The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-06-09

would seem that Caldwell hesitated about
coming to terms, for Blaine writes to
Fisher, October 4, 1860, "You urge me TO
" make as much as fairly can out of the |
" arrangements into which we have en- |
" tered. 1t is natural that should do my |
/" utmost 10 this end. | am bothered by |
" only one thing, aud that Is the indefinite
" arrangement with Mr.. Caldwell, | am
" anxious 10 acquire the interest he has
promised me-" On the same day, Octo-
Der A. he wrote again to Fisher, and the
letter is of sufficient Importance to be given
entire, showing, as it does, the way in
which Blaine had already "been useful"
It is endorsed "personal," and is as fol-
lows;
AUGUSTA, Me, Oct 4, 1869.
My Dear Sir: l spoke to you short
time since about point of interest to your
railroad company that occurred at the last
session Of congress. 1t was on the last
night of the session, when the bill renew
ing the land grant to the state of Arkansas
for the Little Rock railroad was reached.
Mr.. julien of Indiana, chairman of the
public lands committee, and by right en-
titled to the floor, attempted to put on the
bill as an amendment the Fremont Ell Paso
scheme--a scheme probably well known to
Mr. Caldwell. The house was thin and
the lobby in the Fremont interest had the
thing all set up, and Julian's amendment
was likely to prevail if brought to q vote.
| Roots and the other members from Arkan-
sss who were doing their best for their own
bill, 10 which there seemed to be no objcc-
ton, were in despair, for 1t was well known
that the senate was hostile to the Fremont
scheme, and If the Arkansas bill
| had gone back to the senate with JUL
ans amendment, the whole thing would
have gone on the table and slept the sleep
of death. In this dilemma Roots came to
me 10 know what on earth he could do I'M
der The rules fer he said it was vital to his
constituents that the bill should pass. l
told him that Juian's amendment was en-
iircly out OF order. because not germane (;
but he had not sufficient confidence in his
knowledge of the rules to make the point,
but he suid General Logan was opposed TO
the Fremont scheme, and would pIobably
make the point. | sent my page TO Gen.
eral Logan with the suggestion, and he at
once made the point. | could not do other
wise than sustain it, and so the bill was
freed from the mischieyous amendment
moved by Julian, and at once passed with.
out objection. At that time had never
seen MIR. Caldwell but you can tell him
that, without knowing it, did him great
favor. Sincerely yours,
j. G. BLAINE.
W. Fisher, jr.,esq., "a India street, Boston
The three letters placed in their natura
order seem to explain themselves. W.
have no comment to make, but leave GU
readers, each for himself, to draw the in
ference.
We fear, further, that the Spencer riff
? contract is not quite as innocent rs MIR
Blaine would have 1t appear. He says tina
\ in 1861, two years before he entered con
gress, he was requested by the inventor o
the rifle, TO bring il 10 the attention o
; Cameron, then secretary Of war that b
did SO, aud that twenty thousand of th
rifles were ordered by the government; an
that he was "paid not an extravagant bu
ga moderate fee for his services" He cor
ceals the fact, however, that he was at thi
very time military agent for the state o
; Maine, a fact, possibly, of considerable i'm
portauce when we come TO consider tn
ease with which the order was procure
9 from Cameron. Subsequently, he says, b
: took and paid for ten thousand dollar
worth of the stock of the company. Ma
%, lS64--he had now been in congress tw
years-he writes Fisher, relative TO ii
| n LID Nib u
= copied your proposition to take all yo
: manufacture till Sept, l. 1865. 1t give
'. % straight and steady business for IL
>. company for good stretch of time.
'legard to the tax provision
the provision you inquire about was nc
in the original BILL but was an amenC
= "ment moved from the ways and NEAR
committee by Mr.. Kasson, of Iowa, I
"whom suggested it. Il was just an
"proper in every sense, and will affect
"a good many interests, including you
company. l am glad TO hear such goo
= "accounts OF your progress in the affai
y "of the company, of which / have AWAY
been proud to be a member"
Again we say that the transaction seen
to need no further light than is throw
!. upon it by his speech and letter. We ha,
no comment to make, further than to sa,
" that we wonder not that he read the lette
q with some sense of humiliation, wit
# ga modification he did not prefer
- "to conceal" We admire the coura,
4 which could make such an announcement
h the splendid audacity that dared beard ii
70 lion and make his humiliation and mort
- cation public in r, aiding the letters, but v
do not admire such courage and audac
Fl sufficiently 10 be willing to see the repub
! can party attempt to run the PRESIDENT
race handicapped with James G.. Blaine.