The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-10-02
jim BLAINE OF MAINE.
HIS PRACTICAL o. "LOYA1TY.' y
He Procured SubstItute and Then Got Him q
Place Safe From Bullsts-Ths ''sub,"
Paid for by the City Of
Augusta.

A correspondent writes from Nevada to in.
quire,
To the Editor Of The Sun:
sIR--In the Congressional Record, Of the 10th,
the following bit is printed:
Mr. Williams-I should like to ask the Senator
did his substitute 6ghti
MI Blaine-NO. found out afterwards that he
was Democrat [laughter was In eged into
hiring him without knowing who he was
Mr. Ealon-Did he sell mself or half price?
Mr. blaine-I do not know. l paid full price
for him, more than an average Democrat was
worth In the war lgrest laughter
ls there any means OF akcerIainine who Nv
Blaine substitute was and what kind of sub
Nitlute he nader II may have been that he was
q brave one, and that the man for whom he did
the hghtipg has been Wiling to blacken the
memory OF departed hero QhOugh humble and
fighting under the disadvantages of being Mr.
Baine's substituteO for the sake Of reOartee.
II might knock large hole In the sarcasm OF
the feToclOus wSrrOr OF the senate If that bubsti
tutes record could be hunted up.
ARTHUR MCEwEN.
Virginia, New, May a.
Early In the war, Mr. Blaine's name was placed
upon the military rolls Of Maine and he like
other sble.bOded citizens 4 that State, became
liable TO conscription. great many of his fel
low tOwnkmen In Augusta did not wait for the
draft, but volunteered aud went to the front to
fight for the Union. Mr. Blaine was deeply CON
cerned during the dark days Of 1862 for the fate
Of our armies and the fortunes Of the nation. We
know this to be the case, for he himself has pub
licly admitted, in a speech in Congress- that
"even after the lapse Of thirteen years he could
never recall that period without chill Of nor.
ror." He was also concerned In contract for
furnishing Spencer rifles to the cover ment, and
he did not volunteer to do Hillary duty.
The necessity for troops being urgent, and Mr..
Blaine not coming forward, Presid mt Lincoln
proclaimed draft. The draft proceeded at Au.
gusta without Interruption. One Of the fist
names taken from the box was that Of the pres,
ent stnator from Maine. But even then Mr..
Blaine did NOT Join the army. He procured sub.
slitute whose military record our Nevada cores
pondent is anxious to learn, and continued to
defend the government by means Of able speech.
es at Augusta and in Washington.
In replying to the questions Of Senators Eaton
and Williams, Mr.. Blaine implies that his kubsti.
tute did not fight because he was Democrat It
Is well 10 be exact in historical matters even Of
trlhiDg import II was not because he was a Dem
ocrat that Mr.. Blaine's substitute failed 10 rem.
der any assistance In suppressing the rebellion.
he did not go to the front at all. Political uhu.
ence Of potent kind was exerted at Augusta In be-
half Of the man who represented Mr. Blaine In
the army Of the Union, and he was but too peace.
full and easy service in the provost marshal's
Office in that town. Soon after Mr.. Blains sub
Btitue was detected IN forging soldiers certifl.
Cates Of discharge and draft exemption papOrs
aud selling them for $50 apiece to other patriots
who preferred TO remain at home. Upon this
discovery, Mr.. Biaine's substitute was locked uT
in the county JAIL through the iron bars Of which
he watched the varying fortunes Of the war ant
saw his principal grow rich and famous
Mr.. Blaine's memory is at fault In another par
ticular. He informs Mr., Eaton that he paid full
price for his Democratic substitute. The substi
tute was paid for out of the funds of the Augusta
Loyal Mutual Alliance, an org 'nizstion of pat.
riots who formed pool to insure such of It's
members that might be drafted against the ex.
pense of procuring substitutes Mr.. Blaine WIS
member of this interesting association, and had
subscribed to Its fluid Several years later the
city of Augusta undertook to REIN burse the sub,
scribers to this fund, and did SO in five per cent
twenty year bOuds to meet the interest on which
we suppose, the people Of that town are still
taxed. There are also papers on the record OF
the city's contingent expenses for 1866 the fol.
lowing entry:
]. G. Blaine for substitute 90