The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-10-29
JOY EVADED THE POINT.
MR.. BEEcHER REPLIES To ALGER.
me Plymouth Pastor, in Defense of His
Character, Relates What james r.
Joy said of BIaine's EfFort to be
Bribed in One Case.

Bribed in One Case.
On Sept. Y the New York Herald, in
Its correspondence from Detroit, attri-
buted to Henry Ward Beeeher a state
ment to the effect that James F. JOY.
who placed Mr.. Blaine in nomination
IN 1850, had said to Mr. Beecher that
MI. Blaine, while speaker Of the house
OF representatives, had offered to ap-
pUnt house railroad committee which
should comprise certain members suit
able TO Mr.. Joy-such, in fact. as he
should request or providing
Mr.. JOY would take off Mr.. Blaine,s
hands $4,000 worth of Little Rock
| railroad bonds. The story remained
uncontradicted until Sept so, when Mr..
L. A. Alger. of Detroit. cabled to Mr..
| Joy, in London, the story as coming
from Mr.. Beecher, with a request to
answer whether or not it was true. To
this Mr.. JOY replied on the same date
as follows: Blaine never made me any
offer to appoint committee tosuit me,
IN any manner or form, or for any con-
sideration Of any kind whatever"
The following letter from Mr.. Beech
er reiterates the charges:
BROOKLYN, n. Y, Oct. 6. 1854.
To Gen. X. 4. Tiger. Candidate for
Gube79lat0ri0l Office ia 1Iicl,iqaa-DEAR
SIR: The publication of your telegram
to Mr.. James +. Joy, of Detroit but |
now in London. and his reply compels |
me to publish the facts of an interview |
with him at his house on or about Sept. |
%, 1877, in order to clear myself of the |
charge of bearing false witness against |
nm. l have steadily refused to give /
to the public press the story of that in I
terview at the hospitable board of a /
private house, but, as the utterance of /
public man about public man, had I
a right to mention it privately among
my intimate friends. In what way the |
partial and imperfect story of that in
teryleW got into the newspapers L do
not know-certainly not with my know
ledge or privity. Misled by these re-
ports you telegraphed to Mr. Joy in
London:
DETROIT, Sept. 80. 1SS4.-Iou Care
Brotcll, Shiptey g. Co., London: Did Blaine
otfer to appoint committee to suit you if you
took Little Rock bonds off his hands?
Henry Ward Beecher says you told him
Blaine did. ALGER.
Henry Ward Beecher said nothing of
the kind, as you shall soon see. 1t was |
easy for Mr.. Joy to reply:
LONDON, Sept. So 1S84.-R. Il. AJqer. De-
troit, Mich: Blaine never made me any Of |
fer to appoint committee to suit me in any {
manner OF form, or Ior any consideration of |
any kind whatever. }. T. Joy.
Please send him the following nara !
tive and you may depend upon it Mr.. !
Joy will not contradict its substantial :
accuracy. Neither will any of the sew !
7ral gentlemen who were at the table :
with me. Nor will other witnesses (not :
l few deny that the same substantial !
have been made by Mr.. ,Joy +
% others not infrequently. 2
Toward the close of the dinner, Sspt. =
-, 1877, political matters were intro f
luced, and among other things Blaine's !
allure to receive the nomination that r
vent to Hayes. Mr.. Joy spoke with | h
severity of Mr.. Blaine, /,
md gave this statement: n
When a difficulty occurred in regard to 7
ertain lands in the southwest in which | ii
vas interested, a committee was about to be ! n
pp0inted by congress to examine the mat
er. Blaine being speaker of the house,
through friend | asked Mr.. Blame to have
ne sound lawyer appointed on that COM
littee. did not care of which party [
imply wanted a sound lawyer. In day
T two Mr.. Blaine sent me word through a III
riend that he had certain deprecated bonds '
nd that if | would enable him to place d
hem at par I could hare nay committee as
IOdnted 1t. r
| cannot forget with what cutting =
corn Mr.. Joy leaned back i'll his chair =
nd said: THAT is the man Blaine is" :
nd he added: ! 7
Il refused the offer, and as the courts J
BON settled the matter no committee was 4
ppointed.' d
AT that time knew nothing of the s
lnds in question. nor the bonds alluded
}, but | did understand fully Mr. joys 7
pinion Of James G.. Blaine. What =
hanged Mr.. joys notion and led him | n
} nominate Mr.. Blaine at the Chicago q
of 1880 do not know. It h
an probably be found out by inquiring | h
the editors of certain great daily :,
ewspaperS who hardly found language i
liter enough for years to inveigh e.
gainst Mr.. Blaine, and who now can tt
OF find language enough to pour con- c,
empt upon the men who do not ap- Il
rove of placing Mr.. Blaine in the pres e
lential chair. | shall not prolong this p
stter by narrating Mr.. Blaine's views fl
the matter, in an interview with d
le which took place after my speech it
Cooper union during the Garfield "
anyasS. at his own request in the Fifth n
venue hotel. / can hardly believe ci
hat he has forgotten that. fl
/ cannot but admit the indOmitable la
luck with which Mr.. Blaine is defend oi
lg himself against such a cloud of tC
harges as was never made against any Il
residential candidate since the gov fc
rnment began, yet cannot allow my tC
elf to be misled by sympathy with his fl
kindheartedneSS, courage, b'
nd audacity. Unsound in statesman ii
Ike Judgment, unscrupulous in politi m
al methods, dim-eyed in distinction 5:
etween truth and untruth, absorbingly al
mbitious, but shortsighted as to the W
lethods of gratifying his ambition, bG
ut with a genial. social disposition, ht
nd brilliant rhetorical capacity, Mr.. b.
Iaine makes an alluring candidate, m
ut would make dangerous president. ia
l pray you to excuse my adding to st
he cares of your canvass by consid-
ration of these matters. 1t was, how bJ
yer, but just to you to point out how 70
was your telegram to Mr.. G.
oy, and how irrelevant to the subject sd
latter was his reply.
HENRY WARD BEEcHER. W