Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 August 1884 — J(ay) G(ould) Blaine. [ARTICLE]

J(ay) G(ould) Blaine.

Mr. Jay Gould had every reason in the jvorld to approve of Mr. Blaine’s nomination and to say that he would make a capable President. Mr. Gould has found Blaine a “capable” Senator, because his services have been put at Mr. Gould's disposal. In 1878 Mr. Blaine steadily fought the Edmunds-Thurman bill requiring the Pacific Railroads to establish sinking funds for the payment of their debts to the United States. He offered amendments which would endanger its passage and ridiculed Senator Edmunds for his alarm lest the Ptrcific Railroad Company should fail to pay what it owed. But it had already defaulted its interest, and was making no preparations

for the payment of the debt which falls due after 1890. Mr. Edmunds' and Mr. Thurman’s prudence was sagacious, and entitled to the respect of every one who, unlike Mr. Blaine, believes that brilliant statesmanship “largely consists in spending other people’s money." The Pacific Railroad bill passed the Senate by a vote of 40 to 20. Among those who voted against it were Mr. Dorsey, Mr. Spencer, and Mr. Blaine. What Mr. Edmunds thought of Blaine, is evident from a letter written to some, friends in Vermont just before the meeting of the Republican National Convention in 1880, when Mr. Blaine was a candidate. “It is my deliberate opinion, ” wrote Mr. Edmunds, “that Mr. Blaine acta as the attorney of Jay Gould. Whenever Mr. Thurman and I have settled upon legislation to bring the Pacific Railroads to terms of equity with the Government, up has jumped James G. Blaine, musket in hand, from behind the breastworks of Gould’s lobby, to fire in our back." Of course Mr. Gould believes in the ability of his own attorney. — Detroit Free Press.