Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-09-03

every American citizen, and I was willing
to stand and meet the Judiciary Committee
| on this floor wanted them to introduce
| it. wanted the gentleman from Kentucky
and the gentleman from Virginia to intro
duce that question upon this floor, but they
did not do it.
Mr.. Knott Tin his seat)-I know you did.
Mr.. Blaine-Very well.
Mr.. Knott know you wanted to be
made martyr of. Laughter.
Mr.. Blaine-And you did not want to,
and there is the difference. Laughter and
applause.l I go little further; you did
| not dare to.
Nov, Mr. Speaker" continued Mr.
Blaine, 81 say that [ have defed the power
of the House to compel me to produce
those letters. 1 speak with all respect to
this House. I know its powers, and trust
I respect them. But I say this House has
no more power to order what shall be done
or not done with my private correspond
ence than it has with what shall do in the
nurture and education of my children
not a particle. The right is as sacred
in the one case as it is in the other.
But, sir, having indicated that right,
standing by it ready to make any sac
ritice in the defense, here and now, if
any gentleman wants to take issue'with me on
behalf of this House, am ready for any ex-
| tremity of contest or conflict in behalf of so
sacred a right. And while am so am not
afraid to show the letters. Thank God AL
| mighty, [ am not ashamed to show them.
There they are (holding up a package of
letters). There is the very original pack
age, and with some sense OF humiliation,
with modification that do not pretend to
conceal, with a sense of outrage which [
| think any man in my position would feel, 1
invite the confidence of forty-four millions
| of my cOuntrymen while read those letters
from this desk" [Applause.l
Blaine then read the letters with dramatic
fire.
BLUFFING PROCTOR KNOTT.
The scenes attending upon the reading,
were those of the widest excitement The
Speaker was powerless to preserve order or
to prevent Blaine's partisan friends from
| cheering to the echo. The sympathies of
the galleries, which were packed, were with
Blaine, and these added to the tumult and
disorder. .-.
The letters read and the excitement hav-
ing subsidized, Blaine walked over to the
Democratic side, and, standing directly in
front of J. Proctor Knott, precipitated an
other sensation. This was really more
startling than the first, because unexpected.
Mr.. Blaine said:
There is one piece of testimony want
complete circle of evidence. There is but
one witness whom 1 could not have, to
whom the Judiciary Committee, taking into
account the great and intimate connection
he had with the transaction, was asked to
send cable dispatch, and I ask the gentle
man from Kentucky if that dispatch was
sent to him?"
| Mr.. Frye-Who?
Mr. Blaine-To Josiah Caldwell.
Mr. Knott will reply to the gentleman
that Judge Hunton and myself have both
endeavored to get Mr.. Caldwelfs address,
and have not yet got it.
Kentucky received a dispatch from Cald-
we'll?
Mr.. Knott will explain that directly
Mr.. Blaine-I want categorical answer.
Mr.. Knott have received a dispatch
purporting to be from Mr.. Caldwell.
Mr.. Blaine-You did.
Mr.. Knott-How did you know got it?
Mr.. Blaine-When did you get it? [ want
the gentlemen from Kentucky to answer
when he got it.
Mr.. Knott-Answer my question first.
Mr. Blaine-I never heard it until yester-
day.
Mr.. Knott-How did you hear it?
Mr.. Blaine-I heard you got a dispatch
last Thursday morning at s o'clock from
Josiah Caldwell completely and absolutely
exoneTating me from this charge and you
have suppressed it. [Protracted applause
upon the floor and in the galleries. Iwant
the gentleman to answer. After pause.
Does the gentleman from Kentucky decline
to answer?
Mr.. Knott will answer that when L
get ready. Go on with your speech.
Mr.. Blaine-The gentleman from
Kentucky, in responding, probably, I
think, from what he said, intended to con-
j vey the idea that I had some illegitimate
knowledge of how that dispatch was OBJ
tanned [ have had no communication with
Josiah Caldwell. 1 have had no means of
knowing from the telegraph Office whether
the telegram was received. But I tell the
gentleman from Kentucky that murder will
out
Mr.. Glover-That is true.
Mr.. Blaine-And secrets will leak. And
L tell the gentleman now, and I am prepared
to state to this House, that at O'Clock last
Thursday morning or thereabouts, the
gentleman from Kentucky received and re-
ceipted for message addressed to him from
Josiah Caldwell, in London; entirely cor
roborating and substantiating the statements
of Thomas A. Scott, which he had just read
IN the New York papers, and entirely excul-
pating me from the charges which, am
bound to believe from the expression of
that report, the gentleman is anxious to
fasten on me.
1t was this scene which Bob Ingersoll
had reference to when he. spoke of Blaine
as the "Plumed knight" hurting his lance
full and fair in the face of his enemies
A Greenback View Of Cleveland.
from the CentervilIe Howa) Iowegien Il