Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-05-07
NO.. 80
EDMUNDS AND BLAINE.

pondence between Senator Edmunds and
Congressman Phelps, of New Jersey, is
published to-day. AS was stated in the
dispatches last night, MIR. Phelps with
held the letter of Mr. Edmunds until he
could prepare reply to it, which was
done with the assistance of Mr.. Blaine
yesterday afternoon. It may therefore
by considered an exchange of letters be-.
tween Senator Edmunds and ex.Secretary
Blaine, the latter using Mr.. Phelps as
a.amanuensis.
AS will be seen, Mr. Blaine does not
retract any of the charges he made
against Mr.. Edmunds, nor does he apoio.
gize for taking a full statement, as Mr..
Edmunds expected he would, but simply
reiterates the original attack in another
form, and accuses the latter gentleman
of being guilty of Blaineism, which Mr..
Edmunds strongly resents.
After the publication of the letter TO-
day your correspondent called upon Mr..
Edmunds for further details as to the
corruption OF which he was accused.
He said blandly that he was not upon
the witness stand in his own defense, but
was willing to be cross-examined. He
was accused of voting for a resolution
which passed the Senate April 7, 1869.
Until he read Mr.. Phelps charges against
him in the New York Tribune he was
not aware that any such resolution was
passed or that he voted for it, but as it
was passed he must have done so. or at
least assented to it by MS silence.
In 1864 Congress granted a tract of
land to the Territory of Nebraska to the
Burlington and Missouri Railroad. an
Iowa corporation; nothing was done with
1t until Nebraska was admitted to the
Union as a State, when the same COM
pany reorganized under new charter
granted by the State of Nebraska. and
was known as the Burlington and Mis-
! souri, in Nebraska. According to the
Congressional Globe, to which Mr.. Ed
munds referred, it appears that Senator
Pomeroy, of Kansas reported resolution
transferring to the Burlington and Mis-.
souri, Railroad in Nebraska the land
grant which had been given to the Bur-
lington and Missouri Road in Iowa.
Mr.. COnkling arose to an inquiry as to
whether this resolution would render the
government liable from any claims upon
it from the old corporation, to which
Senator Pomeroy and Senator Grimes
replied that it would not, whereupon the
resolution was passed unanimously.
81 do not know" said Senator Ed
munds, whether [ was in the Senate at
that time or. not; in fact, have no
recollection whatever about it. Tt ap-
pears from the Globe that the resolution
was sent over to the House, passed there
with an amendment and returned to the
Senate few days after
'Mr. Grimes called it up and asked
that the Senate concur in the House
amendment. | must have been there for
the Globe says that I asked to have the
amendment read The Clerk then read
it, and it was to strike out certain words.
/ According to the Globe then made the
following remark:
eff it strikes out anything relating to
the land grant, it is better than it was
before"
"That is all that was said in debate.
The amendment was sagreed to and the
resolution passed"
Mr. Edmunds was asked if he should
reply to Mr.. Phelps last letter. 'sNo,"
he said, II shall not enter upon any con-
troversy about my own integrity. Mr..
Phelps is at liberty to publish anything
he pleases about me, and I should not
have replied to him this time but saw
that he had been led into errer, and I
thought that he, like any. other gentle
man, would be glad to be set right. Mr..
| Blaine's letter. refer to it in that way
as [ am familiar with his writings, and
recognize his style-does not require an
answer from me. and [ shall take no
notice of it. AsI said in my reply to-
day have tried to set him right as to
the facts, but have nothing to say about
his arguments or conclusions I am not
candidate for the Presidency, never
have been, and never will be, but if any
one can show that | ever voted on any
measure in which / have had pecuni-
ary interest in any shape or form, exist.
ing or expectant, remote or contingent,
direct or indirect, he is welcome to make
the exposure as soon and as often as he
likes"
elias any one any letters from you
that you would like to choke out of
hin?"
"Not to my knowledge; but if there
be any, whoever holds them is at liberty
to publish them as soon as he desires.
The railroad friends of Mr.. Blaine know
very we'll what my position has always
been on legislature affecting their inter.
ests, and have reason to believe that
many times they would have been glad
to have it different"
'fYou are charged with being rail-
road lawyer?"
"1 have argued number Of cases for
different railroad companies in the Unit
cd States Supreme Court, but have never
appeared in one that involved the inter
ests Of the government in any way, I
have always made it practice when in
doubt about the matter to consult with
the Justices of the Supreme Court before
I accepted retainer to ascertain if, in
their opinion, there was any moral i'm
pediment in the way of my appearing or
if my argument could in any way be
construed to be against the interests of
the government; and I will tell you con-
tidentially that nave lost many good
fees on that account.-C0r. Inter Ocean.