Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-08-27
BLAINE'S RECORD.
The Charges of the New York Herald
Fully Answered.


From the Boston Journal
In the New York Herald Of July % appeared
a lengthy sensational article, prepared for the
sole purpose of proving that thirty years ago
Mr.. Blaine belonged to the Know-nothing party.
and strongly favored it's principal aims and OBJ
iects. 1t needs scarcely be said that what Mr.
Blaine s political views may have been so long
ago, when he was 81 very young man, is not now
very important to any intelligent and honest
citizen. A majority of the best public men in
the country have essentially changed their
opinions in that period of time. 1t is to the
credit OF Mr.. Blaine that he has made great
progress in his political education since 1854,
and that he is now so able and popular states
man is commanding proof of his constant in
tellectual growth and Of his ripe experience as
public man.
But it so happens that the main charges of the
Herald as to his political opinions in 1854 and
1855 are not true. They are substantially these
l. That being one of the editors of the Ken
nebec Jou1TtaL during the political canvass in
Maine in 1854, Mr.. Blaine supported Isaac Reed,
the Wing candidate for Governor, and then be-
trayed him.
2. That Mr.. Blaine was member of the Know
nothing organization.
g. That certain riotous proceedings toward
Catholic priests in Bath and Ellsworth in 1854
were excited, or at least not disapproved by the
Kennebec journal, OF which Mr.. Blaine was
editor.
A. That the Kennebec Journal and Mr. Blaine
supported Arson 2. Morrill,, Know nothing,
s. That the Kennebec Journal, with Mr.
Blaine as one of it's editors, continued devoted
advocate of the Know nothing party until COM
PEELED to abandon it by public sentiment
The first allegation of the Herald is sufficient
ly answered in the statement that the owners
and editors of the Kennebec Journal during
the political campaign of 1854 are now both
dead, and that they supported the Wing candi-
date for Governor that year in good faith. Mr..
Blaine did not become a citizen of Maine and
one of the editors of the Kennebec Journal I'M
til several months after the political campaign
of that year was terminated and the election
| held.
o Mr. Blaine was not a member of the Know
nothing organization. On the contrary, learn
ing that Mr.. Stevens, who became his partner q
few weeks after Mr.. Blaine had become one of
che editors and owners of the Kennebec JOu1'-
nal, was a nominal member of that organization
and earnestly resolved to discard it and get it
out OF the way as unfit for the membership of
| freemen, Mr.. Blaine commended his partner s
resolution.
3. The riotous proceeding relative to Catholic
priests in Bath and Ellsworth took place
months prior to Mr.. Blaine becoming resi-
dent of the State, and months prior to his be-
coming one of the editors of the Kennebec
Journal
A. Arson P. Morrill,, whom the Kennebec
Journal supported for Governor in 1856, was
nominated by the Republican State Convention
early that year, and in the platform of this con-
vention there was not one word or indication in
favor of the special doctrines of know-Noth-
ings. In 1854, before Mr. Blaine came into the
State Arson p Morrill, was nominated and sup
ported by the anti-slavery Wings, by the Free
Soil party, also by the Anti-Nebraska Demo-
Gratis. Just prior to the election of that year he
was also indorsed by majority of the Know
Nothings, whose organization had just been intro
duced in Maine There contest for the
control Of that organization between the anti
slavery men on the one side and the pro-
slavery men and allies of the Democrats on the
other Wisely or unwisely, many anti-slavery
men rushed into it to control it to prevent it's
being welded by their opponents Arson P.
ton, and never cherished a particle of ami
mostly against the foreign born citizen. He was
then what he is to-day, at 81 years of age a
| large-minded, liberal, earliest Republican and
as true a patriot as lives within the limits Of the
republic.
| 5, Most emphatically Mr. Blaine, as one of
| the editors of the Kennebec Journal, did
not remain devoted to the Know nothing
party until public opinion forced it's abandon
| ment On the contrary, both he and his
| editorial associate, Immediately after becoming
owners and managers of the Kennebec Journal,
| did put themselves actively to the effort of in
ducing the members of that organization to
alb andon it and give full field to the Republican
| party. The Maine Legislature of 1856 was not a
| Know-Nothing body in spirit or purpose, but
| one Of the most pure and respectable legislative
| bodies which ever assembled in the State. The
| distinctive KnOw-Nothings made but small
| fragment of it's members All of it's measures
may not have been necessary. But its action
relative to naturalization was dictated by the de-
| sire to maintain the naturalization laws intact,
| to protect them against abuse and fraud, and
| thus prevent those shameful transactions in
! cities such as Tweed and his gang pract1ced
| in New Xork, which were much an outrage
against the honest naturalized citizen as the ma
tive born. Since that Legislature closed it's
labOrs nearly thirty years have passed, most OF
which time the State has been under Republican
rule, and during this period Mr.. Blaine has been
conspicuous in leadership, while not natural
lied citizen of the State has been deprived OF his
rights or experienced the least ilIberal treat
ment by any action of Mr. Blaine. 1t is because
| he is in favor of all citizens being considered
equal before the law and firmly maintaining
| their rights at home and abroad that the Herald
/ in vain tries to mslead the public as to the po-
| litical principles of Mr. Blaine and his high
| character as a statesman.