New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-28
THE BLAINE ISLANDERS.
EDMUNDs. NOT BLAINE, INVOLVED.
from the sunday Tribune. Apra 27.

Phelps given to-day, treats with cOur-
teous severity the stale ISLANDERS OF mo
Erening Post against Mr.. Blaine. No other
man in the country could have spoken
with greater weight on this matter. His own
high character the keen sense OF honor when
has more than once compelled him to sacrlilce
personal interests to q sense OF duty, ana ms
close personal knowledge OF Mr.. BiaInes busl-
ness affairs for many years, more than JnstlIy
him in saying: " | am myself somewhat known
" in the city of New York. and think have some
"personal rank with you (Ihe EUenia9 POST and
gyour readers Am | claiming too much in
"clairning that there is not one among you who
would regard me as capable of an attempt to
"misead the public in anyway
Mr.. Phelps recalls to mind facts long ago
established, and well known TO those who have
not taken pains to forget them The charges
against blr. Blaine's integrity were heard elghe
years ago. and disposed of completely. Inc
verdict of the people was recorded III the TACT
that of those Republicans who did not accord
with General Grant in political views the great
majority chose Mr. Blaine, above all other clll-
Gems of the Republic, as their candidate for the
Presidency in 1876, when the charges and tho
evidence were fresh in mind. These people were
not ignorant nor were they dishonest Among
them were many of the ablest and purest men
in the Nation. They then pronounced the
charges false, malignant, and unsustained by
the evidence. In 1850 a like verdict was re-
corded OF those opposed to thud term Tor
General Grant great majority again dellOer-
ately preferred Mr. Blaine as their candidate.
Soon after the whole people hOnOred President
Garfield for selecting Mr.. Blaine as his Seere-
tary of State. Thc.people were not blind nor IN
love with dishonesty President Garfield was
not the man thus to honor one upon whom IN
his Judgment, there rested the slightest taint.
Yet now. q third time, the same charges are re-
ierated to supplement the force of patronage IN
the choice Of a President. Again, great ma
iority of those who do not wish the Tcnomina-
ton Of President Arthur declare their preference
for Mr. Blaine above all other citizens OF tho
Republic. To allege that man eight years ago
shown guilty of dishonesty is preferred again
and again. by so great number, Is an insult TO
| the American people
But Mr.. Phelps arrays the facts with crushing
! force, as if the country had forgotten as COM
pctcly as Mr.. Blaine's dcfamers have ignored
| them. lie not only states, upon the honor OF .
man of the highest standing but proves, that tho
charges made are false. He proves that Slr.
! Blaine had not the slightest interest present or
prospective, in the Little Rock road at the tlme
| Congress acted on it that he then did not know
the parties interested and that his friends came
| into the enterprise at a later date. lie proves
| anew as if it had not been proved before, that
! Mr.. Blaine acquired an interest on precisely the
! samc terms that were open to others. He proves
! that Mr.. Blaine regarded himself as the re-
! sponsible owner, and not as mere agent, be-
| cause he hOnOrably took back the bonds which
he had sold. He proves that Mr.. Blaine had no
! interest in the Northern Pacific, but only recon-
mended it to a friend. He shows that there was
no proof that the purchase of bonds by tho
| Union Pacific was for Mr.. Blaine's interest.
But all this had been proved before, again and
! again. Ii is time to ask why refuted ISLANDERS
| are thus persstently used against hr. Blaine,
and by men who Justify other public men for
! having done exactly what they falsely allege
that Mr.. Blaine did
Senator Edmunds is ardently supported for
the Presidency by The EUepig Post which
makes itself responsible again for these charges
against Mr.. Blaine. But precisely what it false
~ asserts as to Mr. Blaine the record proves
that Mr. Edmunds did Though it has space
for three columns Of attack upon Mr.. Blaine,
The Ercniag Post has neither the space nor tho
courage to mention the act of Mr.. Edmunds. it
is not true that Mr.. Blaine had any interest
whatever in the Little Rock road, when lac acted
on it in Congress. But it is the truth that Scna-
tor Edmunds and Senator Grimes acquired their
interest in the bonds OF the Burlington and
Missouri when they were in the Senate, that tho
bill to restore the land grant To their road was
passed on the same day with the Little Rock
bill, without dissenting vote in House or Sem
ate, and that Mr.. EdmWds owned these bonds
when he thus voted to restore the land grant TO
his road. He had direct personal interest in
his vote, while Mr. Blaine had none in his ac-
ton. Yet Tile Erening Post hunts down Mr..
Blaine with ferocity. and supports Mr.. Edmunds
with many protestations of lofty virtue. The
public will Judge if there is in this any honesty,
any care for public virtue. anything but per-
sonal rancor, personal ambition and private
schemes.
Mr.. Horace White one of the two gentlemen
publicly announced as responsible editors of The
EreRiRg Post was at that time clerk with Sen
ator Grimes who was interested with Mr.. Ed
munds in the Burlington bill. He was the close
friend of Mr.. Grimes, has honored him always,
and must have known the facts in this matter.
If there was in truth anything TO distinguish
what Mr.. Grimes actually did from what The
EreRing Post falsely charges that Mr. Blaine
did, Mr. White must know it. Yet he is careful
not to mention at all Mr.. Phclps's statement as
to Mr. Grimes. What honest motive can there
be for selecting Mr.. Blaine alone, of all those
who had or were supposed to have interest in
such legislation at that time, for suspicion of
base motives, for shame and dishonor while
Mr. Grimes and Mr.. Edmunds are accounted as
pure patriotsP Others who had interest in bills
on which they acted are honored; The Ere9ing
Post honors the dead and il honors the lying.