The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-09-27
Mr.. Blaine's Predicament.

Mr.. Blaine's Predicament.
Heretofore Mr. Blaine has been bold and
aggressive, or nothing. His audacity has
served him well on various occasions. When
his nomination was made, it announced
that his would be an aggressive campaign
Yet. so far. it has been defensive one.
Even Mr.. Blaine has felt it incumbent upon
himself to write a letter defending his double
marriage, and has descended from his usual
top-lofty position and is now canvassing the
country in his own behalf. He took part in
the Maine campaign, has spoken in Massa-
chusetts and New York, and is now being
exhibited in Ohio. These are signs of weak
ness, and show the drift of public sentiment
against the corrupt Republican leader.
Mr.. Blaine's double marriage and his libel
suit against the Indianapolis Sentinel are the
greatest sources of distress at present, and we
devote considerable space to them this morn
ing. We give our readers both sides, but it
will be seen that the evidence is all on one
side and against Mr.. Blaine. Had the
ssPlumed Knight passed the rumors by IN
silence the subject would have speedily been
dismissed. Very many of the leading Demo
cratic papers refused to notice it. But MIR.
Blaine, with his usual buster, rushed to the
telegraph office and ordered byswire a suit for
libel against the indianapolis Sentinel, one of
several papers that had published certain ru-
mors against his moral character. By that
act Mr.. Blaine hoped to deter other Journals
and to silence the Sentinel. He never in
tended the suit to be brought to trial. The
Sentinel, however, prepared for defence BY
investigation it ascertained that what 1t pub
lished as rumor proved to be true, and other
damaging facts have been discovered. The
Sentinel is aggressive in the suit, and from
day to day, through its columns and by its
attorneys, have been pressing Blaine hard.
So damaging have been its disclosures and its
assertions, that Blaine was forced by his man.
ayers to write defense. His letter is pub
lished in this ISSUE 1t is dated September
9th, and written to w. w. Phelps, of New
Jersey, of River and Harbor jobs fame. When
it was given to the public on the 10th, it was
prefaced with the remark that Mr.. Phelps
took the liberty to make the letter public.
The fact is that Mr.. Blaine and Mr.. Phelps
were together at Bar Harbor on the 9th OF
September, and the two no doubt concocted
the defense.
The letter itself is weak one, and shows
Mr. Blaine's predicament. He says he was
married in June, 1850; discovered in the win
ler of 1851 that his marriage was illegal, and
that it was re-celebrated ON March 30, 1851, in
Pittsburg, Pa. To most people it would &C.
cur that Mr.. Blaine was a long time in dis
covering that his marriage was illegal, and n
long tme-two or more months-in having it
re-celebrated. He does not explain why,
after discovering that his marriage was illegal,
it was not re-celebrated in Kentucky. If
he felt so uneasy about the honor of his wife,
why did he journey all the way to Pittsburg,
Pa? In those days it consumed a consider
able time. He does not state either, the
name of the minister who celebrated the first
marriage.
These are few of the weak points, but are
sufficient to throw doubt over Mr.. Blaine S
whole statement. Another point destroys it.
He says that he discovered in the winter OF
1851 that ga license certificate by the clerk OF
the county court" was 'an Indispensable re-
quisite of legal marriage" If Mr.. Blaine
discovered this he discovered what was not to
be discovered. No. license for a marriage
pas required in Kentucky until July, 1859,
tco gears and one month after Mr.. Biaie's
alleged marriage. This is shown by legal au-
thorities quoted in the articles on the Blaine
scandal. Now what has Mr.. Blaine to say?
Perhaps, after thus being foiled in palming a
falsehood on the public, he will cease letter
writing, but the people will be convinced that
he is guilty as charged, and that he has com
mitted the further sin of endeavoring to lie
out Of il.
From the evidence brought out concerning
Mr.. Blaine, it must be plain TO all readers
that he is, and has been, a VIGOROUSLY COZ
rupt man. From eighteen years of age TO the
present time he has been walking in devious
paths. His social and public career alike
have been marked with corruption and false
hood. The Kentucky scandal is not the only
one charged against him. The Mulligan let
tiers do not contain all the evidence of false
hood and official corruption of which he is
guilty. But they should be sufficient for his
condemnation by the people of this country,
and we believe they will be.