The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-09-04
The Mysterious Delegation.

Pardon me- urged. "it does make Il
difference. The first question at the of
flee and next from the public will be 9S
| 70 the identity of the entire delegation. %
ar, Blaine spoke quickly, almost inter-
Merely say that Mr.. Blaine gave ous
no other names"
But that does not absolve me" I per.
sisted Names are news in this matter
ana. besides I saw Mr.. Ford coming out
from here alone Just now-did he remain
after the others had gone. or were there
no others? Mr.. Blaine's eyes clOude.I
swiftly. He was tired. anxious possibly
desperate-must he be forever harried bv
this wretched business His breath was
indrawn for an explosion. bur the tactflI
Hobart lifted a restraining hand stood
up hastily and leaned across the table.
There. my boy don't be suspicious.
smiled Hobart Let II stand just as u
Is and hold us TespOnsible-in your re-
port. If necessary" The indrawn breath
escaped from Mr. Blaine'S lips In a weary
sigh The reporter was either cai0Ied or
eonvinced-it does not now matter which
Mr.. Blaine continued the dictation. and
copy from the sheets beside me what hs
said. He was clampin-c down his utter
anee OF the night before at New Haven.
and reproduce 1t as a fine example Of
subtle dis9utation:
In reply 10 the congratulations Mr.
Blaine reaffirmed the position ne hal
taken in his New Haven speech lie
-a!6:
9 Religious liberty is the absolute law
OF our land. freedom Of conscience is the
.nalienable right of every American citi-
zen. native or naturalized. Whoever VIC
lates that freedom strikes at the fOunda-
/ ton Of the republic. As a Protestant
demand for the Catholic precisely the
same liberty of action the same respect
for conscientious belief. that I claim for
myself Perfect religious liberty is the
highest attainment OF our free consutu-
ton. and that liberty implies mutual tot
erance, respect for each others rights Or
conscience and a generous spirit Of
Christian charity
The sophistry of this ingenious dicti0n
lies. as we can better see at this distance
from the turmoil of its birth. in the fact
thai il challenges nothing which Dr.
Burchard had said. 1t sounds bravcly 10
the ear and appears fair 70 the eye but
i did not touch the poison in the three
4 s Indeed. Dr. .BurcharQ'S card TO the
public on the day before had declared
just as roundly for religious freedom and
tolerance.
Had Mr.. Blaine in one sentence de-
nounced the classification of Roman
J SIN with Rum and Rebellion" tho
3urchard sore would have been instantly
Hauterized. And the keen mind OF Blaine
appreciated this, as is shown in his next
hctatiOn:
Mr.. Patrick Ford remarked that il was
I very gratifying circumstance that IN
IN excited campaign. in which 9,CooOoJ
fepuDlCanS were taxing part. tnls re-
mark (BuFchards alteration aSsOciaiaE
Romanism with rum and rebellion was
he first and only word spoken. so lar
IS he Rad heard. tending TO wound the
ceilings OF Catholics
II cannot be doubted ] think. that Mr..
Blaine would have denounced Mr. Bur
-hards correlation Of "Romanism with
Rum and Rebellion If by so doing ha
could thus have composed one side with
out arOusiug the other. And Just there,
I imagine. lay the problem that bound hrs
hand and tongue until the eleventh hOur
devices here set forth.
THE AUTHOR OF THE THREE Rs.
On the following Tuesday ar Blaine
vas defeated by the maddening trifle OF
900 votes in New York state
And Dr. Burchard? He became the
most berated and most ridiculCd citizen
II the republic The burden of Blaine
iefeat was fastened Upon his shoulders
His influence and position were almost
destroyed, and a year later he resigned
political passion had cooled. I net him
socially We were introduced.
1T is the renewal of an acquaintance.
/ e2rarl.ad.
Have ! met you befors?' ne asked,
and peered down at me with his d'mmed
eyes.
Il stood before You when you addressed
Mr.. Blaine in the 1854 campaign. l smiled
A queer look crept into his face-a COM
pound OF wan smile and far regreU.
''Ah well" he unused: cit was n bitter,
bitter thing: but il comes 10 me some
times now that ] may have been. after all,
a humble instrument in the hands OF a
greater Power"