Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 October 1884 — RASCALLY BUSINESS. [ARTICLE]

RASCALLY BUSINESS.

The Lovely Medill and the Beautiful - flower— Their Dirty Work Exposed. [From the Chicago News.] The following appeared la the Chicago tribune of the 1s th ult as the true copy of a letter from Senator Edmunds to a Wisconsin official: “Burlington, Vt. Sept 18. "Dear Sib: I have yours of the 15th. I aa sure th 4 I never wioto or said that the gentleman you re er to‘acts as the att rney of Jaj Gould,' for lam not < onscious of havl g thought so. As I have pub idy stated, I expect to vets the Republican ticket. Yours truly, "Gbobge f. Edmunds.” The same letter has been re- rinted with ed torial comment -everal times since the .Mth. it was vouched for as genu.ne in the Tribune or last Friday. We are now assured by Senator Edmund* himself that the Tribun< made tne last publication with a full knowledge that the letter was * substantial forgery. A full week ago the Senn • tor mallad aoor ect copy of the letter, with a c py of the note to which it was an answer, U»' the editor of the Tribune, nd that authoritative denial was on Mr. MediU's table when h' published the fa’sehood. Here are the genuin letters, the portions suppressed to the Tribune being in italics:

[Copy.] State of Wisconsin. Bureau of Labor St-i td-tics, Madison, Sept. 1\ 1884. M u Dear Si/ Yon have always answered promptly and fulh all th , questions, when an opinion was wanted from one highly este -med thr.iugbont the n& tion. I have asked of you upon political or othrt subjects. Here is a paragraph that has I tees published and republished in every Bourboa organ in the West: “EDMUNDS ON BLAINE. "Senator Edmunds, of Vermont, in a letter 1880: Mt is my deliberate opinion that Mr. Bia nr acts as the attorney of Jay Gould. Whenevel Mr. Thurman and I have settled upon legislation to bring the Pacific Railroads to terms o' equity with the Government, up has jumper James G. Blaine, musket in hand, from behluc* the breastworks of Gould's lobby to tire in out backs." Is this a true extract from any letter of yours" If so, did Mr. Blaine, as such attorney, ever d< anything wrong or disreputable, or contrary tc public interests? When, and for what purpose, did Gould engage Blaine as bis attorney? What salary did he receive from Gould?' Has his term of service for Goul I tcrmin:-ted? If so, wm-n did it terminate? If Mr. J lain • was Gould’s attorney, when did he "fire into the backs" of yourself and Mr. Thurman—giving dates and subject matter under consideration when the firing was done? If Mr. Blaine was ever the attorney of Gould, is that sufficient reason why the Republican party should be defeated in the present contest.' Did Mr. Blaine, to your knowlege and belief, ever do anything that would render it advisable for old Republicans to turn back on their lives and their records and make Grover Cleveland, with all that implies. President of the United States? With the highest respect, I am truly your obedient servant, Frank A. Flower. Hon. George F. Edmunds. (Copy.] Burlington, VL bepc is, 1884.—Dear Sir [Private]: I have yours of the 15th. ds lam not in the. letter-urming business, I mark this,as 1 hare some similar one*, "urinate." I am sure that I never wrote or said that the gentleman you refer to "acts as the attorney of Jay Gould,” for lam not conscious of ever having thought so. 1 presume. it is true, altho’ 1 ran find no copy of the letter, that m 1880 I did write to some constituent adversely to the nomination of the gentleman named, and I believe it to be true that he was on the side oj the railroads in the struggle of 1878, and it is my belief that I said so. As I have publicly stated, I expect to vote the Rei üblican ticket. Yours, Geo. F. Edmunds. Frank A. Flower, Es i., Madison, Wi». Is not this a pretty piece of business? This rascal Flower takes a confidential letter, written in response to his urgent request, suppresser so macli of it as to utterly destroy its meaning, and gives it to the press. Th.) editor of the Tribune prin s the garbled letter; a correction is demanded by the author; the letter is reprinted in the garbled lorm and the correctios is suppressed.