The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-08-07

the President--af abuse the people
have expressly determined shall be
brought to an end.
The letter, promised for month and
labored on for a longer period, is easily
the poorest production that ever ema-
mated from the pen of the adventurer,
whose nomination is felt to. be Ma
tional reproach. The weakness with
which the bad ticket and even worse
platform, foist d on them, has smitten
the Blaine journalism of the country,
has been noticed at home and abroad.
The hope existed, both among support
ers and opponents of Mr.. Blaine. that
his acceptance letter might do for his
cause what none others put in trust Of
it appear to have been able to do, for
tify It with plausibiIity, even though to
raise it to respectabilty was out Of the
question. The hope is gone. Repub-
icans have more to bewail, and Demo.
crats less to combat than they expected.
Albany Argus.
Somewhat Incongruous.
The "Plumed Knights are in this
campaign to take the place of The
"Tanners and "Wide-Awakes - of
former campaigns. At the Blaine and
Logan meeting in New York some DAYS
ago they wore dark trousers and long
skirted blouses, with red collars, cuffs
and belts. On their heads were silver
helmets topped with feathers though
it is not fine feathers that mako fine
birds and in their hands were torches
in the shape of battle axes.
This parade and pomp is all very
we'll as spectacle; but it is to be OBJ
served that Mr.. Blaine never fought as
knight at all; never fought as SOL
dier; in fact be sent substitute. The
American veteran soldier will hardly
take as a compliment to himself this bit
of medieval humbug.
The American veteran wore neither
helmet nor shield; hurled no lance;
welded no battle. AK. He as often slept
under the stars as under shelter;
wrapped himself in his ragged blanket,
or was seantily protected by snoddy
coat on which some patriotic contractor
had made one hundred per cent. profit
by cheating the Government. He was
unable to protect his feet from mud and
water in the miserable shoes with paste.
board soles which some stay-at-home
| and substitute-buyer like Blaine had
| furnished at profit of one hundred
! and fifty per cent. He was armed with
a rife. on the sale of which to the Gov
ernment Mr.. Blaine had by a Govern
! mont contract already laid the founda-
ton of his present millions. He grimly
faced the enemy while Blaine was dodg-
| ing the draft and bring another man to
fight, who. as it turned out, did not even
reach the field.
AS this sort of 'splumed knight in
blouse and cap Mr.. Blaine might have
met, in dangerous places, the .Confed
crate brigadiersn With whom he after
wards tired to frighten the country.
But he waited until they quit firing bull
lets in his direction. They came to
Congress without their fire ARM. They
were dressed in civilians clothes, and
sat peaceable, inoffensive and harmless
! in the House of Representatives. Then
the knight rose up. put on his rhetor.
ical helm #. donned his wordy armor
! and hurled his shining lance'' full in
their faces.
1t is quite in keeping with his peace.
i full limitations of war, after the real wal
was over, that the "plumed knights
who represent his military career il
the House OF Representatives should be
sharp soldiers, dressed in pasteboard
armor and accoutered with bogus weap
ons. They are honest only in resem.
bling Mr.. Blaine ne-pretending to bt
what they are not; mere effigies of he
i roes; mock knights in humbug armor
playing soldier FIR the amusement o
sp p,ctators, as Blaine did In Congress.
i There is another reason why Mr.
Blaine, as '.plumed knight" is only {
pretense and a sham. The knights o
old were not only warriors bod. bu
they were required to be genuine, hon
est and pure. There could be no stail
upon their lives, no double-dealiDg o
falsehood or knavery in their careers
There was to he nothing for explana
ton or evasion. All was to be above
board, clear and simple; as Tennysol
makes Sir Galahad say:
/ Ny good sworl cleayes to the casque of men
My right hand sm:te h sure;
| NJ strength is as the strength often,
| because my heart is pure.
i 1t is well, therefore, that Mr.. Biain,
is only a sham knight, and that hurlin,
his lance is only figure of speech
Otherwise it would go hard with him
it would be his casque that would b
cleft and his right hand SIN item, sure
Detroit Free Press.