Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-10-09
Defensive Side OF the Aggressive Cam
Daign.

Defensive Side OF the Aggressive Cam
paign.
ga defense OF Mr.. Blaine is an
nouncel to be forthcoming. That Is a
severe reflection on the defenses issued
already by Mr.. Willie Wally Phelps, by
Mr.. Mcdonald, and by an equally conh-
dent enthusiast nearer to what TIE Eoeas-
ing journal calls s.our midst. Their
defenses forthcame long ago. 10 lntl-
mate that thew created a necessity Tor
vet another to forthcome is to subtract
from the efficiency and complacency OF
those who have already rushed into the
imminent deadly breach made by facts
in the official character of MIR. Blaine.
Besides, any defense of Mr.. Blaine
has been made, by Mr.. Blaine. refiec-
ton on Mr.. Blaine himself. He especial
" requested his friends not to discuss
the Mulligan matter He laid especial
emphasis on this request-when making
it TO those who had previously attempt
ed to defend him. Their endeavors, it
would appear, bad left on Mr.. Blaine $
mind conviction that such endeaVors
should be omitted. The good man is
even thought to have concluded that
he was guilty, after perusing the efforts
to acquit him, made by attached
friends! Wherefore, 1.-the new defense
of Mr.. Blaine is reflection on him as
we'll as on his abortive defenders, whom
he silenced.
It cannot be said, from Blaine point
OF view, that the new letters, or the LETT
tiers newly printed, create occasion for
defense. Mr.. Blaine has distinctly neg
atiyed that proposition. ''There is
Nothing in the Letters from First to
Last inconsistent with the Most Scrupu-
lous Integrity and Honor - declared
Mr.. Blaine on the very night when the
New York Tribune entitled the letters
''The Drees of Defamation" To be
sure, the man and the organ did not
agree, but if Mr.. Blaine is right, the
letters need no defense, while, if the
Tribune is right, they admit of no de-
Tense. In either case, the idea of de-
Tense is syilogistically fatal to Mr..
Blaine.
His former defenders, whom he
caressed and suppressed, have reason
to object to any eleventh inter-
loper entering the field of defense. If
any one is entitled to the eGuivocal
honor of conducting the defensive side
of san aggressive campaign one or
both of the saluted and silenced de-
tenders should receive it. Mr.. Blaine,
knowing they were s'defending him.
never let them know: There are more
letters, which have never been pub
lished. Be careful that you don't hurt
me more than help me- Mulligan is
loaded and Fisher is liable to paint
campaign red, at any time" No, he
let them proceed on the assumption
that he told the truth in 1876, and now
they are confronted with the horrible
inquiry: eff he told the truth in 1876,
what in thunder did he tell in 1873, '72,
IL, 10 and 1902" Clearly these VIC
TINS of misplaced confidence have
right paramount to be the new de-
tenders, for in recoopering Blaine may
be they can repair themselves.
They should proceed cautiously. Do
they know whether Mr.. Mulligan is
tired? Are they sure he has run out of
material? Can they ensure the hope
that Mr.. Fisher is done? The trouble
about defending Blaine is the trouble
you experience in working under stim-
ulants. Don't write on liquor said
DR.. johnson to Goldsmith. ''you'l Ii have
to get drunken, every day." Don't de-
fend Blaine could be advised to his
ase-makers. They have to defend him
more, every day. There is always a
new point of weakness. Or an unsus-
pected letter is always turning up. Or
Mulligan makes movement. Or Mr..
Fisher talks in his sleep. Then the
whole fabric of defense tumbles down.
The Blaine defenses can not be ensured.
They do not stay put. They have to be
changed to suit the next exigency.
1t does not do to have q sliding scale
in defense. One cannot imits.te the
thrifty resourcefulness and flexible in
genuity displayed by Mr.. Blaine, when
he was an instructor OF chill iren in
Kentucky: ''Do you teach that the
world is round or fiat?' asked eau
tious father of Mr.. Blaine, at that time.
ST teach either round or fiat. according
to the preference of the parent
blandly replied Mr.. Blaine. But de-
lenses are no. alternative, optional,
mutable or determinabie by pulling
straws or dreaming on bride cake.
They must, as Major Jones said of the
Savannah newspaper. consist On
all these and many other accounts, the
announcement that new defense is to
forthcome should be re eived with less
avidity by Mr.. Blaine's friends than he
showed in going for other peoples
money-in the transactions which make
a defense misrepresentation impossi-
sible.-Albany argus.