, 1884-06-07

BIalne's ambitious schemes, and at tn,
proper time he let it be understood tina,
he was Il candidate for the presidency.
TIL MICHIGAN MATTER.
Not long before the convent on at Gin.
cinnati Blaine became involved in an I'm.
pleasant scandal that was made a subject
OF Congressional investigation. It was
charged that the Little Rock & Fort
Smith Railroad subsidy had been put
through Congress by bribery, and there
was certain evidence that Blaine was in
some way interested in the matter. One
of the principal witnesses against Blaine
WAS Il man named NIulligan, who declared
that he held letters from Blaine that
would substantiate all the charges. He
was summoned to Washington to testify
before the investigating committee. On
the night of his arrival he was invited
with other witnesses TO Blaine's house,
but declined to go. The next morning
Blaine went to him and
BEGGED HIM TO SAVE HIM
and his family from ruin, but Mulligan re-
fused. Blaine then asked to see the let
tiers, promising, on the honor of a gentle
man, to give them back forthwith. Null
ligan handed him the package. Blaine
instantly threw it into the CRATE, and the
correspondence was burned. This is
Mulligau's story, as told under oath. Hav-
ing destroyed this evidence the Maine
statesman regained his assurance and
made a passionate speech in the House,
declaring the charges against him to be
malicious inventions, and ~denouncing
their authors with all the vigor of pro-
testing innocence.
BIAINE's sUNsTRoKE.
Ii was about this time that occurred
Blaine's celebrated suustroke. The Sun
day before the Republican National con-
veution was to meet at Cincinnati, he
started for church at Washington in COM
pany with Miss Dodge, a relative. The
day was intensely warm. Just as they
reached the church door Blaine fell to the
ground as if dead. A large crowd col
around him. A carriage was called
and he was carried home in an apparent
ly unconscious condition. His physicians
gave out that he had been Frustrated by
the heat, but his enemies declared hat
his alleged illness was only the work of a
consummute actor who had adopted
THIS DEVICE TO GAIN SYMPATHY
and cause an adjournment of the Mulligan
until after the convention at Gin
had done its work. The investi-
CATION came to an end indeed, but Blaine's
told against him in the convention,
it gave his enemies there a chance to
urge that he was a broken-down man and
that it wouldn't do to nominate him. AT
time it seemed as if he were certain
to be nominated, But the influence of
his ancient enemy, Conkling, was at work,
and the convention finally dropped him
and nominated Hayes.
IN II SENATE.
In June, 1876, Blaine was appointed to
fill the seat in the senate vacated by Lot
NJ. Morrill,, who had been made secretary
of the treasury, and in January, 1877, he
was elected for the full term ending March
4, 1883. In the senate he cut no such
figure as in the house. He was not the
only big toad in the. puddle, and he lost a
good deal of his old i~mpetuosity. He
managed. however, to keep himself in the
eye of the public, and laid his plans to
secure the presidential nomination in
1850. The history of the struggle in the
Chicago convention of that year need not
be rctold here, The ''old guard re-
manned stcadfast to Grant, nobody would
reinforce the insufficient Blaine delegates,
and the prize went to a dark horse-Gar-
field.
lie COR INTO THE CABINET.
Owing his nomination TO the Blaine in
Auence, the new president endeavored to
requite the debt by taking Blaine into his
cabinet. The latter became an unruly
clement from the instant he took the state
portfolio. His main idea seemed to be
to punish the enemies that had stood in
the path of his ambition. He turned
upon Conkling and sought to give him a
final coup dc groce by appointing Robert
son collector Of New York; man who
had broken Conkling's Grant delegation
and whose appointment Conkling could
not but regard as a gross personal afiront.
Garfield had promised to consult Conkling
about the New York appointments, but
Blaine would not have it so, He threat
cned to resign if Garfield did not give
Conkling a slap in the face by making
Robertson. collector. The new president,
Il plant man at best in the hands of such
a man as Blaine, consented. The New
York senator's as a reply resigned, a bitter
fractional fight broke out, a Guiteau was
produced, and the president was -assassi,
| mated.
HIS PECULIAR FOEIGN POLICY.
Blaine was scarcely less unfortunate in
his dealings with foreign powers. He
concoctcd a visionary scheme for taking
the South American states under II sort
of American protectorate, ,ntangled him,
self with the guano schemes of an ad.
vcnturcr, and cndeavored to complicate
the country with the hostile affairs Of
Chill and PERU. In a discussion of the
Panama canal project with Lord Gran
vile he placed himself in an absurd posi-