The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-06-10
BLAINE.

THAT Blaine's dashing splurge in the house al
Washington on Monday shall be accepted by
the entire republican party as a full and trium'
phant vindication against the charges that
have been brought against him OF betoullng
his hands with Union Pacific Railroad pitch
Indeed, we hope the vindication will be such
as to secure his nomination at Cincinnati
for we had much rather fight Blame as the
opposition candidate for President than Hays
Bristow, Washburn, or even COnkling.
! OF all the witnesses, however, that have
been called to prove the charge against him,
none certainly has thus far been found more
damaging than Blaine himself Harrison of
indianapolis told his story, and 1t seemed
unimpeachable, until finally Tom Scott, like
another G. Washington, came forward and
said, II cannot tell lie-I took the $64 900
myself" But the success Of Tom Scott as q
G. Washington was mitigated by serious
doubt, when 1t was announced that a couple
of gentlemen from Bosting, named MullIgan
and Fisher, were on their way to Washing.
ton with their pockets full of letters that
cast food of light on the aforesaid Arkan-
sas bond transaction. Now these gentlemen
were old acquaintance of Blaine, and he
doubtless knew to dot what sort of letters
they could produce if they had mind to.
Their arrival at Washington was anxlously
awaited by him. No sooner did their feet
touch the depot platform, than Blaine was on
hand to greet them and invite them to his
house. Fisher went without hesitation, for
1t seemed Mulligan, and not Fisher, had the
letters in his pocket. But Mulligan declined
and went to hotel. But there he had no
more than reached his room, when Blame
called on him He says IN his sworn state.
ment:
III called on Mullgan, shook hands with
HIM, and said it was reported he was there as
an enemy. He made some jocular or rather
evasive answer, and then said that he didn't
want TO come TO my house because he didn't
wish to converse with me here in any way
about the matter before he testified"
All the witnesses agree as to Mulligan's
good character. and he showed it here In re.
fusing TO converse with Blaine on matters he
was TO testify about before the committee,
and Blaine certainly appears at a marked dis
advantage in thus seeking an interview with
Mulligan to urge him to converse But
Mulligan finally did "open up" sufficiently
to let Blaine see his letters The result is
well known. Blaine was scared, and he pur-
sued Mulligan until, by unfair means, he got
the letters into his own possession. II is in
defence Of this most questionable procedure
that Blaine made his big splurge in the
house on Monday. There is no question that,
once on the floor, he managed his case with
the skill of consummate tactcian. In the
face of the unavailing effort Of the House
Committee to coax Blaine to let them see
those letters, he now taunts them with COW.
ardice for not compelling HIM to produce
them. Then he cries persecution: says two
of the committee were rebel generals; and
raises the bloody shirt battle flag and declares
the rebels ever since the opening of congress
have plotted his destruction. But he is not
afraid to let the world see those lelters-not
he and he proceeds to read them one after
the other to the house, commenting on them
as he goes.
But alas for this adroit tactician, there is
one conspicuous lameness in all this. What
was there to prevent him, after he stole the
letters from Mulligan, from manipulating
them to suit his purpose? Even if he did
not do SO, considering the desperate strait he
was in, who would not suspect that he would
do so, if necessary for his purpose: 1t was
confession of guilt on the part OF Blaine even
to place himself IN position where such
suspicion against him was inevitable. But
that suspicion eliminates in a fixed fact,
when Mulligan comes forward and states
with the utmost positiveness and emphasis,
that Blaine not only manipulated those letters,
but had entirely suppressed the four most
approximations letters which Mulligan de.
clares contain acknowledgements of the re
ceipt of $4,000 at one time and $1,000 at an.
other from the railroad ring with which
Blaine was connected. How will Blaine and |
his friends get over this?
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Tho / Sal1a F,lI i,Il, 80,