Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-07-23
THE OPPOSITION IN A NUTSHELL

If the candid voter will make dilligent
research into the opposition to Mr.. Blaine
by the so-called Independents" he will
find it TO crystalline into two charges;
First-Blainc was chosen by the ina
chine
Second-HiS personal record is bad.
As to the first, nothing beyond assertion
is cited in support; as to the second, the
Mulligan letters alone are called in cvi-
dence.
1t does appear to us who support Mr..
Blaine from conviction and not under
the coercion of party, that there is full and
ample answer to these objections to the
Republican candidate First, he is not
was the choice OF the majority of the party
in a Convention chosen by the district
plan, and free from the dictation of rings.
Even the most extreme Independents have
sentative voice of the party was for Blaine
by very great majority. So far as ma
chine influences were concerned, they were
exercised for President Arthur, if for any
one; they were at the command of the
Federal brigade, if of any one. Mr.. Blaine S
record does not disclose any testimony to
show that he is at the beck of the ma
chine Under Garfield it was his oppo-
nent; at Chicago it was opposed to him !;
il defeated him at Cincinnati; it is not his
cordial friend now it fayors civil service
reform grumblingly, while Blaine is ar
IDENTIFY pronounced for it, and as far bacl,
as 1872 was its advocate and friend. But il
is needless to rccapitulate. If it be ad-
mitted that Mr.. Blaine is representative of
the machine-but which is not true-then,
since The great principle that the majority
Just as a majority of the people in the ideal
attainment Of our system of government
should make the laws of the land the ma
chine has chosen the party leaders wisely
and well, and has simply loaned its
methods for once TO give effect to, and not
in coercion of the voice of the party, and
therefore ceased TO be vicious thing, 80
far as that action is concerned.
Second-It is not claimed that Mr.. Blaine
is an immoral man that his personal hab-
its are reprehensible that he is a libertine
a scorner of the laws, rebel or a drunk
ard that he has outraged social proprie-
ties has been communiStic, defiant of con-
stituted authority the enemy of ow
political institutions or wanting iS patri
otto devotion. But he wrote the MulEgar
letters But this charge is stale. He die
not fail TO face il in his place in Congress
He prostituted no office for personal gain
in that matter the letters are subject tC
two distinct interpretations. The charges
were made against him eight years and
more ago. Since then, and in the face Of
them. the people of Maine have tried him
on the public forum, and elected him tc
the United States Senate as their verdict
Since then, in the face % the charges, g
President of the United States has named
him TO the premiership of the republic, and
the Senate of the United States unanl-
moRsly confirmed his appointment. When
the mud was still wet with political slime
not single journal of his State opposed
him because of personal unfitness or mis-
conduct The journals now opposing him
throughoutthe United States then approved
and Landed him. 1t was left for Demo
cratic journals to Islander him.
Certainly it is too late now to set up per-
sonal unfitness against Mr.. Blaine. 1t
should not be sufficient to charge men, and
the charge at least should involve matters