Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-09-25
Why They Do Not Discuss Them.

the MuIHgaH IcltttS. = Hey 10 not print
such parts of Blaine s, speeches as refer,
ever so gingerly,, to. the Mulligan let
tiers. The reason assigned for this pol
icy is, that ,..Mr. Blaine. desires the let
tiers not to be discussed by his friends
or advocates on the stump or in the
press.'' The motive. assigned to this
desire is ''self.respect.9 ~ The Blaine
men maintain that theywin not ''dis-
cuss the character of Mr. Blaine and
do not think he needs any defense" 1t
is conceivable that !, the devotion of
personal friendship may comfort itself
with this reflection. 1t is not rational,
however, to suppose that such o. finely
worded excuse will deceive or satisfy
any one but personal friends. A man
whose public honesty is questioned, has
to defend himself In, ,politics-or the
general conclusionis that bis honesty
will not bear defense When large
and the most respectable portion of a
mans party bolts his nomination, ON
the express ground that heis dishonest,
the prinsa .facie presumption of his in
nocence is really changed in the public
mind to s p1Insd fdcte presumption of
his guilt. In the case of Mr. Blaine
'.silence is confession" 800 ga
Some of his less irrational friends see
this and seek to say that 1.-The charges
haveeall been examined and the man
has been clea1ed. There is no usessof
reopening the matter. Is, this true?
The charges were examined" by the
Committee of the House, in 1S76-ur to
the period at which Mr.. Blaine was re-
quired to produce the Mulligan, letters
and stand a cross-examination on them,
Two things prevented that step from
being taken Mr.. Blaine, had an ops
portnne sunstroke and he resigned his
seat in the House, with the result, ands
ildisputably with the Intention of putt
ting himself beyond its jurisdictions
Then the ''examination' had to soeases
The Republican National Conventions
of 1876. and 1880 and l884s.examiped'
these charges also. The first two con-
ventions flung Mr., BlaineI ont ihecapse
OF the letters. The nomination OF
Mr.. Blaine. in 1884 has caused the men
the organization because of those leta
tiers. These facts explain why Mr..
Blaine has passed the word that no dis
cussion of the Mulhgan letters shall
take place among his friends; but they
put an entirely different face on the
reasons from that which he would have
them wear. aEsgtI IL .s-stss .t..,.sa
A consideration of the letters makes
every Republican, with a logical mind
and an upright intent, an anti Blaine
man, There ARE plenty OF men with
upright intent who are for Blaine; hut
they lack the logical mind. slIAfe. union
of the power to reason correctly, with
the possession of q patriotic purpose.
makesA Republican, who examines the
Mulligan letters. q condemner of Blaine.
Some of them will vote against him.
Others wiz refrain from voting.s 9th
ers will reluctantly vote for hlm, but
will not put forth any efforts tonelect
him. That is why Mr.. Blaine prescribes
silence on the Mulligan letters. Sew
eral times. q policy Of silence. has, got
Republican politicians out Of d bad
scrape. 1t will not aid Mr.. Blaine, ellis
time. The charge of s.throwing mud''
will no. serve. The matter is Mr..
Blaine's writing. Every conspicuous
present advocate of his has deliberately
declared in the past that the letters Show
the conspicuous guilt of Mr.. Blaine.
The cry of Democratic calumny,, will
not avail. AS many. Republicans II as
Democrats demand the defeat of Mr..
Blaine on account~of these letters.
The flmy plea of .'dignity'', q and
.self-respect Will not doTfOr MIR.
Blaine set the example of /" discussing
these letters % by stealing them and
violating his promise to return them;
CD by garblfng them. reading them
out Of their order, and emitting storead
four of them altogether, after sfalse-
" saving that he had read them all,
and (3) by running away from, the IN
quiry, at exactly the stage where he
would have been required to stand
cross-examination on the letters, by re-
signing from the House,twhen .resigna.
lion was confession and dishonor.
Every fact and reason ID the case ac-
counts for Mr.. Blaines prescription OF
silence to his friends about the leulli-
gan letters-but his explanation 81 why
le has directed that The matter he iic-
,ored IL found TO be as flimsg. AZ sany
pretense of statesm anship on, his, part,
lce--jobbinsg. - : any 4rqals. q 5,iiht
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