West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-10-24
tan Not Laugh Them Out or Exist.
ence.

Tho fricui4 Of Mi gimnc can no,
laugh out of existence tho Mulipau
Fisher letters which wcrc lately riNcn
To the world. They AFRO altogether too
serious. for they are tho mi>,in., links
OF chain OF evidence goiug to show
hat Mn BlainC prohtcd in an illcuit-
Innate wat itom his position ~ Speaker
OF the House of Representatives; that
he traded on his private Information u,
a legislator; that hC accepted lay for
his "pllucncc and his information,
aud that iu variety of WAYS hc
showed that ho wits i,lt the honorable.
upright mau thu, hC Shoald 10 I'm order
to serve ITO people property ~ thoir
President
1t Is urged in one Republican ,ow..
paper that MIR. Blaine acted in this mat
ter rs u lawyer an that il ought not
TO bc expected that a man of his ability
viii give hinisolf mp entirely TO the
country To his lcrsonN sacrifice and
with only poverty ahead u, result OF
his conScicntousucSS. Well. thcro arc
many honest men who would GLADLY
have relieved Mr.. Blaine of these
political hunorS AMI tbs personal
sacrifice. He accepted aud retained
them OF his own Cho.cc. 1t il Is noccs-
sary that there shall bO but one .ond
Tor representative man, and that, i'm
taking that ho shall abandon all others
there are enough mon rs good M MIR
Blaine who are prepared to- enter upon
IL. After all. wealth l. not tho only
thing to which ambition aspiro5
Pol teal honor has i'm some eyes a
value beyond anything possessed by
wealth This Is certain no man can
faithfully serve two masters. II he
serve the state he must mako somo
personal sacrihccs If lie desire, tp n,t
rs lawyer he must leave the State &C.
the management of other men Tho
qucSt'o is an old one, and has never
been tiled To the entire satisfaction Of
the lawyer legislator; but tho State can
not Afford tD have servants who appear
for il to-day and for iIs enemies to-
morrow.
The defense is, however, ruled out by
Mr.. Blaine himself In the letters lust
published hc spoke like guilty man
lie Is intelligent, and he knew his guilt
better than any other man did. His
dealings with Fisher aud Mulioan were
TO bc kept worry quiet lIc' disposed OF
railroad bonds after tho manner of mon
who steal under cover OF tho night.
are shown I'm the ayOniIing letters bog
ging for silence, and i'm the letter OF in
dorscmcnt the signatures to which were
pleaded for with the most cringing and
abcct humiliation and fear Ii Mr..
Blaine had acted rs an agent or an at
torncy m placing these bonds and i'm
bringing about tn, Legislation to mako
them valuable, hc would have written
no such letters. He would have held
his head nigh-for law, or may prop
crly do what many another man would
shrink from doing. No lawyer is In
the habit OF saying: "hccp my name
quiet; "NO ono will ever know from
mo that have disposed of a smolc dol
lar;' 'Pray let me know what am to
expect Burn this letter. etc, etc.
The people can not afford TO have as
their Presiden "A man who is ashamed,
a3 lawyer on repro sentative, OF his own
acts. The spectacle OF a man destined
To be President going on hi, knees 90
beg such men as Fisher and Mullignn
for mercy would be so humilatinp To
the chief Office that il would be dishon-
or TO every man, woman and child OF
our 5O,OOJ,ODO people. We say "such
men as Fisher and Mulligan." What.
ever the result of their disclosures. no.
BODY can respect them. They have
held this rod over Mr.. Blaine good
many years. and that il should descend
at this critical moment is evidence that
they are quite as malicious ~ they are
patriotic. The agony OF MIR Blaine
during nll ihis time would have melted
better hearts than theirs, and that It did
not do so merely serves TO show that
The Republican candidate in his ycgrn
ing for wealth got into company rs well
rs business which an honorable man
would avoid as nc would n pcstilcnco.
Some time since Mr. Blaine declared
that he desired no magnanimity on the
part Of his opponents. ~ was a bold
declaration, and under the Circumstance
cs which inspired IL 1t was offensive. II
is n time for magnauim ty. and there is
no man who needs il more than nc.
NJ J.. GT0Dhic