The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-09

tee that had him on the table for polltlcal
dissection somewhat in the style in which
character in one of the Irish romances did
the surgeons. On the night of the battle
the surgeons with instruments in hand were
gathered about the board on which the
wounded Irishman was stretched, and were
in consultation whether they should begin
by amputating his leg or trepanning his
skull, and further, whether, these operations
done, they would not find their labors lost,
when the subject got up and cleared
the room with the aid Of handy "bit of q
shtick"
Parliamentary dexterity and dash were
important elements in Mr. Blaine's first
demonstration. He rushed in among the
startled, bewildered and stampeded dem
ocrats like the two German uhlans
who used to capture all the French
towns. He captured the whole investigating
apparatus and proceeded to investigate HIM
self-to rule out evidence and admit evil
dence-to plead for the prosecution, to reply
for the defence, and, finally, to report for
the committee. He acted on good plan
for politicians in tight places; for no man
can be sure of being Investigated to his
satisfaction unless he does it himself But
his dash and dexterity in the House were
legitimate displays of his power rs sort Of
parliamentary gladiator. Years of trimming
in that sphere have given him capacity for
that sort of battle in which few men are his
equals, and it was not strange therefore to see
him trample down his opponents.
But the battle in the committee was quite
another affair. There the committeeman
were on their own ground-yet they per-
mitted him to bully them from one end of
the chapter to the other and seem scarcely
to have dared say their souls were their own.
No one can rise from reading any report Of
that scene without sentiment of thorough
contempt for the committee. But senti-
nrent of contempt for the committee does
not imply sentiment of admiration for
Blaine, but rather ridiculous perception of
the attitudinizing of the candidate fighting
to defend his weak places and ''snorting
through the long grass like bob-tailed bull
in fly time"
But he is not snorting without definite
purpose. His present purpose is to draw
public attention away from those terrible let
ters He has managed to start abroad the
impression that the letters are of no conse-
quence and his organs give the cue
that his reading them has saved him.
1t involves sad reflection on political
morality to see it believed by any one on
such an array of letters man can recover
his position" with his party. But this is per-
haps one ofthe consequences of comparison.
These letters produced against any man be-
lieved to be pure would destroy him. Almost
any one Of them would destroy Horatio
fastened on Charles Francis Adams the
ofice-holders would boot all over the
land, with triumphant irony, ''This is
your pure man. For those men are be-
lieved to be above jobbery, and these are
jobber's letters But it has been rec
ognized that Blaine is not pure. Dribbles
of corruption have soiled his name for
months. Then came his seizure of Multi
CANS papers. That act was so extreme that
it was assumed the evidence against him
was terrible. Now the evidence is produced
1t is not SO terribly plain as it was thought
it would be and SO his friends hurrah and
deem that he is justified. It falls little
short Of the worst that was deemed possible,
and it is, therefore, held there is nothing
in it.
But though the Blaine organs belittle
these letters Blaine deems it we'll to not let
| the public have them too lone for TRANQUIL
reflection, and so he keeps up the diversion.
His antics before the committee have no
other purpose. His bowling over the Cald-
well despatch, to endeavor to make that ap-
pear the great important point in tho case,
is the result Of a simple consideration that,
for effect on the public mind, it is better to
appear as martyr than as q hunted and
discovered jobber