New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-06-11
Especial Correspondence of the Republican. |
FROM WASHINGTON.

The Blaine Bond Investigat1on-The Witt
nesses-The Now Historic Mulligan,
| Confidential Clerk, VINO Would Rather
| Be Right Than Have Blaine President =
Oliver Wendell Holmes and Dom Pedro
| Have a Chat.
WASHINGTON, June 7, 1876.
"Does the country expect to have . man
! for President who has never engaged in
any business whats oeverl" said Mr.. Elisha
Atkins, of Boston, to your correspondent
the other morning We, in company with
| others, we're waiting for the sub. Committee
| Of the Judiciary to open its doors and re-
sumo the Blaine bond investigation. Mr..
| Atkins is one of the principal witnesses in
this case and his testimony thus far has
been favorable to Mr.. Blaine. l took occa-
sion on the morning he propounded the
above interrogatory to me to study the man
and learn all could from him concerning
his knowledge of the charges against Mr..
Blaine. He converses much more freely
and intelligently outside the committee
than he does before it. As q witness he
seems confused, indistinct, and is scarcely
audible to the stenographer, who sits foot
from him. Outside of the witness stand
he throws off this reserve, recovers his
natural ease, talks pleasantly and gives his
opinions with some spirit. Mr.. Atkins is
me n going on sixty years of age, of short
stature. grey hair and whiskers. He looks
like Q respectable, solid, quiet mer-
chant. He is said to be wealthy,
having been successful in mercantile
pursuits, and he has done we'll in his in
vestments in railroad stocks. He is presi-
dent of the executive committee of the
Union Pacific Railroad Company. "How
do you think the country will take the
seizure of these letters from Mulligan,"
said to Mr.. Atkins. "Well, am not able
to say what opinion the country will form
upon the matter. l myself have never
seen anything wrong in Mr.. Blaine's ac-
tions; nothing that would reflect npon his
character as a man or as legislator. AS
to these letters l do not believe there is
anything in them bearing upon this matter
under investigation, nor upon anything
else Of public importance. l do not know,
however, what is in them, neither does
Mr.. Fisher, the man to whom they were
written, which satisfies me that there is
nothing of any great moment in them bear
ing upon the subject matter of investiga
tion, or Mr.. Fisher would be very likely to
remember such important matters. 1t
seems to me that when two eminent law
yers inform the committee that these let
ters are not matters worthy Of the commit
tees consideration, that ought to suffice"
at has been reported that there are allu-
sions in these letters to Spencer rifle con-
tracts" remarked your correspondent.
Mr.. Atkins-Wsl, supposing there are.
Admitting Mr.. Blaine was interested IN
such contracts, these rifles were the
best in use during the war. They
were in great demand. The govern
ment was always endeavoring to get the
contract with the company enlarged. The
company with all its machinery could not
turn out rifles fast enough to meet the de-
mands of the government. These rifles
were sought after by the government more
than any other class of arms, and it needed
no influence to keep up the contracts.
At this point the doors of the committee
room were thrown open to the witnesses and
newspaper men, and my conversation with
Mr.. Atkins ceased. As we were talking
Mr.. Fisher walked up and down the hall in
q Ineditative mood. He is tall and thin.
wears a suit Of blue flannel clothes, and
his pants being somewhat short, pair
Of No. 13 low shoes are conspicuous
He is somewhat bent over in the shoul-
ders; has thin face, with large eyes and
nose. Hi face is of vivid reddish color,
and in some places the bloed courses
through it ss if he were afflicted with the
erysipelas. His eyes are very large and
full of expression, but they unpleasantly