The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1884-08-19
what Mr.. Nullioap had SAID about his

what Mr.. Nulllgan had SAID a0out his
Mr.. Blane'sy being on his knees and
talking of ruin and suicide was "mere
fancy" AS TO the Consulship, he ad-
nlitted he had alluded 10 something like
that ia jocular wav. He dsclaimed
meaning ~ say that Mr.. MuIligan falsi-
fed; mot at ALL" Mr.. Mulligan might
have put wrong construction on what
was said. But as to- the letters, Mr.
Blaine admitted that he took them frofh
Mulligan and kept them against MIR.
Mulligan's reraonstrance. Mr. Blaine
insisted that the letters, being his ''pri-
vate correspondence" we're his property,
in whatever way obtained. snd he also
refused to give them up to the ommit-
tee.
This is the story as it.appears In the
sworn testimony it shows Conclusively
that, whatever his friends may TOW say,
Mr.. Blaine himself did not consider
those letters rot at all harmless. You
will readily admit, it Is sorry and hu-
initiating thing 10 see Mr.. Blaine, the
late Speaker of the House Of Represen-
tafiVes, involved in pointed issue of
veracity on sworn testimony between
hlm and Mr.. Mulligap-Mr. Blaiue's own
friend, Mr.. Fisher, testlfyihg that he had
known Mulligan intimately for many
years and that "his character was the
best, as good as, or perhaps better than,
that of any other man he ever knew"
and another one Of Mr.. Baine's friends,
Mr.. Atkins, swearing that he had never
heard anything against Mr.. Mulligan's
reputation, and that he had never doubt
ed anything Mr.. MuIligan said-all of
which you can read at length in Misce-
laneons Document No. l7g of the House
OF Representatives. Forty-foarth Con
gress, First Session. A sorry story, ]
repeat; but the sorriest thing of all was
that Mr.. Blaine fatally discredited him
self by daring and Obvious misstate
ments of his own about other points
connected with this affair, of which l
shall speak later. At any rate, it is not
denied by anybody that Mr.. Blaine got
possession of those letters and kept
them without authority, in violation of
his promise to return them, and that he
made desperate struggle to conceal
them. This, should think, is sufficient
to show that Mr.. Blaine himself in con-
science felt these letters to be extremely
grave things to him, and the smiles Of
his friends are rather CHASTITY when they
now try TO make light OF them.
How, then, did the letters come out ?
Muligan's testimony, heing telegraphed
all over the country, created tremen.
dous sensation. There was q universal
outcry. 1t became clear to Mr.. Blaine
that the further concealment of these
letters VAS impossible. 1t was sure
death. There was still desperate chance
in apparent audaci,y. Tue highly excl
ting scene is still remembered as he him.
self read them to the House of Repre-
sentatives. But he who conlly reads the
printed proceedings OF that day will find
some very curious and characteristic
things. MIR. Blaine did not permit the
letters which be read to pass into the
hands Of the officers of the House so
that their contents mi! hit have been yer.
ifed. He promptly put them into bis
own pocket again and carried them
away. And secondly, in reading them
to the Honse he dex erously mixed let
ters of different periods and about differ.
ent subjects together, so that no listener
could on the spot make head or tail to
them.
Thus Mr.. Blaine could prevent the
House from verifying the letters and
from at once understanding their full
import. But he could not prevent the
letters as actually read from being SUBJ
seqiently arranged according to dates
and subjects and compared with the tes-
tlmony. Then their connection became
clear, and with it their meaning. What
is that meaning? What does it signify
when Speaker of the House of Repre-
sentatives writes to business man that
be he 'Speaker wants profitable in
terest in an enterprise the value of which
has been, and may again be affected by
acts of the same legislative body over
which that Speaker presides, and in
which be exercises great power; when
that Speaker says be "feels that be shall
not prove deadbead in the enterprise il
he once em5arks in it," and that he ''sees
various channels in which he knows be
can be useful:" and when finally, the de
sired profitable interest not beng forth
coming, he points to an exercise OF biz
power as Speaker by which, even ''with
out knowing it," he did great favor tc
the party from whom he asks tha! prof.
itable interest, thus pointing directly al
the field upon which be can make him
self most useful? What does this mean
On its very face it means one of th,
highest and most powerful officers il
the Government marketing biz Official
power for private gain II means otficia
power offering itself for prostitution te
make money.