Wichita eagle., 1888-09-26
MIR. Blaine Averse to Entering the
Controversy Over Mr.. Conk-
ling'S Grave.
The Absurd Charges and Corresponding
Denial Prompted Only by the Pend
ing Political Contest.
An Immense Republican Demonstration
Held at Independence. kan.-The Is
sues Discussed in Mastery Man
ner-Other State and PO-
litical Items,
WEATHER BULLETINS.

2o.-Ihe nlgneSI temperature "''9 '1'O
the lowest $50 :, and the mean 6l.5o with
fresh to light northerly winds, clear,
slightly cooler weather and nearly station
airy barometer.
The maximum velocity OF wind was
n IA miles per hour at 2:1O p. m.
Mean barometer reduced TO sea level was
att a. m. 30. 100 inches; at 2 p. m. 3O.Oo4
inches, at p. m. 30.0l0.
Relative humidity ass per cent.
FRED L. JOHNSON, Observer.
WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, ID. c.,
Sept. 25.-The indications for twenty-four
hours, commencing Wednesday, Septem-
Der 20, at a. M, are as follows:
For Missouri and Kansas: Fair, slightly
warmer; southeasterly winds.
AUGUSTA, Me- Sept. 25-The Kennebeck
Journal under the heading "Mr, Conkling
and Mr.. Blaine" will tomorrow publish
such response as Mr.. Blaine desires TO
make to the recently published private
letter of Roscoe Conkling.to his friend in
New York state MIR. Blaine was asked by
the Kennebeck Journal reporter ii he had
any reply to make and this was the re-
sponse: Nothing could induce me TO en-
ter into controversy oyer Mr.. Conkling's
grave. During our joint service III con-
gress, some sixteen years in all, we had
some exasperating controversies, but L
never wrote or spoke a word concerning
him except publicly. and now that he IS
dead my lips are sealed against every form
nr criticism or expression,s no matter what
NAV be the imprudence or injustice OF any
of his surviving friends
Then in the progress of questions and
answers Mr. Blaine made several Obser-
vauions as to whether Mr.. Conkling was
the author of the letter or not. Mr.. Blame
said that of course he knew nothing, but
it was a great surprise to him that such
letter should have been written by
Mr. Conkling. The date shows that
the letter WAS written just SIX days after
the close of an eXasperating personal de-
bate with Mr. Conkling, and if Mr.. COnk-
hing had intended to say anything OF the
kind ne would have been apt to say 1t
then, and not Immediately afterward IN a
private letter which was not given to the
public for twenty two years and not until
Mr. Conkling had been dead several
months The whole affair was not in ac-
cordance with Mr.. COnkling's habitual
courage III debate. When asked If he
knew ANYTHING of Crandall or Paddock,
Mr. Blaine replied that he had never
seen them, and had never heard the name
of either except on the occasion OF the per-
sonal debate with Mr.. Conkling in April,
1866. Though he had not charged his
mind with the fact so as to remember
accurately his strong impression was that
they We're both officers in New York under
the enrolment act during the war
and that both had been dismissed
from the service for misconduct in office.
Then Mr.. Blaine was asked If he had any
thing TO say about the charge that he had
made money out of the recruiting funds
in the war and he replied that it might
with equal truth be charged that he had
made money by robbing the mails or by
piracy on the high seas, Prompted fur
Their by questions Mr.. Blaine said the
recruiting scandal of Maine in the last
two committees and one pnbiic commits
sion whose efforts, Mr.. Elaine said, he
aided and there was not a word of evil
dence or even a suggestion or hint In any
of the three reports that he had any more
connection with the matter than had Mr.
Conkling or his unwise friend who pub
fishes this letter and attributes it to the
dead states man.
Mr.. Blaine next refers to successful
by himself in 1854 to prevent
recruiting frauds in all the states. Such
preventive measures. Mr.. Blaine said, had
been passed by 81 to 30, the majority being
made up of Republicans and ~ few Dem
ocrats like Mr. Holman, of Indiana"
The negative was unanimously Demo
cratic concludes Mr.. Blaine, and adds:
1t will thus be seen that the official
record of the states and nation refutes the
whole charge"
Outside political campaign Mr.. Blaine
says he would never have noticed the
matter and outside a political campaign
.he charge never would have been made.