The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-12-24
oooo-sxn. Mr. PLAINrIFs BLAINE.

Mr. Blaine has dismissed his suit against
the Sentinel. In this Mr.. Blaine has dis
played commendable discretion. 1t is, how.
ever. no more than the Sentinel expected OF
him. We have had no doobt but that he
would sooner or later make virtue OF ne
cessity" by stepping down and out of court.
Mr.. Blaine is, no doubt. familiar with the
wise proverb, 1.-THE prudent man foreseeth
the evil and hidsth himself" and has con-
cluded not to have applied to himself the
converse ending OF the same passage, But
the wicked pass on and are punished" If we
were impelled to criticlse Mr. Blsine's
judgment in bringing the suit against Us.
we at least will compliment it IN deciding to
drop it In the Language of Mr.. Sam Weller
70 Mr.. Pickwick, when after the iatter's
adventure with the lady in yellow curl
papers, he resolved never to trust himself in
she hotel. alone. again, That's the very
prudentest resolution as you could come
to, SIR
The public will bear witness that of
late we have had little to say OF Mr.. Blaine
as plaintiff in the libel suit. Even for sew
ersl weeks prior to the election We referred
to the affair only as the venal assaults of the
Republican press upon either the Demo
cratic candidate or upon the Sentinel made
retort necessary. Nor wouId we now dignity
Mr. Blaine's puerile and absurd buster 10
bringing the suit by further comment upon
it but for the letter to his attorney oOpyOf
which the latter presented for record, along
with their motion to dismiss, and which,
upon further consideration aud most likely
from asuggestion Of the Judge that it would
net be allowed to remain as a part of the
record, they withdrew, though leaving the
paper itself with the clerk for public in
spection.
This letter appears 10 another column,
and assigns his reason for ordering the
suit to be stopped. When ordering the
suit he believed 1t could be fairly tried,
without undue influence from political con-
siderstions" He was, however, profoundly
amazed to f nd the matter at once taken up
ana the libel reproduced With all possible
exsggsrations IN every Democratic paper in
Indiana" He further says that, except
from three members of the Democratic party
OF that State, be never heard that word of
dissent or disspprovAl was spoken. while the
great masses of Dem 1crstic speakers re-
psated the libeI from every stump in Indi
ans, with vituperstive r4ncor, with gibe aud
ribsld jest" He holds that under such
conditions it is simoly i'm possible that he
can have a fair trial or that he can
expect any other result than that
cal libel suit, growing out of an
exciting campaign in this country" Then
he tells us when hs visited Indiana in Octo.
ter he was repeatedly advised that six
Democrats could not be found in the State,
who in political suit, would give verdict
against their leading party organ" He is
perfectly able" he continues, Ito fight the
Sentinel newspaper in an Indiana Court
but he would stand no chance Whatever
against the consolidated venom of the Demo
cratic party OF the State" Such are the
momentous conditions constituting Plaintiff
Blaine's reason for stepping from the muzzle
of the Sentinels cannon when he saw the
fuse about to be lighted.
-
Mr.. blaine's letter is not so commendable
as his dismissal OF the suit-this for the sim.
pie reason that 1t has not the merit of being
truthful. Possibly the gentleman was.
really, profoundly amazed" at every Dem
ocratic paper in Indiana" reproducing the
libel with all possible exaggerations." Mr..
Blaine anticipated, as did his Indianapolis
advisers, that his Eighty assault upon the
oeuunel would terr0rlZe the entire Demo
cratic press of the HOosier State He fully
expected that he was riveting muzzle upon
the Democratic press, while his Republican
organs would continue besmirching the
private character OF the Democratic candi-
date with all possible ex aggerations'' of a
scandal which he had encouraged from its
first publication. He was first profoundly
when the Sentinel declined to un-
cover the bead and crook the knee to the
Plumed Knight upon his clustering into
Court demanding $50, 900 damages. and pro-
posing to defend the honor OF his family,
II need be, with his life." He was more