The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-08-22
A BLAINE SCANDAL STARTED
And Promptly Met by Suit for Libel.

Sth inst, the Sentinel, of this city, contained
an editorial charging that Blaine had Sc
duced his present wife in Kentucky and then
fed to Maine, where the young woman and
her father followed him. He married her at
the point of shot gun. This having reached
Mr.. Blaine, he telegraphed Col. Holloway, Of
the Times, that the statement was mali
ciously and UNANIMOUSLY false in every partic-
ular. Political ISLANDERS, he says, he pays no
attention to, but this attacking of the honor
of his wife and children cannot be submitted
TO-. Holloway was asked TO secure the SER
vices Of lawyer at once, and bring suit
against the responsible publisher Of the Sen
Hnel In the U. S. Court. Col. Holloway
placed the matter in the hands of Senator
Harrison's law firm, and the papers are now
In course of preparation. The following is
the text of Blaine's dispatch to Col. Hollo-
way:
BAR HARBoR, Maine, Aug. Ia, 1884.
To Col. A. r. Holloway:
have this moment received the atrocious
libel of the indianapolis Sentinel. 1t is ut
terly and abomnably false in every state
ment and every implication. Political SLAM
ders do not stop to notice, but this editor
assails the honor Of my wife and children.
desire you, without an hours delay, to en-
ploy the proper attorney and have the re-
sponsibe publisher Of the Sentinel sued for
libel in the U. S. District Court of Indiana.
1t is my only remedy. l am sure that hon
orable Democrats, alike with honorable
Republicans, will justify me in defending
the honor of my family, if need be, with my
life.
(Signed) JAMES e. BLAINE.
Harrison, Miller Il Elan, attorneys, in
accordance with Blaine's directions, filed this
evening in the U. S. Circuit Court a suit
against the indianapolis Sentinel Company
and John c. Shoemaker, its President and
Business Manager, who, it charges, directs
and controls the publication of the paper.
The document reads as follows: That on the
Sth day of August, 1884, said defendants
wickedly, intending to iDjure, defsme and
scaudalze the plaintiff, did maliciously print
paper, for that day, of and concerning the
plaintiff, a certain false, scandalous and de-
famatory article in the words following:
"Can Blaine afford it? The campaign war
against Cleveland is, to say the least, an in
decent one. Finding no vulnerable points
in his public record, the enemy have assailed
supposed irregularity in his private con-
duct. They have dressed and redressed the
affair, until the naked facts are but a small
part of the furbelowed, frilled and rutiled
Bizarre figure, Waiting in the Blaine Repub-
lican prints. This besmirching of private
character is the stock in trade Of the Blaine
folks. 1t is all they have to offer against the
Democratic candidate. But can James G..
Blaine afford this plan of battle? If his
TANKS are as unprotected as they are current
ly understood to be, does he not provoke
scsthing fire by permitting these assaults on
Grover Cleveland? The Democracy will
hardly remain quiet on Blaine's inner life,
when his supporters are resorting to scandal
mongering against its candidate. The charges
OF seduction made upon Mr.. Cleveland, and
which are false upon their very face, can, 1t
appears, be turned upon Mr.. Blaine himself
and made to stick. There is hardly an in
teligent man In the country who has not
heard that James G. Blaine betrayed the girl
whom he married at the muzzle Of a shot
gun. The Democratic press has not had the
indignity to put forth these reports, which
must cause pain to the members OF the
Blaine family. The Republican papers have
long kno WI of them, and have allowed them
to 90 undenied. If Mr.. Blaine was the
scoundrel to betray an innocent girl, and
after despoiling her, was craven enough to
refuse her legal redress, giving legitimacy TO
her child, until loaded shot gun stimulated
his conscience, then there Is blot on his
private character more foul, If possible, than
the countless stains on his political record.
His conduct discloses a moral obllquity,
rendering him undeserving of social conf
dence, and an unfit man to be President. A
candidate with such q record cannot afford
to sssail his opponents. As between Clevs-
land and Blaine, what fair. minded man can
hesitate to pronounce the former a cleaner
and purer man?" Plaintiff lays his damages
at $4,000. This evening it is understood
that to morrow proceedings will be begun
against Shoemaker and the author of the
article under the Grubb's libel law in the
State courts. This will compel Mr.. Blaine's
attendance as a witness. The attorneys say
the suit and criminal proceedings will be
pushed with all possible dispatch.