The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1884-07-19
The sruliigan Letters, Etc.

Harpers Weekly.
A correspondent in Carolina asks where
he can find the story of the Little Rock
and Fort Smith Railroad in connection
with Mr.. Blaine, and of the Mulligan
letters. In the spring of 1876, when Mr..
can nomination at Cincinnati, there
were rumors of some extraordinary rail
road transactions upon his part, which
became so constant and pressing that on
the oath of April he made statement in
the house, supposing the Mulligan letters
to have been destroyed, which will be
found on the record at that time, and
which has been often reprinted recently.
This statement was accepted by Har-
per's Weekly, and by the republican
press and public opinion generally, as
entirely satisfactory, in the absence of
further evidence. This evidence, how
ever, was furnished by the investigation
Of committee of the house, and the
minutes of the testimony have been pub
lished. The Mulligan letters were OBJ
tanned by Mr.. Blaine from witness of
that name, with the understanding that
they were to be returned. He kept them,
however, and on the 9Th of June, the
pressure of public opinion still continu-
ing, he read parts of the letters in the
house. 4. few days afterward the con-
vention met, and Mr.. Blaine fell i'll. The
investig alton was arrested by his illness,
and report was not submitted.
The campaign of 1876 began immedi-
ately, and the subject dropped from the
public mind. In 1880 Mr.. Blaine was
again a candidate, but as the imminent
danger was the third term conspiracy,
the Mulligan affair did not play promi-
nent part. In the spring of 1884 Mr..
Blaine's candidacy was again urged.
The old Stalwart power was broken, and
public attention was once more turned to
his whole career, including the railroad
transactions, which were carefully con-
sidered, and led to a strong protest
against his nomination. Some weeks be-
fore the convention, Mr. Blaine's init
nlate personal friend, Mr.. William Wal
ter Phelps, published a letter in explana-
ton of Mr.. Blaine's railroad transactions
in the course of which he covertly attack
ed Mr.. Edmunds by detailing certain af-
fairs in which he contended that Mr.
Edmunds was just as guilty as Mr. !.
Blaine, but affirmed that both were in .
nocent. This produced a curt and coE,-
elusive reply from Mr.: Edmunds, and an
exposure of the fallacy of Mr.. Phelps
defense from the Evening Post, to whic h
journal his letter was addressed.
All this correspondence was published
in Harper's Weekly of May 10, 1884, to-
gether with two editorial articles, in
which the Weekly said that the explana-
ton of Mr.. Phelps was not satisfactory
After repeating the charge, the Weekly
said iIThis is the charge against MIR.
Biz 80 which the letter of Mr.. Phelps
doeYg,fot explain. Indeed both the
Substance and the method of the Blaine
defense show anger and desperation, but
not the consciousness of Innocence"
AS no satisfactory explanation was ever
made, it was impossible that Harper's
Weekly should advocate the election Of
Mr.. Blaine unless it were willing to urge
upon its readers the support of a candi-
date for the presidency whose final ex-
PLANTATION of matters fatally affecting his
official conduct the paper had declared
to be unsatisfactory. 1t is in these va
rious places that our California cores
pondent must seek the information that
he desires. Some time since a com
mittee was appointed by the young mems
republican club in Brooklyn to prepare
an authentic statement of the matter,
upon which work it is still engaged. OF
its conclusion our readers will be duly
apprised.