The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-28
BLAINE ON THE LETTER.
A Claim that the Minister'S Epistle
Stands for Itself

oOchAAo6 ioA 4OoCAls
NEWARK, N. j., Oct 27.-In the course
of a political speech here tonight Mr.
Blaine said:
This discussion of the tariff has been inter
rupted by little incident which is very serious
recent letter of the British minister
at Washington. From the beginning of the
campaign it has been ovious that England was
taking an extraordinary interest In the election
of President Cleveland. London papers, which
at first spoke out with extraordinary frankness,
finding that it was embarrassing their
free trade friends on this side
ofiith ocean,s i.subdued their tone and
democratic papers had actually begun to assert
that the British aristocracy were in fact taking
sides with the Republican party, when just at
this stage OF the game out comes the letter Of
the British minister at Washington advising q
friend in California, who had written him upon
the subject, to vote for President Cleveland,
and saying in effect that Englishmen would find
that President Cleveland and the Democratic
party were the best friends of England.
ROOM FOR DISTORTION.
/ do not pretend to quote him literally OF
course, and now what do the democrats dor At
first they wanted to deny the letter altogether,
but Mr.. West is a frank and honorable man
and came out squarely and said that
he had written the letter. But now
the democrats came out with imprecations, al
most with curses, upon the head of the unfortu-
nate man in California who provoked the letter.
They say that he is q fraud and william and
forger and republican in, disguise; and that In
fact there never was such a man. But in the
name of common sense what has that man to
do with the British minister letterS Supposing
they prove this man to be fraud.
DON'T AFFECT VESTS LETTER.
Supposing they prove this letter to have been
gotten up by republicans as decoy and for Do
ltical effect, that does not affect in any way the
letter of the British minister As well
might n nOqtOfflc0 clark Vtbn 10 ht
stealing letters complain that the decoy letters
were placed on his track 20 entrap him They
would have never hurt him If he had not opened
those decoys. and that letter from California
would not have hurt the Democratic party or
the British minister If the latter had not an
swered it. [Cbeers. / suppose ii is the experience
of every one in every branch Of public life
diplomatic. political, religious or temperance,
to get letters written them occasionally for the
same purpose.
ENGL-AHD's SENTIMENTS.
Possibly this letter may have been written for
the purpose; know nothing about it whatever;
that it called from MIR West The the true S
views and sentiments OF England upon this
contest, and we may dismiss the other question
altogether from our minds as to what IL is that
may have called it out But there is something
more, and this Is why Introduce the subject.
THURmANs ILLUSIONS.
see that Judge Thurman. the democratic
candidate for the vice presidency, In his
speech yesterday in the west seems for the first
time 70 have heard something Of that letter and
he considers II republican plot and intimates
that II was first brought out by my address at
Detroit, all of which shows that the demo-
cratic candidate for the vice presidency keeps
abreast the news OF the day [Cheersl
left Detroit last Monday morning and came
over TO Buffalo TO fill an engagement there, and
there heard Of this famous letter for the first
time discredited II. said that 1t must be a
canard, and that Mr.. West could not have
written such letter.
The next morning, however, l went from
Buffalo TO Rochester 10 I'LL another appoint
ment aud on my way saw the whole letter,
and also an interview with Secretary Bayard
rather regretting the letter, ] must say, but
apparently not questioning word Of u.
APLAIN ISSUE.
There is no excuse whatever this year
for any man to 20 wrong ON the tariff
issue, however much he may have been
deceived BEFORE or however much he may have
had right TO complain OF want OF Information
on that issue. IL Is so plain this year that the
running man may read. IL il represented on
one side, on the side Of revenue reduction, by
President Cleveland; II Is represented on the
other side, on the side OF protection, by Benja-
min Harrison. fCheers