The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-06-07
Mr.. BIaine,S TriumDh.

Mr.. Blaine's Triumph.
Again the foes of Mr.. Blaine have occa-
sion to hang their harps upon the weeping
willow. The Mulligan guard is routed and
| the gentlemen who seconded the late conf
dental clerk cf Mr.. Fisher are now called to
attend the wake of the late Mr.. Muligan,
whose posthunous ceremonies do not prom
Use that "heeps of fun" which character
zed the exercises over the mortal remains of
the historic Flanagan. The Boston Herald
II 1t has any sense Of shame, has now found
more "disagreeable duty" to perform than
on the occasion when it announced the dis
grace of Mr.. Blaine and suggested that he
should leave the country. The argus editor,
who became so pathetic and fearful over the
thought Of the dishOror which Mr.. Blaine
had brought upon his family. is doubtless
more sorrowful to-day because Mr.. Blaine
has ruined the Argus stock of campaign
slanders. Those wise ones who were going
about the streets saying 81 told you so,"
find it too damp to be out. In short, wheth-
er Mr.. Blaine succeeds or not at Cincinnati,
he has brought dire confusion To his foes by
hurling at them the thunderbolt which they
were confident they could use to destroy
him.
Elsewhere are published the accounts of
those who were eye witnesses of that scene
In the House Monday when Mr.. Blaine
turned upon his foes-a scene which Judge
Kelley says was the most remarkable he had
witnessed in the twenty years he has been
member of that body. A few men remarked
that it would be brilliant thing for Mr..
Blaine to read the letters in the House.
Still, no one thought he would do so, partic-
ularly if they contained anything nearly as
damaging as the pretended abstracts of the
scandal producing journals like the Boston
Herald. 1t is no wonder then, that
his friends were relieved when he de-
clared his intention of reading all of the let
tiers, and that their enthusiasm was aroused
to the highest pitch when, at the conclusion
of the reading, he assumed the aggressive,
charged the Democratic Committee with con.
spiracy to suppress the Caldwell telegram,
which exonerated him, and caused the
malicious but cowed Knott to admit that he
received that despatch and kept it without
giving the Committee notice of the fact while
the Committee held three meetings. Other
men have made themselves conspicuous in
the House on many occasions, but when Mr..
Blaine turned upon the ex-rebel Committee
and exposed their indecent and outrageous
partisan maliguity, all concede that the
ex-Speaker's effort was the most dramatic
and electrifying ever witnessed on that floor,
where the most remarkable scenes enacted
in the country have taken place.
1t is our purpose to publish these letters in
full that our readers may judge Of their con-
tents in connection with Mr., Baine's ex-
PLANTATION. The greater portion of them
the adjustment of business transactions of
Aong standing. None of them contain the
remotest reference to the sale of the Arkan-
sSsS UUnuS 10 MI. DUvur.-a eiIUuI SHOW
that Mr.. Blaine ever had personal interest
IN the stock or bonds OF any railroad aided by
national grants of land or money. One does
disclose the fact that more than two years
suaded the War Department TO examine the
Spencer rife-a weapon which gave terrible
efficiency to one arm of the service-and
another suggests that Mr.. Blaine favored the
modification Of a law which, in common with
many manufacturing interests, affected the
Spencer rife enterprise. Who knows but
that Mr.. Blaine's ex-rebel investigators now
have new cause of hatred WHEN they learn
that through his influence the repeating
rifles were introduced, whereby one Union
critical occasions? 1t may be that through
Mr.. Blaine's influence these ex-rebel generals
now speak Of lost cause.] Another letter
suggests that Mr.. Blaine's ruling saved
measure affecting or supposed to affect the
Arkansas land grant. 1t will, however, be
remembered that at this time Mr.. Blaine
knew nothing OF the railroad which has
caused him so much trouble. The bill was
merely one to cover a supposed flaw in
the grant to the State of Arkansas made
during the Pierce administration by Demo-
cratic Congress, and moreover, the ruling
was in accordance with the rules of the
House and general parliamentary law. The
friends of a railroad job attempted to affix
their scheme to the harmless Arkansas bill
and Mr. Blaine ruled that such all amend
ment was not in order. He could do no
otherwise. Beyond the letters referred to
above, we can find nothing in them which
can provoke the slightest candid criticism.
II is very natural that the thousands of
men in this state and elsewhere, who have
been led to admire James G. Blaine for his
mastery ability, his many attainments and
conspicuous party leadership, more than re-
joice in the most brilliant achievement of his
life last Monday. They hope he will be their
standard bearer in the pending contest, but
whether he is or not, they know that he has
vindcated himself and so unmasked his foes
that fair men will despise their cowardly and
assassin-like assaults. This is better than the
Presidency.
In very ancient times-all know the story
"a good man landed on an island; he was
one who could save ship in time CT danger
"a brave, practical upright man. However
he did not consider his record to be faultless,
and whose record is, tried by a standard
worth setting up?
As this good man stood in the strong light
and heat of new-kindled fire, viper came
out from it, and fastened upon his hand );
then the islanders said, che is murderer"
hnt he sbool- off tho vinar into tba fro with