The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-08-21
phe MANLY Way.

1laercial- Gazette:
Political and social circles are intensely
excited here over the peremptory order
from Mr.. Blaine. which was received
to-day. to bring suit against the Sentinel
Company for libel The Objectionable edi-
torial was printed i'll the issue OF August
s. and its language was so Enthusiastically
clear and broad that the personal as well as
the political friends of Mr. Blaine felt it
their duty not to let the otfense go by UNI
noticed. whereupon Colonel Holloway, edi-
tor of the Times. sent a marked copy OF
the paper containing the article to White
law Ried, of the Tribune, and one to MI.
Blaine private secretary. Mr.. Rled $ re-
ply came last night, in which he said that
both Murat Halstead and Henri Watterson
had investigated the story and fonnd it not
only false in itself, but without the shadow
of basis for such vile charge. Mr..
Blaine's reply came this morning. and 1t
came like lightning out OF cloudless SKY.
Instead of entering into any explanation
PLANTATION, he simply wired the following
sharp, clear and positive order:
''BAR HARBoR, Me, August a.
'W. r. Holloway. Editer Indianapolis Times
II have Just now received the atrocious
libel of the Indianapolis Sentinel. The
story is utterly and abomiDahly false Ill
every statement and every implication.
Political ISLANDERS do not stop to notice,
but this editor assails the honor OF my
wife and children. desire you, without
an hours delay, to employ proper attorneys
and have the responsible publisher of the
Sentinel sued 1or libel in the U. :. Court
of Indiana. 1t is my only remedy, and |
am sure honorable Democrats. alike with
honorable Republicans, will justify me in
defending the honor of my family, if need
be, with my life. JAMES G. BLAINE"
Colonel Holloway was not slow to obey
the request. In less than ten minutes from
the time of the reception of the telegram,
Senator Harrison was preparing the com
plant
The pith of the Objectionable editorial is
as follows:
1.-The Democracy will hardly remain
quiet upon Baine'S inner life when his
supporters are resorting to scandal-monger-
ing against its candidate. There is hardly
an intelligent man in the country who has
not heard that James e. Blaine betrayed
the girl whom he married, and then only
married her at the muZzle OF q shotgun.
The Democratic press has had the magma
nimity not to put forth these reports
which must cause pain to the members OF
Mr.. Blaine S family. The Republican pa
pers have long known of them, and have
allowed them to go undeDied, If MI
Blaine was the scoundrel to betray an in
nocent girl-if, after despoiling her, be
was the craven to refuse her legal redress
giving legitimacy to her child, until q
loaded shotgun stimulated his conscience
then there is blot on his private character
more foul, if possible. than any OF the
countless stains on his political record
His cOndnct diScl0seS u moral Obliquity
rendering him undeSerying social conf
dence. and an unfit man to be President. :"
The suit is for $4,000 and proceedings
were instituted at once.
From a staff Correspondent of The Press.
BAR HARBoR, Me-. Aug. 15.-The news
made public in indianapolis that Mr..
Blaine, through his friend. Mr.. Holloway
had instructed the firm of attorneys OF
which Senator Harrison is Il member to i'll
stitute u suit for libel against the Indian
apolis Sentinel brought to the little Blaine
cottage to-day ~ hatful of congratulatory
kilograms. Holloway lost no time in eX-
ecuting his orders, and on receipt of in
formation that proceedings were already
begun, he was further advised to spare nc
pains in bringing the slanderers to speedy
justice.
MI. Blaine's course in the matter was
decided upon in the moment of hot and
honest Indignation in which he read the
scurrilous paragraph in the Sentinel, with
out consultation with personal friends OF
political advisers here or elsewhere, and
without a thought as to the effect of
either the libel or the suit upon his pOliti-
cal fortunes. lie believes that, in be-
coming a candidate for q great Office, he
sacrilic none of his rights as a citizen OF
as the head of a family, and is prepared to
defend those rights and the good name of
his household in all honorable ways now
as heretofore.
Referring to the remark OF a prominent
New Y DIRK Democrat, as reported in the
New Y DIRK World. to the effect that Gov
ernor Cleyelands friends do not propose to
press OF make use Of any private scandals
to Mr.. Blaine's disadvantage, the latter
will probably take very early opportu
nifty to serve formal notice on the oppOSi-
tion that he declines to be the beneficiary
of their magnanimity in this regard.
He recognizes the propriety of the pub
lie demand that the office of president shall
be filled by man not only with a clean
public record, but with a clean private
character, and to that end invites the
closest scrutiny of his life, whether before
or behind the scenes.
EVIDENCE OF BLAINE's POPULARITY,
Letters come here and to the National
Committee every day urging Mr.. Blaine to
visit other states, either for pleasure OF
for political purposes. The value of his
presence in closely contested states is
highly rated and everywhere people are
anxious to give popular demonstrations
i'll his honor. Southerners are particularly
anxious to have him among them. "If he
will come down here and make one speech
at the foot Of the Clay stature, y writes an
enthusiastic Blaine Democrat in New Or
leans, Il will guarantee him the vote OF
Louisiana, and | would almost be willing
to do it if he would spend twenty-foui
hours at the st. Charles Hotel.o
So far, all such invitations have been de-
clined, and | think Mr. Blaine is mistaken
in his purpose to spend the campaign sea-
son quietly with his family and within the
boundries of his own state.
The only exception now i'll view is an APP
pointment to attend the New England Ag-
rieultural Fair at Manchester N. H., but
that is Just across bhe line and is quite as
much Names as New Hampshireis af-
fair. M. z. III.
Special Despatch TO The Times.
New Y DIRK, Aug. 15.-An effort was
made more than week ago to devise a
scandal in Mr.. Blaine's early life and to
use it simultaneously in number of Dem
ocratc papers. Mr.. Watterson says that
it was offered to the Courier .Journdl but
he declined even to consider the PROPOSE
ton of printing it because he knew it to
be substantially untrue. Eight years ago
he personally Investigated Mr.. Blaine s
early life in Kentucky, but found it blame
less. There was no peg on which q cam
paign tale could be hung.
This SANDER. founded on school-boy
love story. the beginning of happy union
and a spotless married life, which has now
lasted thirty-five years, was rejected by a
score OF reputable Democratic newspapers.
Only two were found willing to print it,
the Chicago Times, which published it
Simply as gossip, and the Indianapolis
Sentinel, which published it as the truth
and vouched for it. The publication was
made a week ago-Friday, August Sand
attracted no attention until it was sent to
Mr.. Blaine and he acted with Characters
tic promptness.
Henry Watterson, one of the most en-
ergetic political opponents of Mr. Blaine.
said in a New Y FORK club ten days ago that
he knew Of a scandalous story about Blaine
which was already in type out West, and
hn o61n1 sthppp 10 NOT ono Vx,n,.d IF trutbi in