Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-10-02
of Speaker Blaine at
Cleveland, Ohio.

Cleveland, o., Oct, /. Speaker Blaine
made speech at the pnblic square to- night
in the course of which he alluded in the fol-
lowing words to the personal charges made
against him in the N. Y. Tribune of Satur
day last, and also yesterday.
Il am charged, not only as a Representa-
tive in Congress, but as Speaker of the
House, with having received 1880 OOO
worth of stock Of the Eastern division of the
Pacific Railroad Company for my services
and influence in procuring the passage of the
original Pacific Railroad bill of 1862. The
Tribune gives the date of the act in the same
article in which it makes the charge, not
seeming to notice, in its blind desire to assail
me, that it was simply convicting itself OF
tslsehcod and folly. Now, gentlemen, please
observe that in 1862, when this act was pass
ed, had not taken my seat in Congress. /
had not been elected to Congress, indeed,
had not even been nominated for Congress.
When the act TO which the Tribune refers,
became a law, was member of the Maine
Legislature, and Speaker of the lower
House. had no more TO do with Congress
sonal legislation than the fish wardens and
tide walters on the Kenne bee river, and yet
the n. Y. Tribune asserts and repeats that
for my services and influence in Congress,
! at the time | was enber of the Maine
Legislature, l received nearly 81 900, 900 of a
a great railroad corporation. And now,
gentlemen, if l were to stop here, after de-
menstrating the utter absurdity of this charge,
| the Tribune would come out cody and say
that Speaker Blaine had not denied it. Let
me then deny it in the presence of this vast
assemblage, and deny it the most empatc
manner. Neither in 1862, or in any subse-
quent year, did ever receive or own, direct
ly or indirectly, a single dollar of stock in
the Eastern division of the Union Pacific or
any other division of the Pacific Railroad
Co., nor did ever receive a dollar, directly
or indirectly, from the sale of any stock OF
the company. In short, gentlemen, l stamp
the whole story as not only false on its face,
but absurd and ridiculous. But don't ex-
pect to make denial to satisfy the Tribune.
A few weeks since, when the story was start
ed that Secretary Boutwell,, Vice President
Cofax, Senator Wilson, Mr.. Garfield, Mr..
Dawes and myself and others, had been
bribed by presents of stock in the Credit Mo-
bilier, published card that | had never
received, directly or indirectly, through my
| self or another, single dollar of the stock
of the Credit Mobilier. The n. Y Tribune
pronounce this denial evasive and unsatisfac-
tory, and said that did not deny that l had
| received dividends or pro its theretrom. Any
| candid man could see, think, that my card
| was intended to be exhaustive, and 10 ey-
| clude all suggestions of ownership. But
| this mania for bearing false witness against
your neighbor has seized Mr.. Greeley as we'll
as the n. Y. Tribune, for | observe that in Il
recent speech in Pennsylvania, he states that
more than 100000 were expended in Name
in the purchase of votes at the recent cleo
ton. Now, in the very nature of things, it
would be impossible for Mr.. Greeley to know
| that this was true. But know it is absolute
ly untrue. l am Chairman of the State Com
mittee. and on my order every dollar of the
funds Of that Committee was disbursed, and
| from first to last we did not have in all, the
control of but little more than $4,000. And
further assert that every dollar of this
amount was expended either in The payment
of speakers or in the distribution of docu-
ments and papers or the bringing home OF
absent voters. These accounts of the State
Committee are kept with rigid exactness. |
arraign Mr.. Greeley, therefore as a SANDER
er of the republicans of Maine, party of as
gallant and true men as ever cast an unpur-
chased and unpurchasable vote.