Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-09-11

hold it as a menace over my head to be used
at his option
The Chairman-I ask at your hands the
production Of these letters for the perusal
Of the committee and not for publication
Mr. Blaine-I will take occasion to consult
my counsel in regard to it
The Chairman-You decline, then, to pro-
duce themi
Mr.. Blaine-For the present decline.
From that day to this no one has seen the
letters. But June 5, 1876, Mr.. Blaine rose
in his seat in the house for personal exp,a-
nation and read a bundle Of letters which
he said were those received from Mulligan.
He allowed no one to see them He has
never allowed any one to see them, and the
letters to my Dear Fisher" quoted by
newspapers are from the stenographer's
notes as Mr.. Blaine read them. Mulligan
denied that the lstters were read verbatim
or that all of them we're read.
In beginning explanation to the house Mr..
Blaine said that "at every turn of q railroad
investigation ordered by the house an effort
had been made to direct it against him per
sonally, until on Sa .urday last, when there
were no less than four subjects upon which
he was being investigated"
Mr.. Knott replied that that was because
he turned up everywhere with land grant
bonds or stock of land grant railroads.
Mr. Blaine attacked the sub-judiciary COM
mittee as composed of Confederate briga-
diers defended his method of getting the
letters, and justified his refusal to let any
one see them. He then read them, with a
running fire of comment and explanation.
June 10 the sub-judicary committee made
a formal demand to see the letters. Mr..
Blaine refused to show them or to produce
Mr.. Mulligan's memorandum of the contents
of each one which had been given to him
with them.
The Republican national convention met
in Cincinnati June 13 Senator Morton had
so timed the revelation of Speaker Blaine's
corrupt railroad record that the full shock
of the disgrace fell upon the country as the
delegates were ass milling. Mr.. Blaine's
boldness in seizing letters which his Re-
publican enemies had intended to use to
force a withdrawal, or failing in that to
ruin him by the publication, had only rem
dered his position less desperate. His pre-
tense of reading them in the house had de-
ceiyed very few. The nomination was
hopeless unless something happened to
JuTn popular SJ III pdtLJ III Ills ldNOl. l. HIS
something came Sunday, June II, in 'tsun-
stroke" as he was ascending the steps of
DR.. Rankin's church He sat down on the
step and said to his wife: Mamma, my
head pains me; am afraid Pm sunstruck.
Call a carriage. Take me home and send
for Dr. Pope" The news flashed over the
country that he was dangerously ill and
popular feeling instantly veered around in
his favor. Universal sympathy was ex-
pressed Even grim Senator Morton re-
marked sardonically to The World CORE
spondent that che sincerely regretted the
sad occurrence. Although delicate about
expressing any opinion on the subject, he
did not hesitate to say that in his opinion
the effect at Cincinnati would be favorable
to MIR. Blaine if by tomorrow or Tuesday
it shall appear that the attack is not So
rio,lsly alarming"
So rapid was his recovery when Ger.
Plaisted, of Maine, called upon him Tues.
day he found him sitting up, surrounded hy
his family, reading dispatches from Cincin.
natl, and Tuesday night Mr.. Blaine tele.
graphed to Mr. Hale, his adjutant, that h.
was ''entirely convaiescent."
The effect was favorable, but not suf-
ficiently favorably for Blaine to recover all
that he had lost by the disclosures He lei
from the start to the seventh ballot, and was
at last defeated by Senator Morton MAXIM
combination of all the opposing elements
in favor of r. B. Hayes. who received 3S4
votes Cour over q majority to Blaine's 35l
and Bristow's 211.