The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-02-01

y,r YoRK, Jan. Sl.-The RcY. Dr.. h
Macarthur, in tho course OF . sermon
I,,,ely devoted to the career OF James
e blaine, at Calvary Baptist church,
Tity.seyen.h street, between Sixth and
seventh avenues, Sunday night, said'
"For the first time since its occur
,oncs the true story Of the Rurchsrd IN
,iJent may be- told now, ! may be per-
mitted to say that all the facts connect
ed with it arc known by me, and 'hatin
my Judgment the time has now come
then thoy should be fully stated II
VI, supposed by many that DR., Burch'
ard deliberately utteredth fatal ALTER
alive words in order to secure Mr.
Baine's defeat. al, non
0Many politicians were so tirlnIy con.
virced that such was tho fact that az
ma lime they determined to investigate
tme case by every personal and legal
Nrocess they could employ, I9ey
adiTmed TINT some members OF Dr.
%Iurchard's family voted for MI bla'nes
Opponont in that election.
dThey affirmed that certain OF DE-;
Burchard's financial obligations hSo
been mysteriously paid soon altor, the
occurrence OF tho now historic incident
and thew, therefore, reached the con-
I,.;nm tLnt his famous words we're
snoken as the result Of a deliberate
plan to defeat Mr., Blaine.
a used my influence at that ume to
relieve DR.. Burchard from this added
reproach. 1t is but Justice now to him
IN sny that these suspicious were utterly
]nnioanded, and that five minutes be-
forp no began his address he did not
know, and could not have known, that
no was to DO asked to speak.
oThe committee having the matter on
hand chose the well known and es-
tecmod DR.. Thomas ArmitageA then
pastor Of tho Fifth Avenue Baptist
church in this city, to preside and to
make the address 10 Mr., Blaine. Or.
Armitago was absent in Philadelphia
preaching n dedication sermon.
ut was expected no would return In
time 10 perform the duty assigned him,
but he did not do so. We waited hall
an hour after the appointed hour and
were undecided whatto do.
"Then a young man, now q momber
OF this church, came 10 me and suggest
ed that DR., Burchard, as q Presbyterian
minister Of forty years high standing,
be asked to take Or, Armitage's place.
Ihcsitated, shrinking from the respon-
stbiitty OF suggesting any n to take
the absent pastors place, and referred
him 10 q we'll known Methodist menu
Der OF the committee.
ellis Judgment, as well as that OF my
friend, the lawyer, was in favor Of in
viting DR.. Burchard to the presidency.
Again | h esitated, but finally DR.. Armi-
tagC, not arriving, and all the company
having been kept q long time waiting,
the committee decided TO ask DR.. Bur.
chard to take the chair, and he accord
ingly presided.
THE moment.the alliterative words
escaped his lips / saw that aiatal blum.
der had been committed. l watched
Mr.. Blaine closely on the instant. He
was sitting with his arms folded and
seemingly deeply involved in thought.
II thought and hoped he would SEQ
the purport Of the remark, and with his
well known tact would give 1t q wise
and patriotic reply, one that would
have turned the meaning to his advan-
tage, bul it was evident he did not ap.
prcciate the Significance OF the words
spoken, as he made no allusion to them
in his reply.
ut is due to DIR. B%urchard's memory
that this statement be made. What
ever his views atterward were, nothing
can DO more certain than that he spoke
what he deemed truthful words, and
spoke them honestly on this occasion.
He told me afterward that the chief
error Of his words, the only error was
that he spoke too much truth"
oil the dead statesman DR.. Macarthur
said:
James g. Blaine was the most brill.
liant figure during the past thirty years
in American life. Next to those great
Bismarck and Gladstone, Blaine
was the first statesman OF the age. He
was great as q thinker, great as a writ
or, great as an author, great asa states.
man.
"Ho was accused Of 1ingoism'-well
jingoism' ia Americanism, and Blaine
was intensely American, and l for one
do not blame, but rather praise, the
man who prefers his country to all 9th.
or countries,
with many others In this country l
believe that James 6. Blaine was
to tho presidency Of the United
States, | am informed by reliable mem
bcrs Of the party that Mr.. Blaine ran
against that they could under oath,
name the very districts and the very
polling booths in which enough votes
were taken from Nj. Blaine and given
to his opponent to defeat Blaine and
give tho other candidate the apparent
majority"
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