Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1884-09-13
BLAINE'S TRICKS.
Juggling In Regard to the MullIgan
Letters.
Reading Them only q Pretence-
How the Nlulligan Man Nul.
lifted the Evidence of
Proctor Knott.
Special to the indianapolis Sentinel

the forty fourth session. lie is a gen.
tleman of national reputation, but more
rs scholar and lawyer than politician.
No man enjoys higher repute for integ-
rity in either public or private life. His
accustomed reserve gave way for an
hour while the character and political
methods of James G. Blaine were un-
der discussion.
.:Of all men," said the ex-congress-
man, "who have paraded IN politics
Jim Blaine is the most daring schemer.
His brilliant and knightly record is
made up largely of fighting out of
scrapes. Totally devoid OF physical
courage, he will resort to hazardous
tricks dependent on brazen impudence
and subterfuges for success. Now
there is not another man i'll America
with the reckless a,,dacity to browbeat
congress and nation as did Blaine
when he pretended reading Of the
Mulligan letters"
"Were you in the house OH that oc-
casion ~ l asked.
81 was within u few feet of Blaine
when he gave that performance. Con-
Meeting what saw there with Incl
dents subsequently coming under my
observation and to my hearing have
long since doubted whether it was the
Mulligan letters MIR. Blaine read
FROM"
On my requesting something narra-
tive of what he had seen and heard,
the gentleman proceeded:
A TRAINED PRIVATE sECTETARY
"Blaine being on the republican side,
and surrounded by republicans, the
democrats could not see certain shreWd
y-plays of his. He had manuscripts
of some description in his hands, but l
doubt if the nearest member OH either
side of him could have had Il glance at
the chirograplly, holding the sheets as
he did. The nearest man to Blaine
was his private secretary, who sat i'm
mcdiately beside him. l was where L
could note the movement of the hands
of both. The instant Blaine conclud-
ed the reading from sheet, he promp-
ly placed it into the waiting hand of
his secretary, and that funclionary as
promptly relcgated it out of the range
OF neighbOring eyes. When Blaine
had SO delivered the last letter sheet,
his secretary quickly arose and gliGed
out of the house.
"YOu remember that Immediately
npOn his receiving the letters from MIR.
Mulligan Blaine retained the legal
services of ofJudge.JereBlack.I 1t wasthen,
as now, an enigma to me why BI,ihe,
If in innocent possession of those
letters, should employ lawyer, though
| believe he retained two-Mat Carpen-
ter being the other. 1t way Just after
Blaine had begun what indicated to he
a reading of the MulIigan letters that a
gentleman walked into Jcre Black 8
room and said: Blaine is reading the
Mnlligan letters to the house, Black
sprang to his feet, exclaiming: 'Whatl
that cannot bel 1T is true,' said the
caller, 'he WAS reading them when
left Black, in tone of disgust,
said, 'Why the man must have gone
out of his wits!'
BLAINE IS A SLICK FELLOW.
"Jere Black and 1 boarded in the
same hotel and in neighboring
rooms. The next morning 1 was in
his room, we being quite intimate as
friends, when he was reading i'll a
morning paper what Blaine had read to
the house. well remember the halt
smile and the twinkle of the bright
eyes of the astute old lawyer rs he pur-
sued down the columns what his client
had read. 'What does the old gentle
man think OF the Mulligan lettcrs?' |
asked of Chauncy Black an hour later.
'lle thinks Blaine ia a slick fellow
answered Chauncy i'll a significant
manner"
$50 you think Blaine played all
All Sin game OH the innocent house ''
l quericd.
81 think Blaine played a right bower
from his Sleeve" replied the ex-com-
gresham with a laugh. "if he did
not, why have the Mulligan letters-l
mean the original oncs-ncver been
produced ? Why would not Blaine
submit them to the committee investi-
eating the affair? When correspond.
ents of the press desired to compare
their reports of BIaine's reading Will
the letters themselves, why were they
not allowed to do SO? Who, besides
Blaine, from the moment of his OBJ
tanning them from Mulligan, has cvel
seen the letters ? lbelicve Jere Black
in the capacity of Blaine's counsel, saw
them, and Black knew verbatim
reading of them to the house woulC
have cOnsummated Blaine's ruin. The
sO-calied Mulligan letters which ap
peared in theCOngressional Record from
Blaine's own rendition of them are bad
enough, but in my judgment they are
white compared with tho originals
| which no one is allowed to see
AN AGGRESSIVE POLICY.
"There is much talk by Blaine.
hero-worshippers of how he walked
down the aisles of the house, etc.
making his defence. But that part OF
his performance was given after hls
private secretary, with the sheets ht
had been reading from, were safely out
OF the house and beyond detection
Then he ielt safe to assume the aggres-
sive which, alone, he was shrewd
enough to understand, could save him
If anything could. With the evidence
of his fraudulent game played on tho
house well out of the way, how dra-
matically he rantcd in the role of injur.
ell innOcencei To one knowing Blaine
rs did his sinister methods they were
entertaining as those of n performer ol
legerdemain tricks. 'What do vol,
think of my specch?" he asked me
shortly after he had finished. sJim,'
responded you surpass any y-One | ever
knew i'll capacity for slipping out OF
scrapes.'
"Do You know anything of the reas.
ons why investigation of the Mulligal
letter affair was not pressed to con-
clusion by the house committee ~
| quericd.
"For fullest information as to tina,
You should call on Proctor Knott OF
Kentucky. by the way, the Indiana
democracy should import Knott tc
speak and ask him to make the Multi
gan letters his theme. His would be
the great speech of the campaign. Get
him to tell of the Caldwell dispatch and
what superinduced Blalnc's sunstroke.
Knott received what purported to b,
II cablegram from London, signed
Josiah Caldwell, exonerating Blaine
from completely i'll the Little Rock
bond transactions. Knott suspected