Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-02-19

HE committee on lnyeStgatIon OF ianu scrip,
sold fer TIE benefit CT the Agricultural College,
had a meeting lsst evening, in the Representa-
/ t.ves' Hall There appeared before them grey
bearded. nervous man, who said his name was DR..
c. A. jordan, that lie lived in Bangor where he
pracliced dtn tal surgery. lie was put under oath,
ard testified that he wrote for the newspapers somc
times wiring over the signature DIR. Faust"
which was his usual cognomen when entertaining
the readers Of that highly moral ard religious
newspaper the "Mainc Standard" The Doctor
was subjected to q most fisid ard nci.ivc exami-
nation, by Hon. John p. Swasey, chairman Of the
committee, and although Cooking down in the
mouth" comes in with the doctors business, he
never before went down to the roots Of the mat
Ter as he did last evening. All the infamous
charges made in the Standard during the last cam
paign, he swallowed one by one, till the commit
tee fairly pitied him. lie found Jordan" Gas
| correspondent hard road to trarel. He was
shown communications appearing IN the Standard
OF last SIMMER, July ., lG and %, and Aug. l3,
charging that Maine had been robbed of two nil
lion dollars by the sale Of the college scrip that
it was done by an organized gang ofrascas and con-
spirators. He acknowledged at once writing the
articles, but hurredly asked if he was to be held
accountable for every thing written in the heat of
IN animated political campaign.
lie said he knew of the time when Maine had
received the donation of the land from the general
government knew Of the first sale; knew it was
advertised tor sale, but he didn't know it at the
time, was only satisfied afterwards. The people
IN the eastern section of the State did not have
fair show in the disposition of the lands. {. 2.
Brown, for instance, b I'd made offer larger than
that al which The lands were sold. lie had found
fault with this AZ the time only year ago he COM
| rnelced this fault finding business though he said
hc had been quietly looking up the matter "for
purpose for some nine years. lie had an object
n view IN looking tie tAing up, and during the
.a.t fail, when they were fiDging around pro-
miscousiy dead cats ard brick, bats he thought his
eiIuslons in tie Standard were qlite legitimate,
and he most nervou>ly protested against being
put under oath and then made to confront the
columns Of the Maine Standard. He knew that
in 1866 the sctip sold for 81. cents. Didn't know
then it was worth more, and wasn't acquainted
with the market price Of scrip. Did not know
then but i. fair price for it; but had since
learned that Other States sold theirs at a higher
rate. When he commented toe series of articles
referred to, it the first public complaint he
had made about the matter.
When asked what tie ment BIZ How the Agri-
| cultural College has been robbed" in the black
head line. Of his articles, he said he had used the
| term TO sal! his own purposes, although his ute
| ior purpose was to convey 10 people information
| that they did not before have-that either the
State scrip was cor.upily sold or grossly sqGan-
| dc1ed.
He was asked what lie meant by this same
gang, the coasoIts of Blame" he again twitched
| and squirned, and rose in his seat with, Gentle
, men. again ask if am responsible for what was
said in the heat CT political campaign;' con
frmiug VIVA: Mr.. Bass had previously said about
| But he was pressed to say whom he meant by the
| terin and said, "the Governor and Council" By
''thc people swindled oat of one million dollars,
| he meant that the lands were sold cheaper than
| they ought to have bcel,-thats his definition Of
robbery and sU indline." He called selling lands
| for less than they were worth. robbery. The
natural Inference therefore was, that the Gov
ernor and Council, having in ;heir Official capacity
disposed of the scrip they were robbers Dem
octalic logic The sentence, "Sold to themselves,
| he would take back that, he was satisfied, was a
| mistake. He supposed, however, that persons, in
writing for the Nc papers, had the liberty to write
| what they pleased! announcing thls new and
| quite convenient principle Of law. lie couldn't
| quite tell how people could be robbed Of what
they never had. What did he mean by set OF
| cons piyators"? Well, for convenence's sake he
would let that apply to the Governor and Council
| The main question was then asked the doctor,
"What do you know about this 'swindle, you
| call it :" lie confessed that all he knew lie had
published in the Standard. lie did not know even
who the parties were that bought the lands until
| he saw their names Published On the ID day of the
present month in the Wing and Courier. lie had
| received no positive knowledge from any of the
parties that had bought the scrip, though be knew
that land scrip in other States had been sold at a
higher rate. His thinking powers were altogether
out OF order and he could give no definite answers
| TO any of the questions that put to him. BY
Blaine ianto" he meant the parties that disposed
of the lands He didn't like to speak disrespect-
fully of the dead but il seems that these twinges
OF conscience didn't trouble him until he was
summo ned before the investigating committee
tie could give no dates of sales, and showed 8
very poor understanding Of the matter in all re-
! srccs. lie didn't like to he fixed down 10 dates
In fact he didn't know Of any State that sold lard
scrip ut the time ours was sod that got more thar
we did. He only judged from what information
! he lad received from various sources.
| So that the whole result of the doctors exam.
nation was that his gross and outrageous ISLANDERS
in the Maine standard were designed simply fol
| political purposes; that not one Of them was he
able to subtantiae when placed upon the stand
atj that he knew simply nothing Of any fraud
connected with the sale Of college scrip. IL a
most ht initiating confession of an irresponsible
| newspaper sclibbler, and it is a wonder that the
committee could have patience to sit for an houi
| and sten to his addc.
| lion. Hiram Ruggles Of Bangor, member OF
the executive council when the land scrip was
sold, was next called. His testimony was coa,
! and explicit. He had a share in the duties Of
dlsl osiug of he scIip. The sale had been thor
oughly advert.ed in Maine, Massachusetts, New
| YoiN and Ch eago papers, and the Governor and
| ,Fnunfil were notified that the nnOOle had bcf n