Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1884-09-03

nge, and with some sense OF humiliation,
with modification that I do not pretend to
conceal, with o sense of outrage which
think any man in my position would feel, I
invite the confidence Of forty-four millions
of my countrymen while read those letters
from this desk. [Apphuse.]
Blaine then read the letters with dramatic
fire.
B1uFF1Na PROCTOR KNOTT.
The scenes attending upon the reading,
were those of the widest excitement The
Speaker was powerless to preserve order or
to prevent Blaine's partisan friends from
cheering to the echo. The sympathies of
the galleries, which were packed, were with
Blaine, and these added to the tumult and
disorder.
The letters read and the excitement hav-
ing subsidized, Blaine walked over to the
Democratic side, and, standing directly in
front of J. Proctor Knott, precipitated an
startling than the first, because unexpected.
MI. Blaine said:
There is one piece of testimony want
ing. There is but one thing to close the
complete circle of evidence. There is but
one witness whom could not have, to
| whom the Judiciary Committee, taking into
| account the great and intimate connection
he had with the transaction was asked to
send cable dispatch, and ask the gentle
man from Kentucky if that dispatch was
sent to him?"
Mr.. Frye-Who?
Mr.. Blaine-To Josiah Caldwell.
Mr.. Knott will reply to the gentleman
that Judge Hunton and myself have both
endeavored to get Mr.. Caldwells address,
and have not yet got it.
Mr.. Bhine-Has the gentleman from
Kentucky received dispatch from Cald-
we'll?
Mr.. Knott will explain that directly.
Mr.. Blaine-I want a categorical answer.
Mr.. Knott have received dispatch
purporting to be from Mr.. Caldwell.
MI. Blaine-You did.
Mr.. Knott-How did you know got it?
MIR. Blaine-When did you get it? want
the gentlemen from Kentucky to answer
when he gotit
Mr.. Knott-Answer my question first
Mr.. Blaine-I never heard it until yester-
day.
Mr.. Knott-How did you hear it?
Mr.. Blaine--I heard you got q dispatch
last Thursday morning at o'clock from
Josiah Caldwell completely and absolutely
exonerating me from this charge, and you
have suppressed it. Prot1acted applause
upon the floor and in the galleries.] Iwant
the gentleman to answer. AFTER pause.
Does the gentleman from Kentucky decline
to answer?
MIR. Knott will answer that when I
get ready. Go on with your speech.
Mr.. B1aine-The gentleman from
Kentucky, in responding, probably, I
think, from what he said, intended to con-
vey the idea that I had some illegitimate
knowledge of how that dispatch was OBJ
tanned. have had no communication with
Josiah Caldwell. have had no means of
knowing from the telegraph Office whether
the telegram was received. But I tell the
gentleman from Kentucky that murder will
out.
Mr.. Glover-That is true.
Mr.. Blaine-And secrets will leak. And
tell the gentleman now, and I am prepared
to state to this House, that ut o'clock last
Thursday morning, or thereabouts, the
gentleman from Kentucky received and re-
ceipted for message addressed to him from
Josiah Caldwell, in London, entirely cor
roborating and substantiating the statements
of Thomas A. Scott, which he had just read
in the New York papers, and entirely excul-
pating me from the charges which, am
bound to believe from the expression of
that report, the gentleman is anxious to
fasten on me.
It was this scene which Bob Ingersoll
had reference to when he spoke of Blaine
as the "Plumed Knight" hurting his lance
full and fair in the face of his enemies.