Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-05-10

WASHINGTON, May r. Mr.. Blaine,
in his speech in the House to-day.
said the story published in the Herald
was an old one, and all the facts had
been in his possession for the last
week, but he did not use them be-
cause he didn't want to confuse the
two in the mind of the public. He
said the story consists of two parts,
one as to my having certain interest
in the Kansas Pacific Road, and the
other, as to my receiving coin bond
of that road from y. b. Stewart, in
the law Office Of Stewart n Riddle, in
this city several years since. tE
Mr.. Blaine then read letter from
Riddle, dated February, 1873, in
which Rid1le denied that such a sto-
ry had any ruth whatever. On the
I'd of Apr 1876, Jas. r. Stewart
wrote q ftHsAisd explicit denial of the
truth of tho story. Stewart saidf
"Blaines brother, j. e. Blaine, of
Leavenworth, Kansas, held an origi-
nal interest in the corporation known
as the LeavenwOrth, Pawnec & West
ern railroad chartered by the terri
torial Legislature Of Kansas, about
the year 1855, and which, evidence
that came into my hands, showed
that he haa acquired very early in
the history Of the enterprise of this
road which by successive merges be-
came the Kansas Pacific, and his in
tercst was Preserved through all these
changes Of oforganization. As early as
1868, and before I had ever. seen YOU,
| became ks attorney, and l was also
for several others, who held like ill.,
terest, and through tedious proceed
ings and negotiations finally secured
q settlement by compromise.
"If I remember rightly the writing
without the papers before me, your
brother became entitled TO fifteen
construction bonds afterwards chang
ed and reduced to smaller number
of bonds of another issue. This whole
transaction was open, honorable,
above board and free from all ground
Of imputation as to any party in con-
nection with it. If, without nv
knowledge, you have had any inter-
est in the Kansas Pacific railroad, it
must have prejudiced you very
strongly against that corporation, for
in 1866, when the bill was passed by
Congress giving the company addi-
tional lands with enlarged powers,
to swing its line southwark and build
to Denver, l remember you were one
of its most stubborn opponents. You
voted against the bill in all its stages
and you did 50 against the earnest re-
quest of myself and others, who were
representing the interest of the COM
pany in Washington at that time"
Mr.. Blaine then read letter from
General Thomas Ewing who had
been quoted as knowing fearful facts.
The letter is dated March 20. 1876,
and made emphatic and particular
denial to the story. He also read a
letter from Gibson, the New York
Sun correspondent, who stated the
circumstances under which the story
first appeared. Gibson said it was
through Knowlton, the correspond
ent of the Chicago Tribune, and law
student in Stewards office. Knowl-
ton subsequently acknowledged to
Gibson that he had been mistaken,
and deeply regretted the error which
caused the publication of story so
false.
Mr.. Blaine concluded: Ny, excuse
for taking up the time of the House
is desire to give the widest possible
publicity to my disproof of the story
that has been circulated far and near
and yet mostly in secret and never
with responsible author. / now
dismiss il with the possibly ground
less hope that those who have sought
to injure me by repeating it, will
make proper and honorable amends.
One word more Mr.. Speaker II
believe the country win understand
and appreciate the motives that sug-
gest these untruthful accusations,
having now noticed the two that have
been SO extensively circulated, l
shall refrain from calling the atten-
tion of the House to any others that
may be invented. To quote the Ian
guage of another: 81 do not propose
to make public life a perpetual and
uncomfortable flea hunt, in the vain
effort to run down stories that have
no basis in truth, which are usually
anonymous, and whose total expo
sure brings no punishment to those
who have been guilty of originating
them"