The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1884-09-23
New York World, 18th inst.
The Confession of Guilt.

1t is with humiliation that we print
this morning the extraordinary cores
pondence, now first given to the public,
between Mr.. Blaine and Warren Fisher
The amazing exhibit made bv these let.
ters of sordid subserviency and OF gull
ty implication on the part of Speaker
Of the House of Representatives is one
to bring the blush of shame to every
American, and no mere partisan feeling
can quite overcome the sense OF Nation.
al humiliation at the dishonor to the
country.
No one can read these letters of Mr.
Blaine without arriving at the conviction
that the writer was using his position in
the House of Representative for tht
most ignohle and selfish purposes. TIL
internal evidence of. direct and syste6i,
attic collusion with railroad jobbers ans
lobbyists is unmistakable. ut will b,
in my power at the approaching session
OF Congress" writes Mr.. Blaine to Mr.
Fisher with regard to the establi ,hmen
of hank at Little Rock, "to cast an an
chor to ~:ndward in your behalf" ant
sit will be to some extent matter o.
favoritism as to who gets the banks
The proof of manipulation of railroad
bonds is specific and minute and, wha
is still worse, the evidence of distress
and fear growing out of the shameful
association is as plain as words OF ab
ject ackno wledgemen can make it. "The
personal hardships," cries Mr.. Blaine
OF this connection, "are to me bitter
and burning and humiIia,ing to the las,
degree
And we can readily believe it when we
find this speculative statesman acknowl.
edging, as be did on the 14th of June,
that he was in "very painful and en-
barrassed condition growing out of his
connection with the Fort Smith enter
PRISE" and again in November, writing,
"if you knew all the agonies I have suf-
fere1 in this matter you would pity me,
| am sure"
But we are carried a degree further
down. from speculative audacity to per-
soual humiliation, when we find Mr.
Fisher writing to him in April, 1872:
II have loaned you at various
times, when you were comparative
ly poor, very large sums of money,
and never have you paid me one
dollar from your own pocket, either
principal or interest. l have paid
sundry amounts to others to whom
you were indebted, and these debts
you have allowed to stand unpaid
like the notes which hold. l have
placed you in positions whereby you
have received very large sums of
money without one dollar of ex.
pense to you, and you ought not to
forget the act on my part. Of all
the parties connected with the Lit
tie Rock and Fort Smith Railroad
no one has been so fortunate as
yourself in obtaining money out of
it."
And yet in the face of this defiant
taunt and indignant reminder OF the
principal to his tool that owing to your
political position you were able to work
off all your bonds at very high price,"
we fnd this high minded statesman, un
mindful of the shame implied in this let
ter and only anxious to cover up his
tracks, replying to Fisher with cring-
ing and pitiful appeal. And what is that
appeal2 Simply that Fisher will exon
crate him, and to do it he, Blaine, in
closes the draft Of letter which be
wishes Fisher to write, and which will
stop ell ISLANDERS before the Republican
Convention assemblies.
And even here Mr.. Blaine takes one
more downward step, for after he receiv-
ed the desired letter be interlines it with
his own hand to make it stronger.
We place these documents before the
intelligent reader in sorrow rather than
in triumph. They show, we think, con-
clusively and without the shadow of a
doubt, that James G. Blaine ls unworthy
the snffrages Of citizens who believe that
the highest Office in the gift of the peo.
pie should not be given to man who is
by his own admissions the tool and con-
tdant OF jobbers; Who prostitutes his
position and influence in the House of
Representatives to lobbyists AMI specu-
lators; whose guilt 5etravs itself in the
painful cries for help. and whose wretch
ed servility to the men who owned and
used him make even those men treat him
with contempt.
Every line OF these letters should be
read carefully and thoughtfully. Mr.
Blaine cannot complain if be is judged
bv his own self-made record. And hav-
ing read them this question remains for
the people: Is it not Burning insult to
their honor and intelligence at this crisis
of tffi :ial venalty and almost universal
fraud and corruption, when all issues
sink into insignificance beside the crying
necessity for reform, to see this self-con
victed political prostitute presented to
the suffrages Of a great nation for their
highest honor-the place once held by a
Washington