The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-05-07
Senator Edmunds' Reply to Mr.. Phelps.
WASHINGTON, April 90, 1884.

WASHINGTON, April %, 1884,
Dear Sir II have read your letter in defense
OF Mr.. Blaine in the Sunday Tribune, and also
the editorial of the Tribune thereon, in which
you say =" Senator Edmunds WAS understood to
have block Of Burlington & Missouri Sc
curities" and Senator Edmunds acquired
this interest in the Burlington & Missouri road
when they were in the senate. They both sup
ported the bill to restore the land grant to their
road" These statements taken in connection
with the rest Of your letter, evidently mean
that at the time Of the legislation referred TO I
was in some way interested in that road or its
securities, and the editorial in the Tribune
states expressly, as being your statement, that
thing. Both yourself and the Tribune are tC-
tally mistaken. have hunted up what sup
pose to be the joint resolution to which you
refer, being senate joint resolution No. 297,
first session, forty-frst congress, OF which had
no recollection whatever before; but see, on
looking at the Congressional Globe of that time
that did make single remark on the subject
OF the house amendment, which remark COM
mend to your careful consideration. had not
at that time, and never had before, any owner
ship or interest in any bond or stock of that
road or any other out of the state of Vermont,
and never expected to have, and had no
more connection with the passage of the
joint resolution than you had, and knew no
more than you (Which | assume was moth
ing at ally, excepting what may be inferred
from my remark on the house amend
on the 18th of July, 1869, find, on looking
at my old books, subscribed for one hundred
and ninety-five shares of the stock and Sc, 0C0
of the bonds of the Burlington & Missouri
River Railroad Company in Nebraska, which |
assume was road in some way affected by
the legislation referred to. | paid in cash the
same price that all other subscribers did and
had the stock for several years, when sold it
in the Boston market at the market price, and
no more, and then or afterwards bought more
OF the bonds Of the same company, which |
still hold. This is the whole story, and give
you authority to verify 1t by an examination
OF the books Of the company in Boston, or an
examination of my books or both. 1t is of
some consequence among men who intend to
be truthful, as do not doubt you do, to be
somewhat accurate in making statements
| about the acts and doings of other people. II
you or anybody else wish to know anything
concerning my business or other transactions
at any time, | shall be happy to put you in
possession of precise information, so that you
will be certain that what you say is true.
am neither willing nor DESTROYS to be either
candidate or president, which everybody who
has ever spoken or written to me on the SUBJ
ject knows; but as | naturally like to stand
well in the estimation of my fellow.citizens,
dislike 10 be accused of either corruption, bias,
selfishness, or acting on public questions in
which have private interest. when such ac-
cusations are untrue. Respectfully yours,
GEORGE F. EDMUNDs.
To Hon. William Walter Phelps, house Of rep
resentatives.