St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-06-09

from Maine the most cospcuous man in the re-
public.
Toward the close of this remarkable session
one of the many investigating committees ap-
pointed by the Democrats succeeded in involy-
ing Mr.. Blaine in very disagreeable scandal. 1t
had been coarged that the Little Rock and Fort
Smith railroad subsidy had been procured by
means of gross bribery in the house, and there
was certain evidence that Mr. Blaine had been
interested in the matter in some way. An inyes-
tgation of his part in the transaction was at once
begun. To a man occupying the position he did
and having his aspirations, this inquiry was a
terrible blow. The Republican national conven-
ton, which he expected would nominate him
for the presidency, was soon to meet at Clncin-
natl. The investigators were working tooth
and nail. Intsnse interest was taken in the in
quiry by men of both political parties, but partic
ularly by the Republican leaders, who were, of
course, anxious to avoid the nomination of aman,
no matter how brilliant his intellectual powers,
who would be compelled at the very threshold of
the campaign to attempt an explanation of certain
questionable transactions. At this juncture one
Mulligan, a railroad man of Boston, came to the
surface in an interview, in the course of which he
declared that the charges against Blaine were
true and that he had in his possession letters from
that gentleman himselfto prove it. He was quick
ly summoned to Washington to testify before the
committee On the night of his arrival in Wash
ington he was invited, with other witnesses, to
visit Mr.. Blaines house. He declined to go there.
The next morning Mr.. Blaine went to his hotel,
and gained admittance to his room. Here, accord
ing to Mulligan's sworn testimony some days
later, Mr.. Blaine begged him to save him and his
family from ruin, but Mulligan was obdurate.
After second conference between the witnesses
and Mr.. Blaine at the residence of the latter, Mr..
Blaine again visited Mr.. Mulligan in his room.
He there begged for the privilege of reading the
letters in the hope of being able to explain away
their admissions, and pledging his word to re-
store them forthwith. Mr.. Mulligan handed him
the package Mr.. Blaine instantly threw the
letters into an open crate, and the correspond
ence was burned. This is Mulligans story as
told under oath. A few days later, the floor
of the house, Mr. Blaine, having regained his
old-time assurance, denounced some of the
charges against him in the most passionate terms
as malicious Inventions. His speech caused tre-
mendous excitement in the house, but through
out the country beyond the reach of his veice
and the attractions of his presence, it cannot be
doubted that the Mulligan episode, whatever the
exact truth concerning it may have been, told
heavily against him.
Spectacular and sensational as Blaine at this
time was, he was equally dramatic in sickness.
The Sunday before the Republican national con-
vention was to meet at Cincinnati he started for
church at Washington in company of Miss Dodge
a relative. The day was intensely warm. Just
as they reached the door of the sanctuary Mr.
Blaine fell with great violence to the walk, as if
dead. A large crowd gathered, and he was con-
veyed home in an unconscious condition. Bull
letins concerning him was sent to all parts of
the country, and caused a profound sensation.
1t appeared from the statements of his physi-
clans that he had been prostrated by the heat,
but his enemies declared that his illness was only
the work of a consummate actor, who had adopt
ed this device to gain sympathy, and cause an
adjournment of the Mulligan inquiry until after
the Cincinnati convention had done its work.
The investigation was, indeed, abandoned
but at the convention tho oppo-
nents of Blaine urged with a good
deal of force that he was broken man, and that
it was useless'to nominate him. In this conven-
ton the enmity of Roscoe Conkling, engendered
long years before, asserted itself triumphantly
Blaine appeared to have nearly the entire con-
vention, and his nomination was looked upon as
certain. 1t would have been if Conkling's infu-
ence had lot been there. Blaine's rivals for the
nomination were B. II. Brstow, Roscoe Conlk-
ling, and John F. Hartranft governor of Penn
sylvauia. So long as there was possibility of
Blaine's nomination, the supporters of Bristow,
Conkling, and Hartranft remained steadfast On
one ballot Blaine came within half dozen votes
OF enough to nominate. So certain were his
supporters that he would secure the prize that
they telegraphed to all parts of the country that he
had the nomination in his grasp. The next
ballot, however, was surprising one. Ohio and
Pennsylvania led off for Hayes, of Ohio and a
stampede for that comparatively Insignificant in
dividual setting in, he was nominated by an over
whelming vote amid great excitement. Mr.
Blaine took the defeat philosophically, and
turned his eyes toward 1880.
In June, 1876, Mr.. Blaine was appointed by the
governor of Maine to fill the vacancy in the sen
ate caused by the resignation of Lot NJ. Morrill,,
who had been made secretary of the treasury.
On the meeting of the Maine legislature in Janu-
ary, 1877, Mr.. Blaine was promptly elected for
the full term ending March 8, 1888. In the SEN
ate he took part in many debates, but he, appear
ed to be out of his element. The dignity and
decorum which characterized the senate seemed
to oppress him. He lost most of his old time
sensationalism, and in time got SO he could dis
cuss political topics even with his old-time an
tagonist, Ben Hill, then also a senator, without
much acrimony. With undminished popularity,
he again laid his plans to secure the Republican
nomination for the presidency, but he was des-
tined to be again checkmated by Conkling After