Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-08-22
PROVED GUILTY BY HIS FRIENDS

PROVED GUILTY BY HIS FRIENDS
In 1876, Mr.. Joseph Medill, editor.
of the Chicago Tribune; Mr.. Murat
Halstead, editor of the Cincinnati Com
mercial; Mr.. Richard Smith, the good
deacon, editor OF the Cincinnati Ga
zette. and Gen. Boynton, Washing
ton correspondent of the latter paper,
met in Cincinnati. Gen. Boynton
had possessed himself of some facts
in Blaine's record, connected with the
Fort Smith and Little Rock fraud,
and Mr.. Medill had raked up some
facts relative to the transaction of
Tom SCOTS purchasing some worth
less Fort Smith and Little Rock bonds
of Mr.. Blame "for SCI, 600, when in
fact they were not worth 6400 cents,
to borrow the language Of Mr.. Medill.
This, Mr.. Medill averred, was shown
by a resolution found upon the books
of the Northern Pacific company.
The result of this melting
was tLat these editors decided
that the case looked very
dark against Mr.. Blame, and the
editors seemed to regard his case as
likely to be a repetition Of the fall OF
Schuyler Colfax.
But the editors decided that before
dropping Mr. Blame as bad egg
they would give him an opportunity
TO explain to them privately, and
armed with such explanation, they
could the better fight his battles if he
should receive the nomination. The
plumed knight vouchsafed no answer
however; and soon afterwards The dis
clusures of the investigation commit
tee of congress and Blaine's attempt
ed explanation and the publication
of the so called Mulligan
letters" threw broader light
upon Blaine's transactions, respecting
which their suspicious had been
aroused. When the Mulligan letters
had been given oat the several editors
above named declared in the strongest
terms to the effect that Blaine was
guilty Of using his official influence
for private gains; that he was corrupt
and un nworthy Of confidence, and that
his further pr )motIon would be dis
grace to his party. They visited up
on him thereafter the same kind of
condemnation that is now poured out
by tho Independent republicans and
the democrats Of the country.
There has been no change Of cir
cumstances; MIR. Blaine has offered
no further explanation; he shrewdly
managed to put an end to the investi
CATION which unearthed the Mullgan
letters. Since that time he has con
tirmed rataei than obItcrated the |
evidence Of his official misconduct, by |
his defense Of the Credit Mobilier
gang and his efforts to beat Edmunds'
and Thurman's attompts to bring tic
Union Pacific to terms and compel it |
to keep faith with the government.
Yet these editors who originally de
nOunctd Mr.. Blaine, who know that |
he is guilty OF conduct that should
remand him to obscurity, and for
which he deserves overwhelming de
feat, are now lauding him to the skies
and dencuneing those who merely
reiterate their own objections to Nh.
Blaine, as slandercrs, "dudes" and
'PharisecS
But the seed they sowcd in 1876 has
yielded its fruit in the conviction
which three out Of four of Blaine'S
present supporters have that the rec
ord of Blaine is one that in justice
ought to defeat HIM.
Here are some of the things they
said Of him:
In 1886 the Chicago Tribune said at Mr.. Blaine.
They uhc Repuhcausl knew him as II lobbyist
bcfor" he entered congress, seeking contracts for
the supply Of arms, They knew him while in
congress aud while speaker as the inside friend Of
wild eat corporations, ruling speaker to save
tu.r bills ns claiming reward for his official nc
ton aud rs engaged in selling the worthless
bonds Of such corporations, receiving large gratu-
itirs therefor
In the st Louis Globe Democrat Of December
-, 1851 occur these words: "Nlr Blaine is better |
calculated evidently, h. get u' into with |
som" foreign power than any scrrctnry of state |
we have had for long time and May 23, |
1881, the samc paper said. Mr. Bnnc is an I'M.
clean man AM the people will not have him He |
stands SELF convicted of prosttutiug the high Of
hccs he has held to build up private fortune, of |
cohahi'inE with corruption for dishonest money. |
His record would damn HIM W
In the Cincinnati Gazette of December II, 1SSi. }
may he found these words: Mr. Blaine rctira-
mcnt ,rrom the cahiueU is Il matter of cnnEratu-
lltiun," and the Cincinnati Commercial of June /
T. 1876 said The Blaine letters. we believe. |
prove all that he has been charged with The /
trouhrsomc fact is that there is u low tone of |
public morality In the estimation of the uses OF
public position for private gain"