The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-09-27
The Blaine Scandal.

ted concerning the irregular relations
of Jas. G.. Blame and his wife, before
their marriage, we were amongst those
who were inclined to look upon the
charges of seduction as campaign lie,
or if true to attribute the fact to the
youthful indiscretions Of Blaine during
his boy yhood days. For that reason we
r4frained from giving publicity to the
charge, until he himsel forcei the nau-
seating scandal upon the country
through the courts of law. We then
published only the press report of the
status of the case as matter of news.
The answer of the Sentinel Publishing
Company to Blaine's charge of libel has
now assumed actual form, AMI their
suit for bill of discovery to compel
him to answer under oath according to
the forms of law, to the facts in the
case, has called for an open letter from
the Plumed Knight. In order to pail
ate the fact of the premature birth of
their first born, he is forced to give
publicity to a secret illegal marriage,
and admit the desecration of the tomb
stone erected over the cEild's grave.
The open admissions contained in
this special pleading show Blaine to be
a moral leler whose private life is worse
if possible than his public record.
He says in his letter which We give
below that he married his wife The first
time in Kentucky on the 30th day of
June 1850, and the second time in ths
! reseuce of witnesses in the city of
Pittsburg in the month of March 1881,
but that it was not otherwise made pub
lie for obvious reasons. The obvious
reasons for the marriage in the city OF
Pittsburg having been kept secret and
teir going from the state of Kentucky
to that of Pennsylvania, where at that
time no license was required or record
kept was to conceal the evidence of
their crime. The marriage in Kentucky
ii any ever took place, which is doubt
full, was according to Biaine's own ad-
mission absolutely void. Were we fer
the purpose of this article to admit that
the bold, lashing, brilliant, magnetic,
scholarly Blaine, who mad for three
years resided and followed his profes
sion in the state of Kentucky, was so
ignorant that he did not know that a
license and record was IL necessary re-
quislte to legal marriage we still have
his admission that all this time he Was
unwittingly living III adultery, for it is
an old maxim and we'll established that
ignorance of the law excuses no man.
If he was acting in good faith and be
lieved this ceremony lawful, why Was
this marriage and their subsequent re-
lations kept secret until the delicate
condition of Miss Stanwood made their
emigration from Kentucky necessity.
No the admission shows Blaine to have
been = black hearted villain of the
deepest dye, who under the gnise of
mock marriage took advantage of youth
full innocence to accomplish fiendish
act that the imps of darkness woald
blush to own. Whatever influence
was brought to bear upon him that
afterwards caused him to repent of his
wickedness and fly with her away from
the scandal .hat he had brought upon
her to safe retreat among the rlre-
covered hills of Maine, the crime re-
mains the same. 1t affords a brilliant
example to youths of to-day as mas
ter-stroke of craftsmanship. True he
implicitly denies the desecgation of the
grave of the child, but what was the
obvious reason for obliterating the fig
ure winch told the year of its birth, if
1t was not that which prompted the
keeping of the second marriage secret.
Who but Blaine and his party were in
terested in having the evidence which
this figure furnished blotted outl
We give his letter below and ask fo-
it your careful and earnest consdera-
ton, for out of his own mouth shall he
be yindicated or condemned
AUGUSTA, Sept. 6, 1884.
NY Dear Mr. Phelps:--I have your
favor CT the 4th advising me that the
continuous invention and wide circnla-
tion of the evil reports renders it advis-
able, in your judgment, not to wait
the slow process of the law, but to speak
directly to the public in M own vindi-
cation. In this opinion, many othels,
on whose judgment / rely, concur. |
shrink instinct, ely from the suggestion