Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-18

doned the doctrine of once a subject always a
subject. ana accepted the American principle
OF equal rights aud protection for adopted and
for native citizens.
As SPEAKER OF THE HoCsE-
''Mr. Blaine's administration Of the speaker
ship is commonly regarded as one of the most
brilliant and successful in the annals Of the
House. He had rare aptitude and equipment
for the duties of presiding officer and his COM
plete mastery OF parliamentary law. his deX-
terity and physical endurance, his spid dis
patch of business and his firm and impartial
spirit were recognized on all Sides
Though necessarily exercising a powerful
influence upon the course of legislation. he
seldom left the chair to mingle in the contests
on the floor.
ION one of those rare occasions in March
1871. he had sharp tilt with Gen Butler, who
had criticised him for being the author of the
resolution providing for an Investigation into
alleged outrages perpetrated apon loyal citizens
of the south and for being chiefly instrume tai
IN securing its adoption by the republican
caucus.
THE SOUTHERN AMNESTY Biz
''The political reSulsion of 1874 placed the
democrats in control of the House. and MIR.
Blaine became the leader of the minority. The
session preceding the presidential contest of
1876 was period of stormy and vehement con-
tentIon. general amnesty bill waslrought
forward. removing the political disabilities of
participants In the rebellion which had beea
imposed by the fourteenth amendment to the
Constitution. Mr.. Blaine moved to amend by
making an exception of Jefferson Davis and
supported the proposition in an impassioned
speech. After asserting the great ma gnanimity
OF the government and pointing out how far
amnesty had already been carried. he defined
the grounds of his proposed exception. The
reason WAS not that Davis was the chief of the
confederacy. but that as Mr.. Blaine affirmed,
he was the author. knowingly. deliberately,
gulltlly and wiliiully, of the gigantic murders
and crimes of Andersonville.' In fiery words
Mr.. Blaine proceeded TO declare that no mill
tary atrocities i'll history had exceeded those
for which Davis was thus responsible. His out
burst naturally produced a deep excitement
in the House and throughout the country IL
Blaine's object as a political leader was to
arouse partisan feeling aud activity prepara-
tory to the presidential struggle. he succeeded
An acrid DEBATE followed. BENJAMIN H. Hill
OF Georgia assumed the lead of the other side.
and not only defended Davis against the ac-
cusations, which he pronounced unfounded. but
preferred similar charges against the treatment
of southern prisoners in the north. In reply
Mr. lame turned upon Mr.. Hill with the cita-
ton OF resolution introduced by him In the
confederate senate providing that every
soldier or officer OF the United States captured
on the soil of the confederate states should be
presumed to have come with the intent to in-
cite lnsurrection and should suffer the penalty
of death. This episode arrested universal at
tention and gave Mr.. Blaine a still stronger
hold as leader OF his party
CHARGES AGAINST HIM
'He now became the subject of violent per-
sonai assault. Charges were circulated that he
had received S64.00o from the Union Pacific
Railroad Company for some ndefined services.
On April "a. 1876. he rose to a personal expla-
nation in the House and made his answer. He
r,rn 1..s f-ov~ a. 81
pany and from the bankers who we're said to
have negotiated the drafts. in which they de-
ciared that there had rever been anv such
Transaction. and that VI. Blaine had never re-
ccived dollar from theeompany. Mr.. Blaine
proceeded to add that the charge had reap
peared in the form Of an assertion thnt he had
received bonds Of the Little Rock and Fort
Smith railroad as q gratuity. and that these
bonds had been sold through the Union Pacific
Company for his benefit. TO this he responded
that he had never had any bonds xcept at the
market price. and that, instead OF deriving any
profit from them. he had incurred large
pecuniary loss. A few days later another
charge was made to the effect that he had re-
ceived as n gift bonds of the Kansas Pacific
railroad and had been party 10 a suit concern
ing them in the courts of Kansas. To this he
answered by producing evidence that his name
had been confounded with that Of a brother,
who was one of the early settlers of Kansas,
and who had bought stock in the Kansas Pa
citic before Mr.. Blaine had even been nomi-
mated for Congress. On the I'd of Nav a reso-
luton was adopted in the House to invest'ga
an alleged purchase by the Union Pacific Rail-
road Company at an excessive price of certain
bonds of the Little Rock and Fort Smith rail-
road. 1t soon became evident that the investi-
CATION was aimed at Mr.. Blaine.
THE MULLIGAS LETTERS.
San extended business correspondence on
his part with Warren Fisher of Boston. running
through wears and relating to various trans
actions. had fallen into the hands of n clerk
named Mulligan. and it is alleged that the pro-
duction of this correspondence would confirm
the imputation against Mr. Blaine. When Mul-
ilgan was summoned to Washington Mr. Blaine
possessed himself Of the letters. together
with memorandum that con IA ned a full index
and abstract. On the 5th of June he rose TO a
personal explanation AID after denying the
power of the House to compel the production
OF his private papers, and his Willingness to go
to any extremity in defense OF his rights. he
declared that he proposed to reserve nothing
Holding up the letters he exclaimed: Thank
God. / am not ash hamed to show them. There
is the very original package. And with some
sense OF humiliation with a modification do
not attempt TO conceal, with a sense OF outrage
which think any man In my position would
feel, invite the confidence of 40 000. 900 of my
countrymen while read these letters from my
desk. The demonstration closed with a dra-
matte scene. Josiah Caldwell one of the
orlginators OF the Little Rock and Fort Smith
railroad. who had fnll knowledge of the whole
transaction. was travelling in Europe and both
sides were seeking to communicate with him
After finishing the reading of the letters Mr.
Blaine turned to the chairman OF the COM
mittee and demanded to know whether he had
received any dispatch from Mr.. Caldwell. Re-
ceiving an evasiye answer. Mr.. Blaine asserted.
as within his own knowledge. that the chair
man had received such 4 dispatch. completely
and absolutely generating me from this
charge and you have suppressed it, pro-
found sensation was created and Gen. Gar
fell said: 4 have been long time in Con-
Gress and never saw such scene in the
House."
HIS CAREER IN THE SENATE
On entering the Senate in 1876 Mr.. Blaine at
once went to the front as leader and took a
prominent part in the discussion and dlspo-
sition Of all important questions. He always
took an interest in matters IN connection with
our foreign relations. and he took an active part
in trying to enlarge our commercial relations.
In 1878 he very earnestly advocated the estab-
lishment of line of mail steamers to Brazil
by means of a subsidy He repeatedly urged
this matter, pointing to the successful applica-
fion OF the policy by foreign countries, and
arguing that there was no reason why it should
NOT do for water transportation what ii had
done for railroads. His object was to build ND
our commerce with the nations of South and
Central America and the adjacent islands. On
financial questions he occupied a strong posi-
ton. believing in bimetallism and resisting
the adoption of single gold standard or the
depreciation OF silver. Soon after he entered
the Senate he made an elaborate speech ON