Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 October 1884 — BLAINE’S CROOKED RECORD. [ARTICLE]

BLAINE’S CROOKED RECORD.

As Pictured by the “Original Blaine Organ,” Eight Yean Ago. Choice Extracts from the Chicago Tribune—To Be Continued. BIAINB'B CROOKED RECORD IX CONGRESS. Do the Republicans give full weight to the consequences upon the success of the Republican party which may result from the furious onslaughts upon the personal and official record of Mr. Blaine? It should be borne in mind that these charges are not produced or presented by the Democratic party; they have been prepared in advance, ana fortified with circumstantial evidence by the rivals or the friends of the rivvals of Mr. Blaine—viz., Conkling and Morton. They have succeeded in establishing the no longer deniable fact that for a long series of years while Mr. Blaine has been in Congress and while Speaker he has been an extensive dealer in the various forms of wild-oat railroad investment, acting for himself and for the corporations and tor brokers. * * • • We believe the success of the Republican party in the present election of vital importance to all the great interests of the American people, and we consider that the party cannot jeopardize the interests of the country and its own success by nominating a candidate so overwhelmed with accusations preferred by Republicans, that from first to last the party must act on the defensive as to the personal Integrity of its candidate. The country is extremely sensitive, and justly so, as to the interference of the great railway corporations with the legislation of Congress. There are now before Congress, In various forms, applications for governmental aid in the form of grants and bonds amounting to several hundred millions of dollars, besides a permanent addition to the payments for interest. It is undeniable that all these railroad speculators regard Mr. Blaine's probable election with extreme favor, and their advocacy of him will have an immensely damaging effect upon public sentiment. His record on this railroad subsidy business has already been extensively published by his Republican competitors. He entered Congress in December, 1863. At that session the Pacific Railroad king proposed the great fraud by which the security of the Government, held for its previous grants of $64,000,(i0<j of bonds, with thirty years’ interest, was changed from a first to a second mortgage on the roads. Mr. Washbwme, of Illinois, thoroughly exposed this fraud, and moved to strike ont the section making the change. Mr. Blaine voted with the majority against striking out, and the mortgage of the United States, for principal and interest, amounting to over $100,000,000, became utterly valueless. Mr. Blaine voted for the bill ana supported it The Government granted 50.000.000 acres of land to the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, for which Mr. Blaine voted, and worked to pass it. On the bill to grant $69,000,000 of bonds to Jay Cooke’s Northern Pacific Railroad, when the vote was taken, Mr. Blaine arose and said that he was paired off in favpr of the scheme against Mr. Thomas, of Maryland, who, if present, would vote against it, and in that case, he would vote for it. The bill was defeated through the personal opposition ot E. B. Washburne, John Wentworth and J. F. Farnsworth, of Illinois, who linked upon it as a gigantic swindle on the national treasury. Mr. Blaine has supported, generally, all the proposed legislation asked for by the railroad companies, though during the six years he served as Speaker his name does not appear on the lists of recorded votes, because Speakers sre only required to vote on a tie.— Chicago Tribune, June 3, 1876. BLAINE'S WILD-CAT SPECULATIONS. However he [Blaine] may be able to get out of this trouble, it is perfect nonsense to talk now of making him the Republican candidate for President. The party cannot afford to be placed on the defensive, and go through the campaign explaining, denying, and defending the wild-cat railroad stock speculations of anybody. Mr. Blaine is smart enough to see that he would be disastrously beaten and his party probably ruined.— Chicago Tribune, June 4, 1876. A JOBBER IN WILD k -CAT STOCKS. After the Quincy Whig cools off a little it will perceive the fatal outcome of a campaign spent in defense of the right of a Presidential candidate to be a jobber in wild-cat stocks, option bonds, and preferential scrip.’— Chicago Tribune, June 6, 1876. MB. BLAINE'S UGLY BECOBD. But to nominate a candidate for President with a record extending over several yean ot official life as Speaker of the House, and directly exercising an influence on legislation, being engaged in peddling bonds, options, scrip, securities, and obligations- of speculative railroads, and writing letters bolstering their credit, is assuming a risk of success which, being unnecessary, is an aot of folly. Is the Republican party prepared to forego all other questions, drop all other issues, and make the campaign on the railroad speculations and operations of Mr. Blaine? bas the Republican party no other mission than to vindicate Mr. Blaine against the assaults of Mr. Conkling and Mr. Morton and against his own record?— Chicago Tribune, June 5, 1876.