Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-06-26
Mistellameuns &eading,
BLAINE,S PUBLIC RECORD.

A correspondent, whose letter we print
in another column, desires some eXplana-
tion of what he considers the sighting. OF
hostile references to Mr.. James &. Blaine
which so frequently appear in the Evenin9
Post, and which he suspects must be in
some degree at least, the product of private
malice. We think he is entitled, as our
readers generally, toSome such explanation,
and we shall proceed to make it cheerfully
starting, however, with the assertion that
no editor or other person connected with
the Evening Post in any capacity has, to
our knowledge, had any difference, quarrel
or controversy with Mr.. Blaine or has ever
received any injury from him whatever or
bears him any personal grudge. Whenever
he is discussed in these columns he is dis
cussed either as the holder of public office
or as candidate for public Office. Nor do
we make any reference to his private affairs
except when those affairs have or appear
to have direct and important relation to his
character as q public man. In fact, all
our comments on him and his doings are
due to the fact that we consider his reap
pearance as candidate for the highest office
in the government, or any other, as an au-
dacious proceeding, which can only be ac'
counted for by supposing him to have an
extraordinary and unwarrantable confidence
in the popular forgetfulness. 1t is the duty
of all those who do not wish to see the Re-
publican party burdened during the can
vass next summer with the hopeless task OF
whiteWashing him, to set forth briefly, now
this boom is becoming so lively, the charg-
es which he will have to answer before he
can be elected to the Presidency. 1t would
be lamentable indeed, and certainly disas-
trous, if the task prescribed for Republican
journalists by the Convention should be not
4. of p,1acfinnc nf rnh1ir
policy like the tariff or the civil service OF
the railroads or the currency, but laborious
examinations of Mr.. James G. Blaine's rail
road transactions. We mean, as far as we
are concerned, to avoid this if we can by
taking up his railroad transactions now, De-
fore the hustle and excitement Of the cam
vass begins.
THE FIRST CHARGE.
The first of these charges is that in the
spring session of Congress in 1869 q bill was
before the House of Representatives which
sought to renew the land grant to the Little
Rock and Fort Smith Railroad of Arkansas
in which some of Mr.. Blaine's friends are
interested; that an attempt to defeat it by
an amendment was made, and was on
the point of being successful, and its pro-
moters were in despair; that at this juno
ture, Mr.. Blaine, being then Speaker of the
House, sent message 10 0eL. Logan "
make the point of order that the amend
ment was not germane to the purpose OF the
bill that this point of order was according
ly raised and promptly sustained by MIR.
Blaine as Speaker, and the bill was in this
manner saved that Mr.. Blaine wrote at once
to the promoters calling attention to the SER
vice he had rendered them, and finally,
after some negotiations, secured from them,
as reward for it, his appointment as SELL
ing agent of the bonds Of the road' on com, Shn,
of such bonds as his percentage; that the
leading features of the transaction appeared
in two letters of his afterwards made public,
dated respectively June 20 and October 4,
1869.
THE SECOND CHARGE.
Second. That he asserted at first on the
floor of the House, with the view of cover:
ing up this affair, that the Little Rock and