New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-06-08
rOOEJNG FOR BOTTOM FACTS.

LOOKING FOR BOTTOM FACTS.
Whatever may be said or thought OF dr.
Blaine's explanations and OF the position IN
which they place him before the country ana
before his party, there can be but one opin-
ion regarding the earnestness OF the people
who are opposing him. Manifestly they are
engaged in what may be called "a fight for
funeral.n They set out to elbow Blaine
"sky-higb,n and will stop at nothing short OF
it, They do not want him to be President OF
the United States, and they do not want Inn
TO be nominated at Cincinnati. Doubtless they
either have, or think they have, good reasons
for their opposition to him; reasons founded
in patriotism and not in partisanship or preJu-
dice. But it is possible for them To make the
mistake of appearing too much in earnest.
The attack which they began some weeks
ago is beginning to have the appearance of
vindictiveness. The gentlemen who are 30
anxious to defeat the leading candidate for
the Cincinnati nomination are fast losing
the credit of being actuatcd by manly and
patriotic motives. Their headstrong zeal IN
pursuing him and their manifest unwillngness
to accept any explanation from him, however
reasonable, are having the effect to arouse
suspic,on that they mean to destroy him any
way. no matter whether he is success Ellly
yindcated or not. They have not accepted
any statement he has yet made as true, nor
Withdrawn any charge against HIM, though
proven out of the mouths of any number OF
witnesses and by any amount OF documentary
evidence to be mfounded and false. Ii Is
easy to understand how they may have been
unconsciously driven into their present attitude
by the yigor of their own assaults and the
stubbornncss with which they cling to their
own convictions 80 that the demonstration
which began in something like sincerity OF
purposc has gradually fallen into uncom-
promising and relentless hostility, which refu-
tation and denial cannot placate or convince,
but only serve to embitter.
The mistake wa, made in the first instance
as THE TRIBUNE some time ago pointed
out-of assaultng the candidates personal
character, of impugning his integrity and up
rightness, and his individual honor and upon
the strength of charges which at tho outset
were vague and indefinite, and have only
taken form as they have been dragged into
the light upon Mr.. Blaines own demand, de-
handing that he be counted out of the list OF
candidates Ii has been n lively controversy,
and it must be said for Mr.. Blaine that he
has not shrunk from it in any particular. II
his opponents have sometimes seemed to be
making il hot for him, it has been simply be-
cause no has drawn them out by his bold
defiance; and the result has shown that this
policy was not n mistake on his part. nor his
confidence in his own resources and his ability
tn answer in the least degree misplaced. From
r oi.,cl. D.. hos thus far driven
his assaiants in confusion. After each repulse
they have fallen back upon the old yagdeness
of rumOr and suspicion, and insisted that there
were "bottom facts that had not been brought
out corrupt transactions still concealed which
somebody had knowledge OF through whispered
conversations or confidential letters. lew
DAYS ago they were certain that the Mullignn
letters contained the bottom facts which would
blow Blaine sky-high. They had been freely
advertised as having that explosive property
They had been pointed at in the carpct-bag in
which they were taken to Washington as being
exceedingly mysterious and dynamite. And
when Blaine seized aud held them, whatever
doubt remained was dispelled that act made
it sure that the bottom facts were there. and
| that it was 90 all up" with Blaine. They were
read in the House, and the effect was not at
! all explosive. There was not dynamite enough
in them to blow a fly off a molasses cup. But
the anti Blaine people say, all the same,
| "There are bottom facts that have not yet
"bcen brought out. Very likely he did not
"read all the letters" And they fall back
every time upon the "bottom facts" that can
not be brought TO the surface.
| As the matter now stands, those persons who
were 80 confident Cf blowing Blaine sky-high
on his record have failed. They undertook to
show that he was not fit man to be nominated
at Cincinnati because OF corrupt transactions
he had been engaged in while in Congress
Have they shown it'll II they have, then GER
tanly the Cincinnati Convention will not nomi-
nate him. The party cannot and ought not to
afford it, But if they have failed, what thenf
1t is for the Cincinnati Convention to say
whether or not the raid that has been made
upon the most conspicuous man in the party
has succeeded. The decision ought to be based
OH what has been brought out already in the
course of the probing that has been had, and
not on what anybody suspects may be bottom
facts which ono teller can find out"
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CONKLING and MORGAN.