The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-10-09
WEIGHED AND WANTING.
The New York Commercial Ad-
vertiser's" Analysis Of the
Il Charges Against Blaine.
Every Accusation Minutely Examined
and the Conclusions of Inno-
cence Reached.
After an Absolutely Impartial Inquiry
the Charges Are Found TO Be
Thoroughly False.

trom the New York Commercial Advertised
While convinced that the Presidential election
WAS not likely TO be influenced as much by the
Charges against Mr.. Blaine's honesty and verac-
~ ~ by those against Mr.. Clevelands chastity.
We have felt 1t our duty, since the new letters
appeared, to make q laborious and careful ex-
animation Of those charges against Mr. Blaine
ano the testimony produced TO support them.
We first approached the subject with no per-
sond predictions in favor of Mr.. Blaine. and
with. we can hardly say, belief, but a vague,
underlined feeling which amounted almost TO
belief. that we should find much to sustain the
charges. We are to-day prepared TO state the
results OF our investigation, conscientiously
made. They have been arrived at after reading
and considering everything In the way or evil
dence or argument that we could lind upon the
subject and our conclusions are as follows:
JUSTIFIED IN RETAINING THE LETTERS.
1. So far as relates to Mr.. Blaine's letters,
produced in 1876, aud obtained at that time by
Mr.. Blaine from Mulligan, the latter had, at
the time Mr.. Blaine so obtained them; no right
TO their possession. Mr.. Fisher. to whom they
were addressed, had, in pursuance OF a policy
of double dealing which is now obvious, con-
sented that Mulliean should take them with
him when summoned to Washington as W.T.
ness. But after he got there Mr.. Fisher had
demanded their return to him, which Mulligan
had refused. From that time he was wrong
doer, and either party to the correspondence
had q right to regain their possession. when
Mulligan avowed to Mr. Blaine that he claimed
right to publish the letters which he would
exercise when and as he chose, MI. Blaine was
fully justified in retaining them. but he acted
fairly. for he at once offered TO return them TO
Fisher, the other party to the correspondence
Fisher however, who had apparently become
frightened, declined to receive them: AS a
matter of undoubted law, Mulligan had no
fight to publish them; neither had Fisher. ex-
cept under circumstances which did not exist,
and II either had attempted it Mr. Blaine could
have enjoined them.
AS to the letters recently published by Fisher
and Mulligan, their publication was, so FAR as
Mr.. Blaine's letters are concerned, fragrant
violation OF the law, and should deprive those
engaged in 1t of the confidence OF every decent
man.
MUIIIGAN LIE NAILED.
2. The allegation that Mr.. Blaine begged Null
lgan ION his knees" to give him the letters, that
he declared their publication would ruin him
and his family, etc, etc, Is not true Mulligan
Is the only authority for 1t, and he alleges IL oc-
Cured In the presence of Fisher and Josiah At
kins, but they, when examined under oatn, dlu
not sustain him.
BLAINE SUPPRESSED NOTHING.
Mr.. Blaine did not suppress any OF the let
tiers or any of the evidence against himself,
but published the whole. After some most RI
diculous blunders upon this subject the charge
under this head Is now confined solely 10 MI
pressly stated in the House Of Representatives
that he did not read it because, though specified
upon Mulligan's schedule, II was not In the bum
die he received. Mullgan told the Times
two days ago that the original letter to Mr..
Blaine was in the package--which was obvious
1y impossible. He told the Boston Journal yes
terday that letter-pr copy was in the bun
die. II is unimportant which of these state
ments Mulligan intends to stand by, for the
letter is now published, and its contents are 80
comparatively unimportant that IL Is absurd to
suppose that when Mr. Blaine read all the other
letters he secreted for suppression one not
written by himself, but one which twas natural
to believe Mr.. Fisher could duplicate, and one
which, in any event, referred TO matters not
then the subject of controversy. In fact, not
only did Mr.. Blaine not suppress any OF the let
tiers, but he read letters not called for by Multi
gans memorandum, because he found them In
THE UNION PACIFIC BONDS
A. The charge that Mr.. Blaine was interested
in the seventy five bonds sold to the Union Pa
cific Railroad Company by Thomas A. Scott is
not only without evidence to sustain IL, but was,
on a full investigation, absolutely disproved.
The charge rested originally on mere hearsay.
Every person who did or could know anything
of the transaction agrees in saying that Mr..
had any interest in the bonds so sold, and
neither directly nor indirectly benefited by the
sale. Thomas A. Scott, who made the sale, An
drew Carnegie, who received the bonds from
Scott, Levi p. Morton who handled them, Mr..
Dillon of the Union Pacific Road, all agreed that
Mr.. Blaine had nothing to do with the bonds or
their sale. Mr.. Scott swore that he bought them
of Caldwell some eighteen months before the
sale OF the Union Pacific Company, and that
Blaine had nothing to do with them. Mr.. Cald-
well, who was in Europe, cabled that Mr.. Blaine
had no connection with the matter. IL was
moreover, proved beyond dispute that Mr.. Blaine
had not at that time sufficient bonds to have
help to confirm this proof Fishers reference
In one OF the new letters TO the bonds sold to
Scott is shown by his own statement under
oath to have been made without knowl-
edge and only on hearsay, and the person
who he alleged gave him the information utter
ly denied having done so, and equally denied
any knowledge or belief that Mr. Blaine had any
connection with the bonds or their sale. There
has seldom or never been charge against any
one which was either or absolutely without
proof to sustain 1t or which was so absolutely
disproved. The passage in one OF the former
letters which has been heretofore appealed to as
containing an implied admission of an interest
in the sale of bonds to Scott is shown by the
correspondence recently published not to refer
thereto
THE LITTLE ROCK MATTER
g. Mr.. Blaine did nothing in Congress with
reference to the Little Rock and Fort Smith
Railroad Company which was improper or out
OF the ordinary course. On the contrary, his
action was in strict accordance with parlia-
mentary law and in the interest Of decent legis-
lation. When an attempt was made by amend
ment to log-roll the bills together and thus
either to defeat the unobjectionable one or
make IL carry the bad one, he was applied to by
friends of the measure for information as to
what they could do to protect themselves from
the lobby, and he made a suggestion which was
effectua Such applications are always made
to the Speaker as a matter almost of right Mr..
Blaine asserted this in the House and no one
contradcted him. and every one familiar with
Washington usage knows IL TO be true.
At the time Mr. Blaine made this suggestion,
and for two months afterward, there can be no
pretense that either he or any. friend or ac-
quaintance OF his was interested in that bill. or
had any knowledge OF IL. About two months
after the adjournment Of Cong ess Mr.. Blaine
was surprised by an offer from an intimate per-
sonal and business friend that he should be-
come inteTested-apparently by PURCHASERS a
partner in the contract to build the Fort Smith
Road. but the proposed arrangement, though
under consideration for some months, never
was perfected. While IL was still pending Mr.
Blaine, In letters TO the friend who had pro-
posed the arrangement TO him, described-as
he says as matter OF natural curiosty-the
action which he took with reference to the bill
in Congress. These letters were written some
six months after Congress adjourned, and there
Is no pretense that Mr.. Blaine ever at any time
after the proposal was made to him to become
Interested in the contract did ANYTHING of any
nature, proper or improper, to aid those inter-
ested under the bill or the contract,
except TO sell TO friends come OF
the securities and TO lend them his
credit to raise money. Neither the new nor the
old letters show or indicate any improper act by
Mr. Blaine. His critics have never pretended to
put their fingers on any such act. They have
necessarily confined themselves TO criticism of
his language. His reference to the fact that IL
he went into the enterprise as a partner he
should not be a "dead-head," and that he saw
-many channels in which he could be useful"
did not necessarily imply tender OF any i'm
proper service, and both the services which he
rendered and the manner in which he was treat
ed show that his language was neither intended
by himself nor understood by those TO whom IL
was addressed TO involve or imply any improp-
er action on his part. Nor was there anything
IN Mr.. Blaines pt sition which should have pre-
vented him from going into the enterprise.
A ho mo time a. wOuld have been hotter AZ