The Scandals: Blaine--The Tattooed Man

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Though admired as "magnetic" and possessed of a long career in national politics, in the House, the Senate, and as Secretary of State under James Garfield, Blaine's track record also came with liabilities. He probably lost the 1876 Republican nomination to Rutherford B. Hayes thanks to the "Mulligan Letters," which implicated him in shady dealings with railroad tycoons. He successfully defended himself from the allegations in 1876, but new letters surfaced in 1884, including one in which he told the recipient to "Burn this letter." Blaine (and his supporters) attempted to clear his name, but other documents appeared and he was mercilessly lampooned by cartoonists in some of the leading periodicals of the day, includling Puck and Harper's Weekly.

The Scandals: Blaine--The Tattooed Man