The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-02-19
BLAINE AND BRIDE ny,

BLAINE AN ID HA Is L = u
A Crime That Will Never be Fair.
ly Investigated by the Present
Maine Legislature.
Somebody in Maine is out just $2,-
600 purchase money paid for two flu
slonist members of the legislature, who
took the money, put it in the bank, and
openly declared on the floor OF the
House, in open session, the circum-
stances of the attempted bribery. Wal
lace r. White, the man who paid the
money, is sick with the measles.
Blaine is at Washington, running a
Presidential boom with very poor sue
cess.
This is the situation in which Rep.
resentative Thomas B. Swan rises to
address the citizens OF Mechanic Falls
on the subject, and to call attention to
certain facts bearing OH the case. The
immediate cause of his address was
an absurdIy malicious assault upon
him by Republicans of his town, in
the shape of an open letter published
in Mr.. Blaine's Portland organ, assert
ing that Mr.. Swan had by his action
at Augusta forever disgraced the town
which he represented. They have
nothing to say about the Disgrace of
the attempted bribery, but they de-
nounce the man who exposed it. Mr..
Swan takes the occasion to show in
what manner the disgrace was incur
red.
The story of the attempted bribery,
as now related by Mr.. Swan, is the
same that was made public at the time
that White, as the purchasing agent of
the Blame gang, was engaged in try
| ing to buy up enough Of the Fusion
lists to prevent the, assembling OF a
quorum at the time of meeting. The
story is familiar, and need not be re-
peated in detail. 1t is, simply, that
Mr.. Swan, considering il 10 be his du-
ty to expose the bribery which was
going on at Augusta, accepted the
money which White offered him, took
it at once to the Fusionist leaders,
made the necessary afidavits, secured
the necessary Witnesses, aud the next
day showed up the whole plot in the
legislature.
All that Mr.. Swan now has to add
10 this story of corruption, in the way
of narrative, is the following: 81 did
not see Mr.. White again that day till
after dusk !; passing down to my board.
ing house near the Augusta house, he
was standing on the corner near the
highway. He called ont to me and
: told me he wanted to speak to me
, He asked me what did with the mon.
, ey. I told him I had deposited it il
, the Granite National Bank. He said
, Are you sure it was the Granite Ma
tional Bank2' I said, 'YesP He said
you must be as careless as HI to de-
it, That was the last time had an y
conversation with Wallace r. White,
, 1t remains to be seen where thii
/ largo sum of money, which White wa,
using came from. 1t is very evident
as Mr.. Swan says that Wallace r
White did not take it out of his own
pocket, for he has not the means thai
would permit such. an expenditure
r Some one else must have supplied it
and no one would have done 80 with.
out very strong interest in defeat
ing the organization of the Legislature
by the FusiOnists. No one had great.
er interest in this than Mr.. Blaine. He
it was who must suffer if the legisla.
ture Investigated the bribery and cor.
? ruption practiced at the election OF
last fall, and he it was who could fad
any safety only in establishing a leg.
islature in which his own tools held
control.
And this in connection it becomes
| <,f fha svnv INTO tH lDv,r !, -,
White went when he left Mr.. Swan 10
get the $1,000 bribe. Alfred Kimbsll
attorney of the county Of Oxford, tes-
tilted he was coming by Mr.. Blaine's
house between 10 80 aud IL of that
day saw Wallace r.. White come out
of Mr.. Blaine's house, jump into his
sleigh with another person, and drive
down to the court house, If this tes-
timony of Mr.. KIM ball is true, during
the time Mr.. White was after that
money he went to the residence of
James G. Blaine. Whether he obtain-
ed the money there, or went to other
persons during the time he was away,
of course no one can tell but Mr..
Swan says that the team Mr.. Kimball
saw Wallace r. White get out of when
he came to the corner room IN the
court house, where he had left Swan
waiting for the money.
Now, this ls getting very close home
to Mr.. Blaine. There is, of course, no
moral doubt that the bribery of the
Legislature, as the bribery of tho voters
At the polls, was C1Dne under Mr..
Blaine's direction and with the funds
which he held for party use; but act
ual proof, on which q charge be made
and sustained is quite another, thing.
The bogus Legislature (which Blaine
has set up at the court house will ney.
er investigate this crime, 1t was mtde
up and set up for the special purpose
of preventing investigation. The only.
recourse is the trial by public opinion,
and this is now in progress. No SIM
pie denial will serve as an answer.
The bribe money is still in the bank.
The briber is sick, but will get we'll
and answer if he will The briber
was seen coming from Blaine's house
during the short interval in which he
was absent with the announced inten-
tion of getting $1,000 to pay Mr..
Swan. Taking this all together 1t.
makes up case that the Republicans
can not afford to ignore.-Boston
Globe, -' ~ r.