Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-01-08
BLAINE.s LIBEL SUIT.
Nothing Exceptionally Surprising In 1t.
Dismissal

Nothing Exceptionally Surprising In It's
Dismissal
MIR. Blaine's letter TO his attorneys
instructing them to dismiss his action
of libel against an Indianapolis news
paper publisher. sets up as his reason
that it would not be possible to get m
Indiana jury that would give him a
verdict, unless he could compose a
jury of his own partisans, which the
court would not permit. Probably he
is not wrong in his opinion; but not
for the uncharitable reason he alleges
namely, that all men in Indiana, ex-
cepting those of Mr.. Blaine's party
label, are so .sblinded by party pre-
iudice," and filled with consolidated
party venom that they would be
s'utterly unable" to consider the evil
dence impartially. 1t is a rational
opinion that the inhabitants of Indiana
are not divided by different party
names into classes of human beings Of
different moral characters, as Mr..
Bla1ne's language implies. There is,
without doubt, altogether too much
blindness of party prejudice and soon
solidated party venom among them;
but the plain truth (Which Mr.. Blaine
is pleased to ignore) is that the indi-
Gated moral deficiencies are shared
pretty equally among them, those of
one party label being neither worse nor
better than those of another party
label.
Mr.. Blaine has made another state
ment which candid criticism is also
compelled to discredit. 1t is that when
he brought his action of libel he be-
lieved that, the Hbelous publication be-
ing of a personal and domestic charac-
ter, the case .'could be fairly tried with
out undue influence of political (party)
considerations" And he processes to
have been profoundly amazed to find
the matter at once taken up, and the
libel reproduced with all possible ex-
aggeration, by all the organs and
orators of the other party. 1t is SIM
ply incredible that Mr. Blaine, ssthe fore
most statesman of the country (ac-
cording to his admirers), was the very
innocent and unsophisticated neophyte
that he pretends. 1t is much more
credible that he thought a libel suit would
be good auxiliary of a magnetic"
and sensational ''stage effect" such as,
in the spectacular drama, is often intro
duced merely to ''bring down the house,
with applause. Knowing the facts that
he subsequently disclosed upon his oath,
it was not necessary that he should pos
sess much knowledge of law in order
to know, when he began his action,
that he could not expect any intelligent
and impartial jury on earth to give him
verdict. When the country read his
sentimental epistle to Mr.. William
Walter Phelps, and his sworn answers
to the legal interrogatories, an express
sion of wonder overspread the face of
the world, which said: s'What between
the Heaven aud the earth made Jim
Blaine such goose as to bring that
libel suit? Why, he has blown the bot
tom out of his easel"
In his dismissal of the case there is
surprising. Nor is there any
thing surprising in the bitter, venomous
letter to his attorneys directing them to
dismiss it. 1t is the writing of disap-
pointed, vicious, angry man, whose
stomach for revenge" is remarkably
Chicago Times.