The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-04-29
admits me to your columns prevents my
saying what l think Of your reckleaaness Ia


saying what l think Of your reckleasness /
this matter.
TIE FIFTH CHARGE.
The filth charge a1aigns MIR. Blaine
policy as an executive officer, and you
lust charge Is that Of packing convention
in his favor. I do not desire 10 dive.
upon either. This Is. not the place to re
view bis foreign policy to which you refer
and l am content to remark tina. howeye
much some Eastern journals may %cfiticiz
It, 1t is popular with a large majority Of th
American people. It Ia simply an Amor
can policy, looking 10 the extension Of on
commerce among the nations Of this con
tinent and RETAINING from European com
pllcations. The charge OF packing con
ventions needs no answer. This is tn
third Presidential campaign In which Mr.
B!aino has been undeniably the choice 0
g large proportion Of tho Republican party
In each Of them he has had the active op
position OF the National administration
WITH The use OF its patronage, against him
tic has control OF no patronage.
lie HAS NO MACHINE,
Machine and patronage have been stead
ny against him. Whatever prominence b,
has enjoyed has been conferred by the PEG
PIE. de has no means not open to every
citizen OF influencing public opinion. NJ
campaign in his favor originated elsewhere
than among the people. He has neve,
sought Office. He never held a position 10
which he wa not nominated by the unan.
imous voice Of his party. He has moi
sought the Presidency. circumstances
made him a candidate In 1875 almost be.
fore no was aware Of II. In 1850 he did
not wiuh to enter tho canvass. l was one
Of a email party Of intimate friends who
IN a long conversation In February, 1880,
persuaded him that 1t was his duty. lie
has done nothing to make himself a candi.
dato this year. lie has asked no mans
support. lie has written no letters, held
no conversation, taken no steps looking 10
his candidacy. Ho has never said 10 bis
most intimate friends that he expected or
wanted the nomination.
II, upon q review oil the whole case, YOU
should charge that II would have been bat.
ter and wiser for MIR. Blaine to have re-.
trained from making any investment in a
railroad that had directly or indirectly ID.
ceived aid from the legislation OF Congres,,
l should be ready to agree with you, not
because tho thing was necessarily wrong in
Itself, but because It was easy Tor such mat
ters to be 80 represented as TO appear
wrong. But why should Mr.. Blaine be 81
lected for special reprobation and criticism
when 30 many other Senators and Repre-
sentatives have been similarly situated? I
know Of my own knowledge tina. Governor
Morgs1fsMr. Hooper, Senator Grimes, and
manyGt5ay friends in Congress acquired
aud heid interests in such enterprises, and
neither you, nor l, nor the people suspected
the transac,ien to be wrong, or that it gave
them an advantage over other investors.
Why entertain and publish that suspicion
against MI. Blaine nlone? Whan
| Sat az q delegate at.large in the
last National Convention, Senator Ed.
munds and Senator Window were both
candidates, and should gladly have sun.
ported either. Senator Edmunds was
understood to have y block Of Burlippton
u Missouri securities, and the other had
not only a block in tho securities Of The
Northern Pacific Company, but wac n Of
Us directors. Yet you find no fault with
these gentlemen.--Nor would you and /
differ In giving the highest rank to Senator
Grimes, but both he and Senator Edmunds
acquired their interes,e in the Darlington
d Missouri road while they were in The
Senate. They both certainly supported the
bill to restore the land grant to their road.
passed on the same day with the Little
Rock bill. Both measures were lust. and
both were passed in the House and Sonata
without dissenting vote. Why must wa
suspect that Mi. Blaine had. a secret and
corrupt motive and that other members
and Senators had none9
ANOTHER STRONG EVIDENCE OF INNOCENCE. :
Let me add a circumstance which saema
to me to be significant of MI. B!aiue's ON.
6clous innocence in this Fort Smith trans.
action. He voluntarily made himself a
party OF record in q suit against the Fort
Smith ( Little Rock Railway Company in
the United. States Court, which involved
the nature and source OF his ownerahiu in
the property. II he had obtained this
ownership dishonorsbly would he have
courted this publicity.
l have thus ventured, Mr.. Editor, TO
make answer to the charges you have
brought against Mr.. Blaine. There are
other charges equally baseless which / have
read, but in other papers, so that I NAV
not claim your space to deny or answer
them. 1give two example,. Mr.. Blaine
is represented 40 the posseAsor OF m%illioue,
while ! know that he was never tho poses.
sor Of the half Of one million. Hs was rep.
resented as living Tor the past ten years in
palatial grandeur in Washington. He sold
that palatial mansion with Ill it's furniture
to Mrs. Trsvera for $4,000, and cot ali
that It waR worth. But you are RESPONSE.
BILE for such charges So you have
made, and I have therefore made
answer to them authoritatively over INV
own name, and I challenge a denial OF any
substantial fact l have stated. Your al.
tacks arc not on Mr.. Blaine alone; thew ara
on bis friends as well, and these are Ger.
tainly q larger and more devoted body of
supporters than can DO claimed by any
other man in public life. It seems 10 me
as I recall those In every station who are
proud to be numbered among them that I
recognize many Of the ablest, truest and
most honorable Of cur countrymep.
am respectfully yours,
WILLIAM WAITER PHELPS.
~. a..
NERvoua, dyspeptic individuals, whose dis.
tA1H. -f .s.~1 -.l