The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1879-08-07
HOW 1T HAPPENED.


James G.. Blaine, United States seuator
from Maine, was invited 10 Minnesota,
Is one of the attractions OF the two rival
fairs then being held respectively at st.
Paul and Minneapolis. He had been
engaged to deliver an address, and while
en- route, to fill the engagement, an elab-
oroate interview, purporting TO have
taken place with him on the New York
Central Il. r. appeared IN the Utica
Daily Republican, publication owned
by Dennis I. Kelley, and run as a cam
paign organ. The interview was remark
able, ID fact it was entirely astounding.
1t Immediately found its way into all the
leading newspapers, and created great
excitement The substance OF the inter
view reached senator Blaine in Wiscon-
sin, when he instantly telegraphed de-
NAL of the whole and all its parts, alleg
ing that he had talked with no one from
the Republican or any other newspaper.
This would have settled the matter with
the majority of those taking interest in
the matter, if the Senator in his Mime
sofa speech, had not uttered the very
sentiments contained in portions Of the
alleged and denied interview. This
knocked tha denial IN the head. At
least al the leading newspapers express
ed such an opinion, and the universal
belief was that Blaine had really given
utterance to the words imputed to him,
though some were considerate enough to
think he might have thought at the time
he was speaking to none but a friend
who would not betray him to the public.
The interest and excitement after the
denial became more intense th IN at first.
The principal reason was that the inter
view made Senator Blaine say that he
held his distinguished friend, Roscoe
Conkling, .. S. Senator from New York
in high esteem, had personal regard for
him, and made lin pay high compli
ment to Conkling's great abilities. This
was a bomb in both camps--that Of
Conkling's as well as that of Blaine's-
for It was well known everywhere, and
particularly so at Utica and Syracuse,
near Conkling's home, and where the
interview first appeared, that these two
distinguished politicians and senators
were bitter enemies, and untiring per-
sonal and political rivals, who had not
exchanged word, unless necessary in
the transaction of public business, since
April 80 1866. Thus the matter was left
in dispute between the two leading
characters in it, but the public generally
gave more credit 60 the interview than to
-eae depial--BuH sooner or later history
has got 10 be corrected or -vindicated,
and the present is a good time in which
to take up this matter. These are the
facts obtained from person who was
present when the interview was written,
and who heard it read while in the man
uscript. On Saturday Senator Blaine
and his friends passed over the Eastern
division of the n. I. c. R'y. Conductor
Sylvester Piper, on whose train the
Blaine party rode, said to o well known
newspaper man of Syracuse, well known
in Wisconsin also, having been connected
some years ago with the Oshkosh North
western and who was a member of the
recent excursion party which accompan-
led the Wisconsin Editorial Association.
81 wish you had been on my train.
Blaine and friends were aboard with
Chicago tickets" The newspaper man,
once for a wonder, was too late to inter-
view, as has unfortunately become the
custom, the distinguished deuizens of
the Pine Tree State. No one else had
seen or interviewed the senator, so he
could invent an interview, making the
leader of the Maine republicans say
whatever the inventor thought so public
and learned an individual ought to say
in case he would really speak from with
in. So the brilliant inventor sat down
on Sunday, at No. IS Lansing street,
Utica, and wrote the great interview as
it appeared the next day in the Utica
Republican, which created such hub
bub during period of nearly six weeks
fabricated every line and syllable of it.
The good wife protested that the inven-
tor would be arrested and shut up in
prison if the false interview should be
printed and begged her husband to de-
sist. ''No' he answered, 81 know Just
what Blaine ought to say; just what he
would say were his pride not maintain
ing hatred and grudge in which his
heart takes no share, and I am bound to
make him say it, come what WILL" And
he did, with the result above stated.
That the public believed so much of the
interview is not to be wondered at so
much as the wonderful lack of insight
into the manner of Blaine's resoning and
conclusions which enabled the inventor
to make the interview at once SO natural
and reasonable in all things save the
warm aliusion to Senator Roscoe Conk-
ling. The writer Of the interview which
attracted more attention than anything
else of its kind which has appeared for
years, was Darwin @. Pavey, for some
time and nominally now connected with
the Syracuse Standard. He is q bold,
energetic, voluninous, entertaining and
respected writer, and win be more sur
prised to see the authorship of his article
exposed than will Blaine himself, to
whom the matter was small world OF
trouble. These are the precise facts and
will relieve Blaine of what he regarded
as extremely humiliating, viz. the public
charge that he had said kind word of
Conkling and Conkling of the unuttera-
ble disgust he felt at being praised by