The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-07-05
BLAINE,S MADIGAN LETTER.

The ugliest snag the Republicans have
run against in their effort to steer the Irish
vote over to Blaine, is his so-called Madi-
gan letter. The New York SIN, publish.
ing the letter, gives this plain, unvarnished
statement in regard to it:
In the summer of 1875 there was spec
ial election of congressman In the Fourth
district of Maine to fill the vacancy occa-
stoned by the death Of Samuel +. Hersey
took county, where there are large num-
Der of voters holding the Roman Catholic
faith One of these, the Hon. James G.
for congress. The Republican candidate
Attorney General of the state. The dele.
CATION from Maine in the House of Repre-
sentatives was then solidly Republican, and
the efforts OF the managers OF the party
were exerted in order to kept solid Gen.
Plaisted was elected by about one thousand
majority over Madigan 1t was not until
after he had served his term as Represen.
tative that Gen. Plaisted became Green
hacker and was elected as governor of the
state by the Fusion vote.
Az Tie tlIIlc vi Tile ldIstou Gull
test in the Fourth district of Maine, there
was extensively circulated in Penobscot
and Piscataquis counties campaign doc
ument bearing the frank of James G.
Blaine. Mr.. Blaine was at that time, as he
had been for about dozen years, the
chairman of the Republican state commit
tee, and the brains, eyes, and hands of the
party.
1t was signed "A Protestant Democrat"
and 1t was designed to overcome the sure
Democratic majority in Aroostook county
by appealing to the religious prejudices of
the voters in the other two counties com
posing the district The argument of the
circular is despicable In the extreme. No
Democrat or Republican who is intellect
ually honest, no fair minded man of either
party, will attempt to excuse or defend
this sort of political warfare. The alleged
protestant Democrat" urged his fellow
citizens to defeat Madigan solely on the
ground that Madigan was member of the
Roman Catholic church. "James c. Mad
igan," said the circular, sis very Jealous
Roman Catholic. 1t is believed by many
that he is lay member of the secret order
of Jesuits" 1.-THE Papists everywhere"
continued the author of the circular, "are
watching the result of Madigan's campaign
in this district, and il will be hailed every
where as great triumph for tie Catholics
if New England Protestant district sends
Roman Catholic to represent it in con-
gress." "Remember"-to quote further
from the circular-"that you owe more to
religious sentiments than you do TO your
party; and the proper rebuke to your par.
ty for asking you to vote for a Roman Cath
Ole is to support Gen. Common for Cover
nor and Gen. Plaisted for congress-"
The candidate in whose behalf this cow
ardly appeal to religious prejudice was
circulated has communicated to the editor
of the Albany Argus the fact that the au.
thor of the document the pretended Prot
estant Democrat" was Mr.. Blaine himself.
Gen. Plaisted says that he was with Mr..
Blaine when the circular was written; he
saw Mr.. Blaine write it.
We commend Gen. Plaisteds statement
to the consideration of all honest citizens,
no matter what their religious convictions
may be. The record of the author of the
Madigan circular will be searched in vain
for more disgraceful deed.