The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-15
Blaine Convicted.

altered, suppressed. and mutilated por-
tions of the letters which he read to the
House, and refused to let pass out of his
own possession Is confirmed by his subse-
quent conduct. On Saturday last he was
again before the committee Of investiga-
ton, aud refused emphatically to produce
the memorandum of the witness NULL
GAN, which he obtained under a promise
on honor to return. The committee re-
served the right to call for the letters.
Now, upon tho protext which BLAINE
urged in regard to the letters, that memo
randum is MULLIGAN's exclusive property.
1t was written for his own use and to guide
his testimony rs witness before the COM
mittee. BLAINE obtained it by deliberate
fraud aud falsehood, aud retains IL by
force. When BLAINE introduced and read
his papers and the letters, they virtually
passed into the custody of the House, but
he carried them off and they were not
verified as the riginals, or as being in the
condition that y were when taken from
MULLIGAN.
If they have not been tempered with,
why should BLAINE withhold them from
the inspection of the committcei An hon
oracle man would be most interested in
proving that the papers had not been
changed. A dishonorable man would have
every motive in resisting investigation and
Withholding the proofs of his own guilt.
BLAINE has put himself in the latter posi-
ton, aud must take the consequences. He
first seized these papers by breaking vol
untary pledge, and having thus procured
them, he holds on to the stolen CORE
spondence, because IL delivered up he
might incur the penalty OF double crime
That the telegram from JOSIAH CALp-
WELL was gotten up for n specific purpose
is self-evident. It'll not testimony in auy
sense, was volunteered for effect. and with
out any communication from or with the
committee, who had no knowledge of his
residence, and could not get any informa-
ton about it. BLAINE and his confede
rates, who alone knew where to find him.
and who doubtless were in correspondence
with hun, concealed his whereabouts; and
when the committee, on two different oc-
casions, proposed TO make n witness OF
CALDWELL aud TO ascertain II he would
come 10 the United States to testify,
BLAINE and his friends positively objected.
When MCCLURE and CURRY were on the
stand, ana were ready to testify AS TO what
CALDWELL had told them concerning the
bonds which were sold TO the Union Pa
ciic, BLAINE, FRYE, and LAWRENCE OBJ
jected in the most positive terms, because
ii was hearsay testimony, and would not
be received in court That was their
method Of confronting the gravest charges,
and of vindicaung the innocence OF an as
nirnut IN tha Dresi1anav Tho Judiciary
Committee. with an extreme generosity,
excluded the testimony because OF these
objections. They strained point in order
that the friends Of BLAINE should not com
plain of strict rulings to his injury, and
gave HIM an advantage to which he had IL o
right
A committee OF investigation Is not
bound by the practice or rules OF courts.
II Is really au inquest to discover evidence.
But in this case the engineer is likely to be
hoist with his own petard. BLAINE la
bored for two days to get in the CALDwELL
telegram, knowing that II was not authen-
ticated, or made under oath, or attested
before any witness II could easily have
been fabricated In Washington, sent over
to a confederate, and returned with CALp-
WELL name. Or II could have been sug-
| gested to CALDWELL, and then made to APP
pear us IT does. No one knows anything
about this despatch but the parties who
were concerned in manufacturing 1t, aud
| thus lar they are hidden from view.
The House on Friday last adopted the
sensible resolution OF Mr. MORRISON,
| which ought TO have been put at BLAINE
| when he started out with his tricky decep-
| ton. II covers the whole case in these
| words
R,.oired, That az ne evidence taken by .he Judi
OF Mr. LUrTRELL and Mr.. rARBoI he printed that
tnc de- patch Signed josiah CALDwELL be also printed
shs examine any silnesses that may be called who
Trajectory statements from those contained In said de.
.pach and me evidence OF such witnesses snail also
mtEIee" ''' ''"'' '''''"'' ''>'N " '"' 'O'
| BLAINE, GARFIELD, and their followers
attempted to defeat this fair resolution by
| refusing to vote, leaving the House with
| out II quorum, and other parliamentary
| devices. But they all failed finally, aud it
passed Now, tho witnesses who were
| shut out before will be called back, and
they will swear that CALDWELL told them
he had paid BLAINE literally for hs SER
| vices in Congress, and with the Little Rock
| bonds which were bought by the Union
Pacific Company through Tom SCoTT.
The judiciary Committee and the sub
committee have treated BLAINE with a
| leniency, indulgence, and liberaity 10
which he was not in any way entitled. He
has rcquited this courtesy by the false
charge Of prejudice ana by the oowardly
| ono that he was prosecuted. 1t is time
| that he was dealt with sternly, and made
| to answer for barefaced lies uttered in
| presence OF the House, and for deliberao 20
| perjury before the committee according
| TO the testimony Of MULLGAN. He is con-
vic,ed by his own letters OF having been n
| broker in railroad schemes subsidized by
| Congress, and in contracts for which the
| public money was appropriated. While
| Speaker he admits having "suggest-
| cd" and ruled upon legislation affect
| ing these interests and he made his official
action the basis of demanding Il share in
| the spells. Perverted and altered as his
| letters may have been, they prove these
facts beyond the possibility OF dispute.
| such jobber is not v fit associate for hon