Daily Republican., 1884-09-18
The Michigan Letters.

'ant friends having tried every expedient
20 blacken the character Of Mr.. Blaine
in vain, have fallen back upon the
Mulligan letters - the most offensive
weapon OF political warfare with
which to accomplish their purpose,
They will make as little capital out
OF that system Of warfare a. they have
Of their forgeries and their Islander Of
Mr.. Blaine's character. But now the
letters have all been published, 30 that
source Of Islander has been worked to
its fullest extent.
The publishing of these letters over,
What effect do they have on Mr.. Blaine?
What do they really show? While the
Democrats attempt to show by them
that Mr.. Blaine used his official posi-
ton as Speaker Of the House of Repre-
sontatives TO make money corruptly,
they show just the reverse. They show
that he was not only innocent of the
charge Of wrong doing, but that he
actually suffered financially in his at
telnpt TO aid his friends. Now what
ARE the facts In the case?
Mr. Blaine was Speaker of the House
n time when some legislation was
before it of essenti al interest to the Fort
Smith and Little Rock Railroad. His
attention was called to the merits of the
enterprise by coming in contact with it
As mem Der Of Congress. Mr.. Blaine
never was a man who permitted any
legislation 10 pass without he knew all
about 1t ia all its details.
In studying into the merits of this
particular bill he found where there
Was chance to make q little money
by judiciOus investment. Mr.. Blaine
was not lawyer like most of the lead
ing mem beers of Congress, and had no
cases in which heavy fees were involv-
ID.
He had not even a match monopoly
% fall back upon. He tsund that some
money could be made by specializing in
railroad securities, and like every or =.
man who made such discovery he
to do. right
All that the public demanded : A.
blaine was that he should be p
man he was not prohibite 50 "o 90
gaging in any honorable :. ifoin Gu
make money in a legi' pi.so
Mr.. Blaine then, it is ''"a,e mAnno'
engage in a littl, not uenieu, III
in stock of the speculative adventur
Rock Railr fort Smith and Littl
that his .sea. 1t is not denied eitht
pa knowledge of the enterprise
b ing speculation was gained by
-Ang brought prominently before Coz
AKress, but it is utterly denied by NJ
Blaine, and his friends for him, that
went into any railroad speculation, p
bonds ON the market at a percentap
or bought them TOR speculative PIT
pose, in consideration for some fave
able ruling as Speaker of the House.
Had Mr.. Blaine not happened TO
Speaker of the House at the time
these transactions in bonds, nobo
would ever have thought anythi
about it.
Other congressman were as deel
involved as he was, some even who
now making accusations against
Blaine for doing what they theinssl
had done. And had the parties w
whom Mr. Blaine was negotiating
bonds been as honest and straight
ward as he was in their transactiC
there never would have been occas
for the Mulligan letters. There WI
dispute in reference to So, 900 worth
bonds Mr.. Blaine became Emporium
IN reference to them.
He wanted what he was entitled
and the correspondence on the SUB
became the famous Fisher-Mulli
letters.
But malice has gone too far, and
defeated its purpose. Mr.. Blaine,
the consciousness of an honest purp
was right in saying on Tuesday tina
hoped every Republican paper i'll
land will publish this second batch
Mulligan letters.
The first thing these letters show
that Mr. Blaine has been wronged.
had been accused of having these lei
now published in his possession, an
refusing to give them to the public.
is shown now that they were III
hands of Mulligan himself Comm
ing upon this subject the New
Tribune very truthfully and prof.
says
Eight years Mu!ligan mas seen
Blaine alsely accused of suppres
this letter, and has known ali the
that the charge WAS false, because
held in his possession the proof. v
allow ed the lie to go on dong It's
honest work, and thus has made
lilo his own, in order TO blacken
character of MIR. Blaine. In the
of this TACT, who should now be
iieved, Mr.. Blaine, who told The {
OF his accusers, self convicted OF
hood? And why was this letter
suppresser because, as it now pr
Fisher and Cald well had failed t.
good pledges upon which MIR. b
mad borrow ed $25, 600 for thor be
The great TACT which the new II
establish In that Mr.. Blame was
victim Of Warren Fisher, deceive
him trou the starr, induced u IN
himself apC aIs friends in an u
taking in WHICH they all suffered +,
pied by the refusal of Fisher to
his word, persuaded when di
came to borrow money Tor the
prise upon his personal credit, al
nally left in the lurch by his pro-
friend, who reasoned that Mr.. Il
being public man, could never
10 dt mani what was justly due I
for fear Of scandal.
Mr.. Blaine says he would have
better off if he had never seen
and had never touched the Fort
speculations. The last letters,
ever, clear up one charge against
Blaine, and that the most dan
charge. They show that he use
influence and large acquaintance
pose of 1925, 900 worth of bonds
the letter was written, making N
at his ruling in Congress. He
ready disposed OF all the bonds b.