The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-09-18
HOar's Defense OF Blaine.


Mr.. HOar is making desperate effort
to whitewash the republican candidate,
and he is resorting to about as many
S;nuous devices to accomplish that re-
suit as it is possible for respectable
man to resort to and remain respecta-
bic. But with all his ingenuity and
elasticity of resource, he is unable to
make a saving defense OF Mr.. Blaine
without impeach ne the veracity of Mr..
Mulligan. In his letter to ''my dear
young friend he says: "But Mr..
Schurz lays great stress upon MIR.
Bla;ne's interview with Mulligan. The
version of that interview given by
Mulhgan seems to me utterly improb-
able. 1t is fatty and contemptuously
contradicted by Mr. Blaine. =
The interview 10 which Mulligan testi-
ties was partly in the presence of Fos-
ter and Atkins, and partly with him
alone, the parties passing and repassing
from one room to another. 1t seems
to me utterly unlikely that Mr.. Blaine
would pass from calmnPss to d stress
and agony, and back to calmneSs again
in that way. To those who have known
that courageous and high-spirited gen.
tleman, there does not appear to be much
of James q. Blaine in Mulligan's sto-
ry." A great many things may seem
utterly unlikely" to Mr.. Hoar that ap-
pear quite natural and probable to
Predetermined men. 1t is not unu-
sual for MIR. Blaine to assume a high
tragedy role with his wife and children
as accessories, whenever he is driven
into corner. For instance when he
telegrarhed Colonel Hollid Nv to bring
suit against the indianapolis Sentinel
he said: Political ISLANDERS l do not
stop to notice, but this editor assails the
honor of my wife and children. / am
sure that honorable Democrats. alike
with honorable Republicans, will iusti-
fy me in defending the honor of my
family, if need be with my life" How
naturally this would come from the
man who, according to Mr.. Mulligan,
almost went on his knees a few wears
ago. saying that if the committee should
get hold OF those papers it would ruin
and sink him forever; that Mr.. Blaine
had talked even of suicide and
made an appeal in behalf of his
wife aud six children, and that then
he opened to him (Mulligan) the
prospect of COnsulship abroad;
that Mr.. Blaine, finally, wanted at
least to be permitted to look ut the
letters, which Mulligan did permit MIN
to do on condition that he would return
them; that Mr.. Blaine did return them
and then wanted to look at them again,
and then refused to give them back,
and against Mr. Mulligan'S protest kept
them in his possession. This ''hlgh-
spirited gentleman" whom Mr.. Hoar
so admires, has shown that spirit on oc-
casions when he has had timid Senators
to deal with Mr. Hoar has mistaken
the bluff and buster of the bully for
the hauteur of the gentleman, for
Blaine is only well-dressed bully, after
all, and as bully is almost invariably
a coward when he lacks advantage of
position, nothing is more natural than
that he should call his wife and chill
dren to his rescue when driven to cover.
But Mr.. Hoar should find some other
way to let his candidate out than to in
sinuate that Mr.. Mulligan lied about
the matter. Mr.. Mulligan's standing
for truth and veracity is exceptionally
good-as good as that of any man in
Boston, or even in Worcester. More
| over, he has been more considerate of
Mr.. Blaine than most men would have
been in the same circumslances.-Bo
ton Post.