The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1876-05-09

i VI. bihiucs VI hulut, OE tuht the ufellk IN
some form went 10 his benenk and that the
knowledge OF these facts rests with the on
GERS OF the company aud with yourself.
These statements are Injurious both 10 Mr..
Blaine and TO the Union Pacific Railroad
Company. There were never any facts 20
warrant them. and think that statement
10 the public Is due both from you aud my
sef desire, a. president Of the company,
10 repei any such Inference In the most en-
phatic manner, and would 10 glad 20 hear
from you on the subject
Very respectfully.
SIDNEY DILLON, President
oFrfok UsioS PAcrrIc RAnEoAp Co,
NEW foRK, April I'D, ls1c.
HOn Jagsss q. BldiH<, Hashia9toa, %. O..
DEAR SIN: As / advised you some days
ago, lwrots Col. Thomas A. Scott, and beg
leave 10 enclose you his reply.
desire further 10 ssy, that was director
| OF the company aud member of the srecu.
I tive committee Ia 1871. and TO add my testl-
mony 10 that OF Cod. scotts, In yeriGcstion Of
al that lie has stated 10 the enclosed letter.
Yours truly.
sIpSKI DILLON, PrssidssL
PHILADELPHIA, Apin -, 1919.
.2.is-g Da.oa, Esq, President r.!O. Pac'yic
Raitroad Company, Nete York;
MI DhAn sih nave your ickbcfs ubuef
date New York, April Is 1870, slsIing that
| The press Of the country ere making allega-
lions that certain bonds Of the Little Rock
aud Fort Smith Railroad. purchased By The
Cniou Paciue Railroad Company IN 1871, were
obtained from Hou- J. u. Blaine. of Nains.
or that the ayalls Ia some form went To bis
bsuert; that there never were any facts 70
warrant tbem, that II Ia your desire. as presl-
dent of the company, 70 repel any such In.
ference IA the most emphatic manner; and
asking me TO make sstemeut In regard 10
the matter.
In reply I beg leave TO say that, mnch a.
disllke the Idea Of entering Into any 81 the
controversies that are before the public Ia
thcss days Of scandals, from which but few
men 10 public lie seem 10 be exempt ! feel
Il my duty 90 state;
That the Little Rock and Fort Smith bouds
purchased by the Union Pacific Railroad
Company Ia 1871 were not purchased or 70.
ceived from Mr.. Blaine directly or indirectly,
and that OF tho money paid BY the Cpiou Pa
clnc Railroad Company. or Of the ayalls OF
said bonds, not one dollar wsrt 10 Mr.. Blaine,
or 70 any person for him, or for bis benehs In
ANY form.
AL statements 10 tl.e effect that Mr.. Blsins
| ever had any transaction with me, directly or
Indirectly. Involving money or yaluables OF
| any Mad ara shsolutalS without foundation 7"
| fact.
/ take pleasure In making this statement TO
| you, aud you may use IL 10 any manner you
! deem best for the Interests OF the Cnlou Pa
I ellie Company.
Very truly yoors,
THOMAS A. scorT.
And this closes the testimony have
wished to offer.
Several newspapers, sume OF them
doubtless from friendly motives, have
urged that / should ask for commit
tee TO investigate these charges. /
might have done that and awaited the
delay and slow progress that inevitably
attend ell Congressional investigations.
Three and q half years ago / moved o
committee 10 investigate the Credit
Mobilier charges, and. though every
particle Of proof In complete exculpa-
ton Of myself was before the commit
tee In thirty-six hours after its first
meeting, was compelled 10 wait for
more than two months-indeed, seven.
~ full days before got public re-
port exoneratins and vindicating me
| from the charges. IL had asked for
q committee TO investigate the pending
matter, 1 should have been compelled
to wait it's necessarily slow action with
the charge all the while hanging over
me, undenied aud unanswered, and
pending the proceedings OF an invssti-
CATION which had myself asked. pro-
priety wonld have forbidden my col
lscting and publishing the decisive
proofs which / have now submitted.
For these reasons have deemed that
the shortest and most expeditions mode
OF vindication was the one which was
bound 10 choose by every considera-
ton Of myself personally and OF my
Official relations. have not omitted
the testimony OF . single material wit
ness to the transaction on which the
accusation against me is based. and
unless misappreheud the scope and
force Of the testimony il leaves no
charge against me. In any aud all
events I am ready 10 submit the whole
matter TO the candid judgment OF the
House and the country, and IL the
House thinks the matter should he fur
ther inquired into, beg 10 express my
entire readiness 10 give all the assist
Ance in my power 10 make the investi-
CATION ss thorough, as rigid, and ss
impartial ~ possible.
To give seeming oorroboration OF
foundation to the story which / have
disproved, the absurd rumor has lately
appeared in certain newspapers that
was the owner Of from Slo0, 600 "a
22yO, 900 OF the Little Rock and Fort
Smith Railroad bonds, which 7 receiv'
ed without consideration, aud that II
was from these bonds that Thomas A.
Scott received his $1,000 The state
ment is gratuitously and utterly false.
No responsible author appears any
where for this unfounded story, but In
dismissing il desire 10 make the fol
lowing explicit statement: More than
twenty-three years ago, in the closing
DAYS OF Mr.. Fillmore's administration
the Government granted TO the State o
Arkansas some public lands within IL,
own limits, 10 beApplied 10 the con
/ struction VI railroads In that State
The Legislature of Arkansas incorpo
rated the Little Rock aud Fort Smitl
! Railroad Company the ssne year. sud
J gave ~ the company portion Of th'
lands 10 had received from the Genera
Government TO aid In the construction
! OF the rosd--about eve thousand acre.
, to The mile. think. But the compa
ny were unable 20 raise any money 10
| the enterprise. though they made tt
most strenuous efforts. and when Oh,
} war broke out. Ia 1861, eight years sf
ter the State had given ihe lands ;.
the compspy--not a mile Of the rost
} was buiIt. OF course nothisg was don,
, during the var. After the war ell th,
grants OF land previously made 10 Tia
, Southern States were renewed IN gros
) | In the session of 1866. The Littl
2 Rock and Fort Smith company agsil
I received Q grant from the State. an,
h again tried to raise the money TO bull,
. the road, but 1865, 1866. 1867 passe,
!. without their getting dollar Final
: ", towards the close OF 1S6S. a comps
J. ny OF Boston gentlemen. representing
!. considerable capital, undertook th
: construction. In raising the requisit
. means, they placed the bonds OF Oh
: road on the New England market i
' the summer Of 1869, offering them o
terms which secmed very favorsble ;
the purchaser, and Offering them at
time when Investments Of this kin
y we're fatally popular. In common Wit
hundreds of cther people in New Era