The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-05-11
PHILADELPHIA. Apriz 81, 1875.

u0QST QdI0 NEW I DIks april 10, 1OdUs i
stating that the press of the country are
making allegations that certain bonds of
the Little Rock and Fort Smith Rails (
road purchased by the Union Pacific |
Railroad Company in 1871 were obtain
ed from Hon j G Blaine, of Marie, or
that The avaIIs in some form went To his
benefit; that there never were any facts
TO warrant them; that it is your desire as
president of the company to repel any
such inference in the most emphatic
manner; and asking me to make state
ment in regard TO the matter.
In reply, beg leave to say that, much
rs dislike the idea of entering into any
Of the controversies that are before The
public in these days of scandal, flom
which but few men in public life seem
to be exempt, feeI it my duty 10 ate ::
That the Little Rock aud Fort Smith
bonds purchased by the Union Pacific
Railroad Company in 1871 were NOT
purchased or received from Mr.. Blaine,
directly or indirectly, and shat Of the
money paid by the Union Pacih Rail
road Company, or of he avaiis oF said
bonds, not one dollar went 70 Mr..
Blaine, ar 10 any person for him, or for
his benefi in any form.
All statements 70 the effec' hat Mr.
Blaine ever had any transaction W th me
directly or indirectly involving money
or valuables of any kind, are absnlutelS
without foGndation II fact.
| take pleasure in making this stale
ment to you. and you may use it in M
manner you deem best tor the interest o!
the Union Pacific Railroad Gem any.
Very truly yours,
THOMAS A. SCOTT.
SIDNEY DILLON. ESQ,
President Union Pacific Railroad
Company NeaO YORK.
And this closes the testimony | have
wished to effer.
Several newspapers-some OF them,
doubtless, from friendly motlves-haVe
urged that I should ask for committee
to investigate these charges. | NIGH
have done that and awaited the delay
and slow progress that inevitably at
tend all congressional Investigations
Three and half years ago l moved
committee to investigate the Credi
Mobilier charges, and though every
particle of proof, in complete eXcuipa-
ton of myself, was before the committee
in thirty-six hours after its first meeting,
I was compelled to wait for moro than
two months, indeed seventy full days,
F., before got public report generating
and indicating ne from the charges.
! If mad asked for committee to investi-
gate the pending matter, l should have
been compelled to wai6 its necessarily
hn oh OF no
while hanging over me, undenied and
unanswered; and, pending the proceed
ings of an investigation which | had
myself asked, propriety weusd have for
hidden my collecting and publishing the
decisive proofs which [ have now sub
mited. For these reasons [ have deem
, ed that the shortest and most expedi-
tious mode Of vindication WAS the one
which I was bound to choose by every
consideration of myself personally and
of my official relations. I have not omit
ted the testimony of single material
witness to the transaction on which the
accusation against me is based, and un
| less mieapprehend the scope and force
of the testimony it leaves no charge
against me. In any and all events, am
ready to submit the whole matter to the
candid Judgment of the house and the
country, and, if the House thinks the
matter should be further inquired into
beg to express my entire readiness to-
give all the assistance in my power to
make the investigation es thorough, as
rigid, and as impartial as possible.
To give d seeming corroboration or
foundation to the story which have
disproved, the absurd rumor has lately
appeared in certain newspapers thar l
was the owner of from $4,000 to $780,
900 ofthe Little Rock and Fort Smil h
Railroad bonds, which I received with
out consideration. and that it was from
these bonds that Thomas A. Scott re-
ceived his $75, 600. The statement is
gratuitously and utterly false. No re-
sponsible author appears anywhere for
this unfounded story, but IN Diminishing
it desire to make the following explicit
statement More than twenty-three
years ago, in the closing days of Mr.
Fillmores administration, the Govern
ment granted to the State of Arkansas
some public lands within it's own limits |
railroads in that State. The Legislature |
Of Arkansas incorporated the Little |
Rock and Fort Smith Railroad Company
the same year, and gave to the company
a portion of the lands it had received |
from the General Government 10 aid In
the construction of the road-about five
thousand acres to the mile, [ think, /
But the company were unable TO raise
any money Tor the enterprise, though /
they made the most strenuous efforts, and
when the war broke out in 166l-eight years
after the State had given the lands to the
mile of the road was built.
OF coures nothing was done during the war.
After the war all the grants of land pre-
yiously made to the Southern States were
in gross IN the session of 1865-'66.