdiiy of this attempt we have al
ready exposed by citing the fact that eighteen
of the New England members of the House
and Senate. including Senator Morrill, of
Maine, also RETAINED from voting. while
twelve more in the two Houses voted squarely
| in its favor. showing that a diversity of opin-
| ion existed as to the merits of the bill even
among the eastern delegations it being warm
| y supported by members from Massachusetts.
| Neither the vote of Mr.. Blaine nor those of
all who refrancd from action could have had
any possible effect upon the result. and what
ever may have been his motive, 10 make him
! answerahe to bill passed by an overwhelm-
ing Republican majority is simply ridiculous.
and so far as the question OF representative
duty is involved, no one is justified in assum-
ing what would have been the action of those
members had the vote been sufficiently close
to have rendered it important
! In discussing the bill itself, we stated the
| arguments urged by the Committee that in
/ troduced it and which were endorsed by l
large majority in both houses, to the effect that
by encouraging competition between Ameri-
can mines, ii would result in reduction Of
prices We do not know that Mr.. Blaine
held this opinion at the time, and had it proved
entirely erroneous. he could be held in no
way accountable. but il was our purpose to
state the actual facts and they seem to have
verified the prediction. Whatever prejudices
we. or others may entertain upon principles
of political economy, the advocates OF that bill,
of all others, are entitled to the benefit OF
the truth, and the figures we published are
indispu,able evidence showing steady de-
cline in the price of copper that if Mr..
Blaine had been solely responsible for the
measure he could not be charged with increas
ing its cost. But the Standard and Argus,
staggered by this proof that no one has been
injured, hasten 10 assert that the decreased
price is solely due TO the decline in gold, with
which they say has not kept pace. So far as our
position is concerned, the cause OF the decline
is entirely unimportant, as We are not advo-
eating theory, but dealing with actual re-
suits but if we were disposed to take issue up
on this statement, the fact that gold advanced
from 1884 in February 1869, when this bill
was passed to 1876 in August, while during |
the same interval copper ingots declined from |
26s 27c, to % a 22Ac, would show that the
prices were mt regulated by the change in
coin values and it could be as plainly demon
strated Icy comparison of the relative de-
cline in the price of the two metals that cop
per has fallen considerably more than gold.
We have gone into these details not in apol-
Ogy for any action of Mr.. Blaine, or to en-
dorse particular measure, but for the pur-
pose of exposing the reckless and unprinci-
pied manner in which the truth has been dis
torted in the scandaous articles which have
been published for the qualification of person
al malcvolence. The simple facts will be
conclusive to all fair minded men, and the
popular representative of the Third district
will be quite willing 10 accept this Judgment.
The pretension of high regard for the pub
lie welfare with which this hue and cry has
been made, is transparent to all who are ac-
quainted with the character of the journals
engaged in it, and their present ylifications
are fully understood as the outpourings of
jealousy and spite. 1t is not at all strange
that they should entertain hearty dislike for
Speaker Blaine AID do all in their power to
lesson the influence of one who, in years past |
has been leading agent as Chairman OF our
State Committee, to organize the victories |
which have SO crushingy overwhelmed their
party.
We assure them that their efforts will be |
fruitless. Our people are capable of judging
of their own candidates, and the abuse of
such papers can injure no one. 1t is rather
high mark of distinction, as reference to
their files will show that the same aSpersions,
insinuations and taunts which have been so
ndustrously flung at the Speaker, have been
as unsparingly bestowed upon Lincoln,
stanton and Grant, and are specially reserv
ed for those who stand forth prominently in
the great party whose success is to them as
the gall OF bitterncss.-Bdagor Wing and
Courier. s--