The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1884-09-06

Mr.. Blmne-And you aud not want to.
and there is the difference. Laughter and
applause | go a little further; You did
not dare to.
Now, Mr. Speaker" continued Mr..
Blaine, Il say that / have defied the power
of the House to compel me to produce
those letters. | speak with all respect to
this House, | know its powers, and trust
| respect them. But | say this House has
no more power TO order what shall be done
or not done with my private correspond
ence than 1t has with what | shall do IN the
nurture and education of my children
not particle. The right is as sacred
in the one case as it is in the other
But, Sir, having yindicated that right,
standing by it ready to make any sac
ritice IN the defense. here and now, if
any gentleman wants to take issue with me on
behalf of this House, | am ready for any ex-
tremity of contest or conflict III behalf of so
sacred right. And while | am so / am not
afraid to show the letters. Thank God Al
mighty, ] ain not ashamed to show them.
There they are (holding up a package of
letters}. Theirs is the verv original pack
age, and with some sense of humiliation
with modification that | do not pretend to
conceal, with a sense of outrage which
think any man in my position would feel, /
invite the confidence of forty-four millions
of my countrvmen while / read those letters
from this desk" [Applause.l
Blaine then read the letters with dramatic
fire.
BLUFFING PROCTOR KNOTT.
The scenes attending upon the reading,
were those of the widest excitement The
Speaker was powerless to preserve order or
to prevent Blaine's partisan friends from
cheering to the echo. The sympathies of
the galleries, which were packed, were with
Blaine, and these added to the tumult and
disorder
The letters read and the excitement hav-
ing subsided, Blaine walked over to the
Democratic side, and standing directly in
front of ]. Proctor Knott precipitated an
other sensation. This was really more
startling than the first because unexpected.
Mr.. Blaine said:
There is one piece of testimony want
ing. There is but one thing to close the
complete circle of evidence. There is but
one witness whom | could not have to
whom the Judiciary Committee taking into
account the great and intimate connection
he had with the transaction, was asked to
send cable dispatch, and ask the gentle
man from Kentucky if that dispatch was
sent to him?"
Mr. Frye-Who?
Mr. Blaine-To Josiah Caldwell
Mr. Knott viii reply to the gentleman
that Judge Hunton and myself have both
endeavored 10 get Mr. Caldwelrs address,
and have not yet got it,
Mr. Blaine-Has the gentleman from
Kentucky received dispatch from Cald-
well?
Mr. Knott will explain that directly
Mr.. Blaine-I want categorical answer.
Mr. Knott have received dispatch
purporting to be from Mr.. Caldwell.
Mr. Blaine-NOu did.
Mr. knOtt-How did YOU know / got it?
Mr.. Blaine-When did you get it? l want
the gentlemen from Kentucky to answer
when he got it.
Mr.. knott-Answer my question first.
Mr. Blaine-I never heard it until yester-
dav
Mr.. Knott-How did you hear it?
Mr.. Blaine-I heard you got dispatch
last Thursday morning at o'clock from
Josiah Caldwell completely and absolutely
eXonerating me from this charge, and You
have suppressed it. iProtracted applause
upon the floor and in the galleries. want
the gentleman to answer. After pause.
Does the gentleman from Kentucky decline
to answer;
Mr. Knott Will answer that when 1
get ready bO on Win your speech.
Mr.. Blaine-The gentleman from
Kentucky, Ill responding, probably, l
think, from what he said, intended to con-
yey the idea that | had some illegitimate
knowledge of how that dispatch was OBJ
tanned. | have had no communication with
Josiah Caldwell. | have had no means of
knowing from the telegraph office whether
the telegram was received. But | tell the
gentleman from Kentucky that murder Will
out.
Mr. Glover-That is true.
Mr.. Blaine-And secrets Will leak And
| tell the gentleman now, and / am prepared
to state to this House. that at 3 o'clock last
Thursday morning, or thereabouts the
gentleman from Kentucky received and re-
ceipted for a message addressed to him from
Josiah Caldwell, in London, entirely cor
roborating and substantiating the statements
of Thomas A. Scott which he had Just read
IN the New York papers, and entirely eLcul-
pating me from the charges which, | am
bound to believe from the expression of
that report, the gentleman is anxious to
fasten on me.
1t was this scene which Bob Ingersoll
had reference to when he spoke of Blaine
as the "Plumed Knight hurting his lance
full and f.ir IN The +--e OF Li- ~ mics.