The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1884-08-14
An Authentic Account of These I'm
portant Documents.
How Blaine PlteousIy Pleaded for Their
Return to Him.
Failing la bribery lie Gets the Letters by
Breaking His Word of Hionor'-A Pret-
ty specimen of the Genus Homo TO
Weld the American soeptre

Ahe 'MulllBhn leIleIh ho-culluui lhoubl
addressed TO Mr., Fisher, Of Boston, t0oh
place in 1876, and II Is not strange that
adeAnite recollection Of their character
has faded from many minds or that new
voters coming to the front are In lgnor'
ance of them. We giyein brief the facts
az they have officially been made known
The letters were written by James G.
Blaine, Speaker Of the House, In 1863
90 Warren Fisher, Of Boston, by whom
they were committed to james Mulligan
WHO was Cashier Of the Adams Sugar
Refinery Of Boston, and Mr. Fishers
confidential man of business, Fisher
was railroad contractor for portion
Of the Little Rock and Fort Smith rail-
road. Tie Mr., Caldwell, Of Boston, re.
ipred to in the letters, was a heavy
operator In land grant railroads, man
St large financial resources, and con
rolled the franchise Of the Little Rock
railroad. lie was Of the Jay Gould type,
reckless aud unscrupulous In his opera
lions,
The Little Rock Company was charter.
h by Congress and endowed with land
grant 10 build n road from Little Rock
10 Fort Smith. In 1869 Us charter was
in danger Of lapsing, and bill was be-
fore the House 10 continue the land
grant. Mr. Julian, Of Indiana, proposed
an amendment granting certain priyi-
!eges 10 the Memphis and III Paso road.
The effect of this was to XIII the bill,
How Speaker Blaine suggested apoint Of
ordCr to General Logan, how Speaker
Blaine sustained the point and ruled out
lhe amendment thus securing the pass
age Of the bill, are narrated In Speaker
Blaines letters which we annex, Their
authenticity Is not now and never has
been disputed.
About the Congressional investigation
We annex the following Statement of
facts" made TO the Young Republican
Club OF Brooklyn last week, by COM
mittee consisting Of three Blaine and
three anti.Blaine Republicans, appoint.
ed TO investigate and report facts for the
information Of that club
MAY, 1876, the judiciary Committee
of the House was conducting an lnyestl-
cation into various transactions OF the
Pacific roads and branches which had
received Government aid
Among the witnesses subpoenael
were Warren Fisher, Jr, and james Null
agan, both Of Boston
"Mr Fisher was contractor for q pOr.
giOn Of the l., r. and i, S, r, Il, He was
also In business In Boston ~ partner
With a brother-in.law Of Mr., Blaine,
"Mr Mulligan was cashier Of the
Adams Sugar Refinery Boston, In which
llr. Fisher was partner, and also
6us bOokkeeper for Mr. Fisher. Mr..
Mulllgan had In his possession by Mr..
Fishers consent Csee testimony Of Mr..
Fisher, Mise. Doc. 49, page llSj certain
letters written In lS6i.72 by Mr., Blaine
10 Mr. Fisher, and which Mr., Blaine sup
posed 20 have been given back 10 him In
September, 1872 DOc, l1B, page 1919
"When Mr., Mnlligan reached Wash.
ington and before ho testified, Mr.. Blaine
sent 10 have Mr., Mulligan call upon
aim Mr., Mulligan declined TO call, Mr.,
Blaine then called on Nc, Mulligan at
Che Riggs House, doe l1G p1gc l0jl
May 81, Mr. Mulligan testified, dor
testimony see Doe, 10, page 81 ana fol-
iOwng) He mentioned but did not OK.
hibit The letters. The same eyenIn Z Mr.,
Blaine called at the Riggs House several
times. A to what occurred there the
accounts given by Blaine and Mulllgau
differ essentially Both gentlemen made
statements under oath the next day be-
fore the Judiciary Committee Mr. Blaine
admitted that he had received the letters
from Mr. Mulligan on promise 10 hand
them back and that he returned them
once, but that subsequently he secured
possession again and refused 70 restore
Them 20 Mr.. Mullig0n aud assigned az q
reason for such refusal that MulllgNn
had threatened u publish them II his
testimony was impeOched or lmpugned,'
Mr.. MulllgOn in his testimony stated
NIr, Blaine made the most pltlablc up.
peals for the restoration Of the letters /;
Nat he declared their publication would
ruin and disgrace him; that he even
threatened suicide II they were not re.
turned, and on his knees begged for
Them, This extract Is from Mulllgan's
testimony before the House Committee
7ne (Blaine) )prayed, almost went on his
Knees would say on hls knees and
impl0red me TO think Of his six children
and his wife, and that II The committee
got hold OF these communication II
would sink him immediately ana ruin
him forever. | retired TO my room and
he followed me up, and there went over
The same story about his family and
children, and implOred mo To give them
up and even contemplated suicide He
asked me II wanted TO see his children
IN that state"
Blaine obtained the letters n second
time from Mulllgan on pledge Of honor
W roturn lhomi but he kept them. TO-
gethor with Mulllgans private memo.
randum Of their dates and contents. Mr..
Mulllgan having appealed TO the Judlci-
ary Committee 10 compel Mr.. Blaine 10
restore the letters The committee male
q demand upon Mr., Blaine for their pro.
duction Fortl0edby the adyise of coun.
sel, he refused, But tho letters had al.
rcady become q subject Of public discus.
sion, and Mr.. Blalne's attempt TO sup.
press them furnished Che basis for in.
ierencos highly unfayorable to him. II
wae then The Speaker with his "splendid
audacity" took 1.-THE American people In.
70 his confidence and read the letters In
q speech In the House on the 9th Of
June, 1876. He declared he read "every
solitary scrap and scrimpage" Of Tho
Mulllgan package. But there was one
doubter. His name wae Mulligan. lie
declared NJ once not only that Blaine
had not read al the letters, but that
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