The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-04
VOL. XLlll.-N0. ll3.
BLAlNESSl SlIREW DEST MOVE
yosrER,S CONFTDENTIIL LET
TYR CAME TO BIZ Published.
-.s,r-Jer-cy Editors Idea aud the Fruit
ss. borne The Quc-tiou Now Is VAST"
S.h AdroitIy Put ~ by EN-Spcakor James
.,.,ne utmseIt na II Trick In PoiiticsF

r-yer-cy Editors Idea aud the Fruttu
a.. nornr The QucHtiou Now Is Was"
,.h Adroitiy Put Ip by EN-Speahor J"meS
s,,,ne Himself ns n Trick In PoiiticsN
.o,,rA Me-. Dec. 3l.-There is little
.onbt here, among those who are famihar with
sS,oa,. poicy and plans in his shrewd game for
a.. presidenoy. that he himself was instru-
...,,aI I'm causing the publication OF the Foster
,.,,., This opinion Is freely expressed not only
Nv Democrat. but also by such kepubhcahs AZ
A. ,f,el impelod to dance whenever the OK
sn.,kcr whistles. Even Baine's own men, anu
..hs.aamall army Of them hereabouts, wink |
.',,, uhen the Ject Is mentioned. and qualify |
-, unc,nce.ied 10Y over what they consider |
a., -, ,clitiral advantage gained by an empty |
t,oui ag,in.t the abstract principles involved In
w.. ouhncaton of private letter, and against |
az. man who first put 1t into print The letter
,.,cbel the tubnc In the following manner'
mo tf,p T. T pulshury Is editor Of the Maine |
sonttr,i. a Democratic paper published at An-
..u.ta Nj Plilshury is prominent lawyer aud
,.o. Of the most active and efficient OF the Dem
ocmt.c leaders II the state. lie has long been
.,el,ptle.. uoitical euc0b Of Mr.. Blaine. His
o.pet Is uucomprvmisiug and persistent III its
.u.,ks upon the home iuntence II the eS-
spefkcr 1t was largely Instrumental Ia re-
,ucinr tho Republican majority to an insisnih-
,.nt figure at the last election. and, In the state
of MANS. vote against the Republican party IA
,,o,e nrain.t Blaine. The standard has urged
continually. and with effect, those suspicious 81
oompncity IN the Credit Mobilier. Maine land
ersnt, aud Maine paper credit swinilcs. which
might lave been damnng rtain les in the case
Of any IN 40 not gifted with the eNtrtme slSnc-s
Of the ex-- eaAer. In fixing upon the StIntuf
uthe medium Of pubcah BE. Mt Blaine. there
fore di .plascd "a characteristic alroitness and
even moro than characteristic bpidness'
now II WAS sESr
The Fo.terletterinth the handwriting Of ,he New
Jsr.e, editor. and. with one exception. WORT for
vord ~ it has been given IN lHE SrN. reached
MI Pills1ury. through the Post Ofire, two or
three days after Blsin-'- departure from Au-
gus for Washington. The letter was sent
snouJmuu ,ls, and was unaccumpanicd los any
word Of nimeni; 1t hai neen enclosed IN a
new enNrllie addressed e. Mr. Pill-hurN In pen
eli. Inc ID dtes, was So faint ~ to be almost IL
lesble. he writing on tne envelope was tnht
OF an uncducai ptison, "pualgntiy some on'iu
OF OfeerVaut. The letter was mailed ~ the Au-
Eusta post IN q, tat a threc-cent stamp was
used, and the postmttk had peen allowed u
overlap the envelope 80 far that the word W.
us,S" on the cancelns Il ,m9 made 90 iUI res-
S'ou fhis apparent attempt on the PR "i me
anonymous sender, and Of tho post Nice clerk
90 conceal the place Of mailing may have beon
entirely accidental. There was no dlmoulty,
however, 40 Identifying tle pO-tmark a. that Of
tho Augusta onicc, or, indeed In e~cer;aining
beyond question thst the letter had passed
mall.
The Foster letter had therefore reached Au.
custs before IL was transmitle ell 10 the >t1niiff.
A. was written on the 9th ~ November, and
ala time when Mr. Blaine was at home. it Is rea-
sonBtie ~ De1rye that Fosters friendly suRees-
zion must lave come into the hands Of him for
vhon u W. Intended. md not more than two
6sys after he writer had committed the sug es-
hon 10 paper y little more Than lhree weeks
elapsed br -wcen the time whom Blaine received
or should have received the letter md the time
when he left Augusta for " NasningtOn. lie han
ample opp, rtunity to considei the hint and to
reply. But B inc was too -hrewd TO put HIM
ofso mortufiSi a friend "a Foster. lie preferred
to wait uuiil he coull see Poster ana thank him
teTOav r ms kind interest In the ne ~ time
ne was Gnick TO atIrcciAte Inc opportunity for
anu without showing his own haii The record
OF tho IL speaker certaihly does not argue
against the possibility of such piece Of political
SIt lteey On his part. II is con0dentl, believed
hcTe tn.t Blaine was sharp enough t. see his
chance. anu shrcvd enough tn convey the
letter to 81 PillsburY ia such manner "a to
make pubic what that enemy would. al nIst
signt. regard as a d dAmaens document.
CONSULTATION.
Before publishing the letter. Mr.. Pillsbury
consulted with nunt er Of gentlemen. both Of
August. anu Portland, whose character and
stancius fIlly eutitle trem to iudye Of "A ques-
toa Of nnnur. They were unanimously Of the
opinion thit the letter was not only genuine,
but IN 4 the evidence II Cuutaiuod II great
and uinscrous cuns tracy made II right and
neoessarY that Il should be published. The let
ter Wa therefore gwen to the public in the
Mr. Blnne's prospects was quite a secondary
oonsideration he sensation made by the pub
hcatiOn. ana the subsequent statements, self
ooniTadit tons. ana retractiOns Of FOster. and
the persistent aud polite silence OF Mr. Blaine,
THIS point is liked: The document was not
stolen ~ tilsbury, or by any agent ot Pillsbury.
Tue Sl9ndud did not publish IL, Indeed, 50
Liuch for the purpose OF njurng Blaine IA to
reveal the existence Of "A dark lantern org 4r IA
tlon whlcn seemed to thre aten the public good
Huw stolen at all, IL was stolen 10y -one per-
sOn unknown to PIlsoury, and by that person
oonve To Pillsburs, with some motive which
hequallY unknown.
Those whp know Mr.. Blainc's HABITS, know
that be neither leaves important letters wing
Gouud loose nor puts himself In the power Of
ehin0e ~ any arele.sLcss Of his own. A,sum-
ihR deliberate theft, the thief was either . me
one WHO wanted TO hurt Hlaine or some one
VINO would ste j letters from = gentleman's
desk, or ifom gentleiuan's OyercOat pocket, or
from gtntle name mall mat er, with pluuGer
% an ohJru cpild possibly appreciate the i'm
p,ftance of the document from political y INT
chance for tue Presidency one way the
other
coNCLusIoNs.
II IN enemy Of Blane became possessed
OF The let er, his ndtur cOur would have
been TO ke II To filisbury himself, blaine :
efvh enemy nnd with nim consult on The expe-
olohp 10 m.hiAs u public. lie would We no
moll'e Whatever fnT remaining uIkuowH, at
fss d,c ss leTv soda r,il'oD was sson conce[ned
tor OF cunli iltlltiun among choice cir
been be- o' ."'' Me,ae men; hsle would have
tee Anonymous policy, for to him who
hrrt discovered the Importance OF the
miss''e w'uld ulsO come the conviction that IL
VIZ leg Innate contrab nd ~ war. The altef-
haliHe Is 10 trc letter was II lien by "a friend
o. III l4f .nl hy thi- friend sent to PllsburY.
"hniN uhueccs- ~ To point out that No
hehu would ever steal and publish such a doc.
uheut ume. Tie porson most con erned had
g sngrnui'ei hl sell ready 10 shut his eyes and
oI;s bnt why speak Of the letter as stoen1 The
only charge Of this nature was that made by a
no'uihu piper' ana u was charge which was
10 Inulo tnau conjecture. Blaine has u. YER
sad that The letter was stolen. lie bas not even
uenled mat he received tho lettcr. Foster mas
ton'eq III II ever rracned Blame, but Foster
nas eso denlrd thst ho wrote tho letter, and
.uaa u auv p" many cOLttadictOry btataments
tnat hls t"-iiinnny has hardly that weight which
ehuti II - attention
IN lhe meanwhile blaine has enjoyed the
fruits VI his shrewd move ana has refused TO
we letter than that II was none Of his fune-