Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 August 1884 — The Sentinel’s Position. [ARTICLE]

The Sentinel’s Position.

Indianapolis Sentinel.

When the Sentinel, ou the 18th inst., qnestioned whether Mr. Blaine could afford the method of warfare his following was waging against Mr. Cleveland, it made, for itself, no assault on the wife or children of the Republican candidate. Criticising and reprobating the venomous and continuous private caluminies printed against the Democratic candi. date, it recited certain reports in general circulation concerning Mr. Blaine. It did not assert them true It only referred to the currency of the scandal. Whatever condemnation the editorial had for Mr. Blaine was conditioned upon the truth of the rumors. No opiuion was expressed as to their correctness-or incorrectness. The publication left the matter an open question for refutation provided refutation was possible Ab a candidate for the Presidency Mr. Blaine was legitimately subject to questioning as to the validity of the reports. If innocent of their charges he had only to summon lecord to confute them- The churches and civil courts in this country afford by their ministers, officers and books sufficient date for establishing legitimacy of marriage consummated under them, even were not personal witnesses available. If really free from irregularity, there has net been a mar rimonial ceremony in a State east of the Mississippi Rivor within forty years which could not be proven ou short, notice by preachei, priest record or witness. There is not a sane man living whose marriage was regular and correct, who would Jjot prefer answering a questioning with one <-r the other of these kinds of proofs I" involving ths reputation of wife an<> children in a libel suit; but this asid< • We .again state that -e (editorial on which Mr. Blaine plat -- his libel suit was chiefly inquisitive to the truth or falsity of the prevalent j * uors that no had dishonored a girl before wedding her. Wito the violent assaults of uis ! political friends against the Seutinei’.eanuidate, we had the right tmiuqtiire of him as to those rumors. Had Mr. Blaine met them with formal evidences of the error of those reports, the Senti. uei would have gladly published them. Had he remained silent, and would but have also silenced his organs .from uttering slanders against the Democratic candidate, the Sentinel would have questioned Mr. Blaine’s affairs no further. But oy the course he has selected MrBlaine has forced rthe Sentinel into a position requiring flt to prove the .truth or falsity of the rumors it has referred to. This position was not our seeking. It is Mr. Blaine’s own doirg. His action was a stupendous mistake. "He has committed a crime,” said one of Napoleon’s Marshals to TalLyraud- ‘‘Worse lhan that.” answered .the minister, "he has committed a blunder ” Mr. Blaine has blundered For the sake of Mr. Blaine’s family we regret being forced to produce the overwhelming evidence- which we will produce in the trial. Sit is evidence against wliiek bravado can not 3tand. It is evidence in the face of which Mr. Blaine’s blustering telegram ordering the suit will appear as either blind recklessness or grim caricature. It is evidence which must make his own family coudemu him for having oonf*omed—knowing of its possibiity, if not actual, existence. We protest against its responsibility for Us disclosure being laid at our door. Let Mr- Blaine’s friends remember that it was bis doing—not ours-