Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-10-31
SPEAKER BLAINE AND THE
STANDARD.


We seldom pay much attention to tn
ISLANDERS in the Maine Standard against MI
Blaine. fer they are usually so contempt
bly, mean and so evidently dictated by pei
sonal spite and malice, that they maxi
friends for Mr. Blaine instead of injurin:
him, and SO we are content to leave then
alone. But we propose for this time t.
depart from the course which we hav'
generally followed, and take some notice
of the long article in the Standard of thi
week devoted to the unremitting labor o
that paper-abuse of Mr.. Blaine.
The Standard opens its article by a pre-
tended account Of the matter in our col
umns with which the name of Mr.. Clifford
Of Vassalboro' has recently been connect
ed. What we did in that case, as our
readers very well know, was to expose
the falsehood practsed by Clifford in rea-
ton to the authorship Of certain articles
written by him and published in the Port
land Star, and denounce him as he de-
served In relation to this the Standard
says:
"Mr. Clifford being suspected Of The author
ship Of the articles in question, measures were
inaugurated and plans set at work by Mr.
Blaine, to make the matter certain. 1t is said
his emssaries and spies were ordered to ex-
ercise surveillance over the mails and other
means Of transportation between Mr.. Gifford's
residence and the place Of the Star publica.
tion. or course his orders were readily
obeyed, and when, As he supposed, Mr.. Blaine
had sacceeded in fixing upon Mr.. Clifford the
suspected ofFense, the next movement was
for the suppression of further attacks and de-
velopments."
Persons not acquainted with the Maine
Standard would scarcely believe that ev-
cry allegation In the above is totally false,
but, nevertheless, such is the fact. Not
one single accusation is true. 1t Is all a
lie, from skin to core, from top to bottom.
Mr.. Blaine employed no "emissaries and
spies" as is stated above. He had no
plans to ascertain the authorship of the
articles. Nobody obeyed his orders to fix
upon Mr.. Clifford 1.-THE suspected offence, ?"
for he gave no such orders to any one.
We challenge the Standard to name the
person or persons to whom orders like
these were given, or present one single
iota of evidence that such orders ever eX-
listed. Let us us have proofs, not asser-
tons alone.
Farther along the Standard makes a
ridiculous attempt to create the impress
sion that Mr.. Hale acted in subserviency
to Mr.. Blaine in this matter, and calls the
former "a supple tool of the latter, do
ing 1.-THE work his master laid out for
him." As Mr.. Blaine never laid out any
work for Mr.. Hale or anybody else to do
in connection with Clifford and the Port
land Star, it follows that the Standards
defamatory language concerning Mr..
Hale is entirely lost. except as evidence
Of the baseness of the mind that origi-
mated it.
Having got thus fa- the Standard pro-
ceeds to notice "three things" sin the
case" in lawyer-ike manner. We copy
the opening sentence of its "flrstly:"
First. Mr.. Blaine and his CO laborers in
the newspapers referred to, seem to be i'm.
pressed with the idea that it is q very grave
crime for any contributor for the press, to
critcise his conduct or course 40 q public
man; that he must be held to be exempt from
attacks, whatever may be his failings, his er.
rors, or his corrupt practises Is q politician;
that whoever dares to intimate that he is
. selfish, corrupt and INSCRIPTIONS political
shyster, must be made to feel the thumb
screws and endure the inquisitorial rack, un.
til he 10 overcome and silcnced; that annoy
nous writing for the public press In which
his political character and acts are examined
and prohed, is not an honorable or proper ex.
ercise Of the rights of citizenship.
In ancient Rome, one Of the Fopes pun
ished pasquinader by obliging him to
have his tongue torn out and both his
hands cut off at the wrists. The reader
OF the above extract not acquainted in this
locality might be led to think that Mr..
Blaine is as terrible in his dealings with
those who venture to oppose him in the
newspapers as the old Roman Pontiff was
with the man who slandered him. We
never knew that Mr.. Blaine applied any
''thumb screws" or ''inquisitorial rack" to
the Standard, and yet we are very sure
that we have seen his name unhandsome-
ly mentioned in its columns quite num-
Der Of times. Here is column and a halt
ofthe last issue ofthat paper devotedto him
in an article headed, "Blaine us Ring mas
ter" The issue of the week before had at
least half-dozen articles abusive of him
the previous issue was equally as well
supplied with his name indeed we think
it would be difficult thing to find an is
sue of that paper for the last six years
which does no: contain from six to sixteen
articles deiamatory of Mr.. Blaine, many
of them containing downright falsehoods.
most of them scurrilous and mean. If a
single number of it can be found having
no abuse of Mr.. Blaine it will be curios-
ity and should be carefully preserved To
these articles against him Mr. Blaine has
paid but little attention, taking no steps