The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-09-27
THE BLAINE SCANDAL.
MIR. BLAINE's EXPLANATION.
The Indianapolis sentinel's Charges


afterwards married her under threats that the mar
riage was kept secret that official record of it
exists that in three months after the marriage son
was born that said child was buried at Augusta,
Maine that its tombstone has been chiseled in order
to destroy the date of birth and death, &c. These
charges were made in several papers, among them
the indianapolis (Indiana) Sentinel
Upon their appearance in the Sentinel Blaine
wrote to Senator Ben Harrison, declaring "the story
is utterly and abominably false in every statement
and in every duplication" and directing him to
bring suit for libel Suit was brought but Blaine
does not seem anxious to prosecute, while the Sem
tnel is urging his attorneys to do So So damaging
is the story that Blaine has deemed it proper TO
write defense. 1t is letter to w. Walter Phelps,
which was given the press last Saturday, and is
as follows:
| AUGUSTA September 6, 1SSi-My Dear Mr.. Phelps:
have your favor of the 4th advising me that "the
continuous invention and wide circulation of evil
reports render it advisable in your judgment not
to wait the slow process of the law but to speak d.
rectly to the public in my own vindication." In
this opinion many others on whose judgment rely
concur.
| l shrink instinetvely from the suggestion, al
though feel sure could strengthen the confidence
of all who felt friendly to me by bringing to view
| the simple thread of truth which is concealed in
this endless tissue of falsehood. You can imagine
how inexpressibly painful it must be to discuss
ones domestic life in the press. although think
with you that under the circumstances could
count upon the generosity of the public to justify
statement which otherwise might seem objection
able. can, in any event, safely commit the facts
you for personal communication to those friends
who have taken so delicate and so considerate an
interest in my affairs The leisure hours of to-day
when our campaign is ended, and we wait only for
4 the election, gives the opportunity for this
prompt reply and for the following essential details
At Georgetown KY, in the spring of 1913, when
was but eighteen years of age, first met the lady
who for more than thirty years has been my wife,
Our acquaintance resulted at the end of six months
| in an engagement which, without the prospect OF
speedy marriage, naturally sought to keep to
ourselves. Two years later, in the spring of 1850
when was maturing plans to leave my profession
in Kentucky and establish myself elsewhere. was
suddenly summoned to Pennsylvania by the death
of my father. 1t being very doubtful If rcould re-
turn to Kentucky, was threatened with an indef-
mite separation from her who possessed my entire
devotion My one wish was to secure her to myself
by indissoluble tie against every possible contin
gency in life and the Both day of June, 1850 just
prior TO my departure from Kentucky we WERE in
the presence of chosen and trusted friends, united
by what knew was, in my native State of Penn
| sylvania, perfectly legal form of marriage.
On reaching home 1 found that my family, and
especially my bereaved mother. strongly discounte-
nanced my business plans as involving too long
separation from home and kindred. / complied
with her wish, that should resume, at least for
time, my occupation in Kentucky. whittier RETURN
! ed in the latter part of August.
During the ensuing winter, induced by misgivings
under responsibilities msgiyngs which were
increased by legal consultations became alarmed,
| lest doubt might be thrown upon the validity of
our marriage by noncompliance with thela of the
State where it had occurred for had learned that
the laws of Kentucky made license certificate by the
clerk the county court ndspensa BILE requisite
| of a legal marriage. After much deliberation and
with anxious desire to guard in the most efiecual
manner against any possible embarrassment result
ing from our position-for which Ialone was respon-
sible-we decided that the simplest and at the same
time the surest way was to repair to Pennsylvania
and have another marriage service performed. This
done i'll the presence of wsnesses i'll the city of
Pittsburg in the month of March, 1851, but was not
| otherwise made public for obvious reasons
| 1t was solemnized only to secure an indisputable
validity, the first marriage being by my wife and
myself always held sacred. At the mature age of
fifty -four do not defend the wisdom or prudence of
IL secret marriage, suggested by the ardor and the
inexperience of youth but its honor and its purity
invioate. as believe in the sight of God, and
cannot be made to appear otherwise by the wicked
devices of men. 1t brought to me q companionshlp
which has benny chief happiness from boyhood's
years to this hour, and has crowned me with what
ever of success have attained in life
My eldest child, son, YVES born i'll his grand
mothers house the 18th day of June, 1851 III the
city of Augusta, Me-, and died in her arms three
years later His ashes repose in the cemetery of his
native city; beneath stone which recorded his
nam and the limits of his innocentlie. That stone,
which had stood almost entire generation, has
been recently defaced by brutal and sacriligious
hands
As a candidate for the presidency knew that I
should encounter many forms of calumny and per-
sonal defa nation, but confess that ddnot expect
to be called upon to defend the name of a beloved
and honored wife, who is mother and grandmother,
/ nor did expect that the grave of my little child
would be cruelty desecrated.
Against such gross forms of wrong the law gives
no adequate redress, and know that in the end my
most effective appeal against the unSpeakable out
RACES which resist must be to the noble manhood
and the noble womanhood of America. Your
| friend very sincerely JAMES q. BLAINE.
THE OTHER SIDE.
| The indianapolis Sentinel in its answer TO Blane's
suit, filed paper in reply, which propounded Ger
tain ques TONS The court decided that, though the
rule of law was not right, Blaine and his wife
could not be compelled To answer. On this the Sen
tine says:
The proceedings of the plaintiff i'll court ON Sat
urtay show that James q, Rlaine shirks the issne
| he had so speciously invited They show that no
dares not confront in court the evidence of false
| hood kuavery and nfamy which the Sentinel will
adduce. They show that he is afraid Ito tell the
truth" concerning his private life, and, blusterer
that he is. is afraid to risk lying Just at this juno
ture They show him to be a poltroon knight who
challenges and then avoids the fight. They show
! 1, 60 fh.n
story is utterly and abomnably false in every state
ment and in every implication" to be brazen lie,
ventured to deceive the public as to his private
character and for the purpose of making votes
| But the Sentinel will not permit the Plumed Jug
| gler to reap the benefit he contemplated when de
liberating upon and then ordering the libel suit
not il the laws will enable it TO reach him with and
compel him to answer the questions that have been
pFopounded to him; not if it can compel him to
confront its evidence before the November election
| IYpIASAPoLIs, Sept 1S;-In the United States Dis
! trict Court this afternoon the attorneys for Mr.
Shoemaker, publisher of the Sentinel, filed bill Of
discovery in the Blaine-Sentinel libel suit The bill
goes ON to say that i'll order maintain the defense
of justification it will be necessary and material for
the orators to show and prove that Blaine had Illicit
relations with ami seduced the person whom he
afterwards married, the result of said intercourse
being the birth of child in about three months
after said marriage. The bill goes on TO say that
the orators are informed and believe that the mar
rage of James &. Blaine and Harriet Stanwood &C.
Cured on or about March 30 1851, in Pttsburg that
the marriage was clandestinely arranged secretly
performed and hastily accomplished; that no license
issued by any authority for such marriage none
being required by the laws of Pennsylvania at that
time that no public official record was left or made
for the same reason; that one Bryan, the minister
who otticiated at said marriage has been dead for
several years and that ifany private memorandum
orrecord of the marriage was eyer made the same
is LOST or destroyed
Tho bill then states that for some time before the
date of said marriage Blaine was professor ut an
institution of learning at Drllersburg Ky that Miss
Stanwood was an instrucireSs in female school
ut the same place, and that they there became
quainted; that both unmarried and that Blaine