The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-06-08
EORTY-FOURTH CONGRESS
Blaine Again Attempts to Explain
His Railway Transactions.
CHAIRM'N KNOTT HOWEVER PROVES
TOO MUCH FOX HIM,
Blaine'S Artf'uI Explana-
tiOns Exploded.
MANY KNoTTY oINTS PASSED
OVER In SILENCE.
WASHINGTON, June 5, 1876,
BLAINE AGAIN EXPLAINS.

bDAlN hOhlN EAfLAlNO.
Mr.. Blaine (rising to question of priv
elege) proceeded to address the House
on The subject of investigation into til,
Union Pacific and Northern Pacific trans.
action in which his name had become in.
volved He read a resolutt n offered by
Mr.. Tarbox on which inquiry as to the
connection Of the Union Pacific Railroo
with the bonds ofthe Little Rock and Fort
smith Railroad was commenced; the au
thor ofthat resolution had at the time dis
claimed any particular alluson TO him
Blaine disclaimer which he Blaine)
regarded at the time with some little in.
credulity ltsoon became entirely obvious
that the resolution was solely and only
iimed at him, and that the Union Pacific
matter or any othel incident to investiga
ton was secondary, insignificant and un.
important, and he did not complain OF
that. He was asready to meetit. The gen.
tleman on whom the statement of accusa
ton rested (Mr. Harrison) had been the
first man called, and had stated what he
knew from rumor Then Rollins, Nor
ton, Millard and T. A. Scott were ex-
amined, and their testimony was COM
plete and conclusive in disproof Of his
| Blaine's having anything whatever to do
with the transaction.
Now he would say it boldly that under
these general powers to investigate Pa
ciic Railroad companies the whole in
o,,;,.,, nf the rn,,,yo,ttaa u,oe o;noaJ yar
sonally at him. Why did they not or
ganize committee to investigate James
G BIaine1 He wanted to meet the thing
squarely. He did not wish to stir up any
blood on this question, but he would say
nee certain debate took place in the
House in January last, it had been known
that there were gentlemen here whose
feelings had been exasperated against
him, and it was to be remarked that while
there were seven Democratic members
Of the Judiciary committee, the Chairman
of that committee (Knott) placed on the
sub committee to which these matters
had been referred two members from the
South WHO had been in the rebel army.
Mr. Knott-One word.
Mr.. Btaine-After moment.
Mr.. Knott ALLOW me word.
Mr. Blaine-Well, 60 on.
Mr.. Knott-lhe matter Of that railroad
investigation was referred to sub COM
mittee before | ever heard your name
mentioned in connection with it. had
no act or part in inviting any investiga.
ton duplicating you at all
Mr.. blaine-Then the gentleman from
Virginia Hunton insisted, under that
resolution, which was obviously on its
face limited to the S75, 900 bond transac
ton with the Union Pacific Railroad com.
pany, on going into all the affairs of the
Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad
company, incidental thereto, ndpursued
it to such an extent that finally | had
myself, through my colleague (Frl e), to
take an appeal to the full committee, and
the full commit ereplied that the gentle
man (Hunton) had no right TO go into it;
but when he came back he resumed the
examination exactly in the same way
un il he was stopped.by my colleague
lAiNS IL aNAlb5I hOs 10 my dttOlH Uut
as my friend; and when finally the wit
ness Mulligan came here, loaded with
information in regard to the Fort Smith
railroad, the gentleman (Hunton) drew
out what he knew had no reference what
ever to the question under investigation,
and then and there insisted on all private
memoranda being allowed to be exhibited
by this man MullIgan, which has no more
connection or int, rest with the investi-
cation than with the North pole. The
gentleman tried his best, until believe
that idea has been abandoned, to capture
and use and control my private cores.
pondence.
This man selected out of correspon.
dence running over great many years,
letters which he thought would be pub.
licly damaging to me. have an entire
right to these letters; not only my natur-
al right. but OH all precedents and prin-
ciples Of law. am willing to meet the
Judiciary committe on that point. want
the committee to introduce it, wanted
the gentleman from Kentucky (Knott)
and the gentleman from Virginia Hun
ton) to introduce the question on the floor,
and they would not do it.