Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-04-25
Philadelphia, April DIST, 1876.

Philadelphia, April list, 1876.
Sidney Dillon, Esq, Pres. U. z. Railroad Co.,
New York
NV Dear Sir-I have your letter under date of
New York, April To- 1876 stating that the press of
the country are making allegations that certain
bonds of the Little Rock & Fort Smith Il. r. Co.,
purchased by the Cnion Pacific II. Il. Co. in 1871,
were obtased from Hon.J G.. Blaine of Me-, or
that the avas in some form went to his benefit;
that there never any facts to warrant them;
that it is your desire President of the company
to repel any such Inference in the most emphatic
manner, and asking me to make a statement in
gard to the matter.
In reply, beg leave to say that much as dis
like the idea of entering into any of these contro-
VERSES that before the public in these days of
scandal, from which but few men in public life
seem to be exempt, feel it my duty to state
that the Little Rock & Fort Smith bonds, pur-
chased by the Union Pacific r. X. Co. in 1874,
were not purchased or received from Mr.. Blaine.
directly indirectly, and that of the money paid
by the L. 7. K. II. Co., or of the avails of said
bonds nos one dollar went to Mr.. Blaine, or to
any person for him, for his benefit in any FORM
An statements to the effect that Mr.. Blaine ever
had any transactions with me, directly indirect
", involving money or vsluabes of any kind, are
absolutely without foundation in fact.
| take pleasure in making this statement to you,
and you may hse it in any manner you deem best
for The interests of the Union Pacific Railroad
Co. Very truly yours,
tSiSnedO IHos. a. SCoTT.
And this closes the testimony have wished to
offer
Several newspapers, doubtless some OF them
from friendly motives, have urged that should
Ask for Il committee to investigate thee charges.
[ might have done that aud awaited the delay and
slow progress that inevitably attend all congress
sional investigations.
Thee and a half years ago moved commit
tee to investigate the Credit Mobilier charges, and
though every particle OF proof IN complete e1cul
patton of myself was before the committee in 36
hours after its first meeting, | was compelled to
wait for more than two months indeed seventy
full davs. before | got public report generating
and vlndcating me from the charge. Had |
ask i for committee to investigate the pending
matter should have been compelled to wait its
| necessary slow action. W 18th the charges all the
| while hanging over me, undenied and unanswered
and pending the proceedings of an investigation
which had myself asked PROPHECY would have
| forbid len my collecting and publishing the decis-
| i've proofs which have now submitted.
| For these reasons have deemed that the short
est or most expeditions mode of yindication was
| the one which was bound to choose, by every
consideration of myself personally and of my Off
| cial relations.
| have not omitted the testimony OF single
material witness to the transaction on which &C.
| cusation against me is based, and unless mssp-
| prehend the scope and force of the testimony, 1t
| leaves no charge against me. | am ready to sub
NIT the whole matter to the candid judgment of the
house and tue country, and if the house thinks the
matter should be further inquired into, | beg to
express my entire readiness to give all the asss-
| lance in my power to make tho investigation as
| thorough, as rigid and impartial as possible.
| To give a seeming corroboratlon or foundation
| to the story which have disproved, the absurd
rumor has lately appeared in certain newspapers,
| that was the owner of from $4,000 to S250,000
of the Little Rock & Fort Smith r. II. bonds,
| which received without consideration, and that
| it was from these bonds that Thos. A. Scott re-
ceived his $7j 900. The statement is gratuiously
| and utterly false. No responsible author appears
| anywhere for this unfounded story. But, in dis
missing it, desire to make the following explicit
statement:
More than % years ago, in the closing days of
Mr.. Fillmore's administration, the government
granted to the State of Arkansas some public
lands within its own limits, to be applied to the
construction of railroads in that State The leg
| slature of Ark. incorporated the Little Rock &
Fort Smith r.. II. Co. the same year, and gave to
the company a portion of the lands it had recelv-
| ed from the general government, to aid in the
construction Of the road-about 5000 acres to the
mile think But the company was unable to
raise any money for the enterprise, though they
made the most strenuous Efforts and when the
war broke out in 1861, eight years after the State
had given the lands to the company, not mile of
the road was built. OF course nothing was done
during the war. After the war, all the grants of
land previously made to the southern States were
renewed in gross. In the session of 1866 the
Little Rock & Fort Smith Co. again received a
grant from the State and again tried to raise