National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-08-05
rnE uAnpERs AND MIR. BLAINE.
A New Letter From tho Firm which
IL InoopsIstent with Facts-A Patent
FaIsehood-Uettcr Try Again.

IhHddc,pdid Press, Aug. 4.
We have received tho following letter
from Harper & Brothers in answer to the
inquiry whether they offered to publish
Mr.. Baine's book, and whether their olrer
was declined;
10 THE EDITOR or THE PRBss-Sir' In re-
sponsc To the request for information In your
paper Of July 80 we beg leave tO say:
L. II Is true that Harper II lirOthcis did,
through n friend OF Mr.. Blnine's and theirs,
offer to publish Mr. Blalnes Twenty Years OF
Congress-
.. 'rne offer could not be entertained, be.
cause Mr. Blaine was already committed TO
another publishing house,
.. The accusation that Harper & Brothers
have "a personal spite against Mr. Blatne pc
cause he declined their eager ollcrt to publish
ton of Hdrp,rs H,ctlUt TO Mr. Blaine, ms n can
didate for the presidency. began rs far back as
1917, long before its publisher, had amy knowl-
edge Of His intention ~ write his 'Iwonly
Years Of Congress-" Respectfully,
HARPER " BRoriIEls.
NEW YoRR, Aug ., 1881.
In view of the declaration Of tho 1lar-
pers as to the time when thoir opposition
TO Mr.. Blaine began, the statement which
wo find in THE NATGONAL REpUBLtcAN
Of Saturday will have special interest.
THE REpUBLtCAN states that on the 18th
of March, lsS3, Mr.. ]. w. Harper, jr.,
the head of the firm, wrote to n gentle-
man In that city requesting him % SEQ
Mr. Blaine on the subject Of publishing
the book, assuring him that Harper "
Brothers would no glad to be considered
IN the natter THE REPUBLICAN, pro-
ceodI to quote further from Mr.. Iiarpor's
mighty interesting letter as follows:
with the instinct ofn publisher. accustomed
tp dcnl with the people rather than with priyi-
legged GLASSES, recognize the iuct TINT there Is
no man living moro closely IN sympathy WIN
the peuplc than Mr.. Blaine. keopa not I'M
trained finger ON the popular pulse, which, IN
our vigorous American life, is generally
healthy, and am sure that II boats strongly in
admiration aud affection for man who hns
igcn absolutely icarless ~ nus patrotlisn MI MI
! Weed "reminiscences Will be interesting Ms tho
record fan acute observer, but am sure that
Mr.. Blnlne's narrative will hold tho American
people. because II will be human-renl iiesh
and blOOd--the record, not of q Machiayclinn
observer but Of mn active participation, brave
fighter, and u gallant leader In the most critical
events of our nations history
So when II comes quite convenient to you,
| wish that you would give Mr.. Blaine to under
stand that while the doors Of franklin square
always stand wide open to them Literary
| lcllers,' such rs scholars and poets aud novel
lists and eSsnylsts and travellers, the proprictorS
generally go down to the sidewalk TO welcome
| the historian of his own time, and, with un.
| covered heads, rcverently help him to unload
/ the manuscript from his triumphal car on the
/ elevated railroad. Please intimate ull this to
| Mr. Blaine. You know how TO do 1t gracefully
and effectively.
EiitOridi in Press Qf same ddtc.
ONE ANswER-ANoTHER WANTED.
We publish elsewhere u letter from
Harper " Brothers in answer to our
| inquiry as to whether they sought to
become the publishers of Mr.. Blaine's
/ hAniy tylnthnr fhnir nrniiar
declined. They frankly say they did
offer to publish the book and that tho
offer was not accepted because, as they
explain Mr.. Blaine wat already COM
mitted TO another house Without stop
| ping to look too closely III 10 this point, SO
far so good.
But the Harpers add tliat they have no
personal spite, and that here opposition
to Mr.. Blaine began Us IL back as 1873.
And just here comes in He very perth
nent letter of Mr.. J. M. Harper, jr.,
making the application Vi Mr.. Blaino's
book, and written only M little over q
year ago-four years aft 1879. In that
letter, addressed to a fri "a in Washing
ton and brought out by{ NATIONAL
REPUBLICAN,. Mr.. Harp py<pronounce the
most fervid panegyric Ann Mr.. Blaine.
He declares that "tlh lh0X popular pulse
beats strongly in admii ion and aiiec-
tion for a man who haN Nbeen absolutely
fearless in his patriotim." He pictures
Mr.. Blaine rs "a bzave fighter and gal.
liant leader" And all this only a year
ago! NoY,ytho Harpers oppose Mr.. Blaine
upon the ground that they cannot sup.
!, pf6rt a-rian of his character. How do they
reconcile this assertion with Mr.. Har-
pers letter of last yearY, Here is chanc,
for another letter. Our columns are still
| omen,