The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-02-18
ANOTHER CREDIT MoBrIrER.

Il Il has been known all throughout the pres
ent agitation of Chilian-Peru matters that
there was colored individual in the wood
pile in the shapeef desire to secure the so
called Peruvian Company what they
claimed were their rights of mining the
guano and other vegetable and mineral
products of that country. This company
claims to have, by virtue of grants from
the Peruvian government, the sole right TO
the guano of the Peruvian islands and it Is
now stated openly and boldly that Elk Sec
/ rotary Blaine was in the steal. The Brook
Ign Eagle ventilates the scheme after this
fashion:
Mr. Blaine's vigorous foreign policy is
likely, in spite of his well-known adroit
ness, to open up n vigorous domestic in
quiry which viii lead to scandal second
only to the cheerful Credit Mobilier record
of corruption and jobhery. His quarrel
with the Peruvian government, instead of
involving two countries in war, has plung
ed Mr.. Blaine into deeper cellar than even
| he can expect to get out of by ordinary de-
vices. The publication of his instructions
| to General Hurlbut and his official charac
| terization of Mr.. Shipherd, as a person
| who ought to be proceeded against but for
the charitable snpposition that he was not
in his right mind, Immediately brought to
the front the leading spirit of the Peruvian
company in angry sdenunciation of Mr..
Blaine, and in threats of further
disclosures to be made in the right
moment 1t seems that that moment
has now arrived. The state de-
partment in making public some of the |
correspondence relative to the Gillian diff |
ficulty gave away the letters of Mr.. Ship /
herd to Gen. Hurlbut. and these doeu-
ments prove to certainty bonanza of
scandal which must sooner or later be
worked. Mr.. Shipherd, it viii be rsmem-
bered informed Gen Hurlbut that $3.50
600 of the pool stock of the Peruvian COM
pany had been reserved for him, and for
others who, with him, would assist in real
izing the company's scheme What that
scheme was, the world now knowns; it
was to keep President Calderon in office
with United States bayonets until he had
signed an official document surrendering
to the Peruvian company the guano de- !
posts which are valued at hundreds of mil.
lions of dollars. The Chilians got i
by summarily arresting Mr.. Calderon and
could no longer deed away the
property of other people to American
jobbers. Mr. Shipberd, moreover, in
order. let US hope to strengthen General
Hurlbut's back bone, and not as matter of
history, further assured his correspondent
that certain nearest friends of PRESIDENT
Arthur either were or would be stock
holders OF the company and were about to
start an organ, and foretold that the policy
Of the state department would be to COM
pei the Gillian government to release
~ T. as1Io
in these letters had no hesita-
ton in mentioning the nearest friend" by
name. The state department in making
the correspondence public property took
The precaution of substituting row of
astericks for every name but one men
Toned by Mr.. Shipherd. Whether accident
llly or not is yet to be shown, one name
was left that of Senator Blair, of New
who was elected to the Sem
ate in 1879. This but served to whet the
appetite of the national legislature. Yes s
,erday, on motion of Mr.. Belmont, Of New d
York, the President wass requested to fur 4
1ish the house with transcripts OF letters, D
md answers thereto. Before long the true d
nwardness of this vigorous policy" will e.
Do before the public.
1t no doubt seems the work OF malice to
lccuss Mr.. Blaine of completely in schemes
ike this, but there il nothing in his past
history az public man. that hs can turin
Jack to and point out as evidences that his r
honesty is of such class that it is incred-
BILE that he should do this thing. Unfor-
unately there are too many instances in
Tr. Blaine's career where he hiss looked l
pom his high office only as means of 6
ersonal profit, and has prostituted his
bility and civil honors to the acquiring of =
loney dishonesty obtained. Mr.. Blaine
not a shining light of official honesty
nd presumably does not. desire to pose as
1ch, but it seems as if high officer of q,
lis great republic, the adviser of the ex-
;utive and shaper of his policy, the man Z
no has been SO often mentioned as a =
respective candidate for the presidency, NJ
ould have respect enough for his country =
nd his party, If not for himself, to keep 81
ear from all jobs where the dignity of r. r.
lie United States would have to be sacri-1 {
ed, and its honor impeached. Il