Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-09-17
Nanraster fltelligenrer.
WEDNESDAY, EvEN'o. SEPT, ~. 1919
The suppressed Letter.


The New York Times and Sun
Z short time ago had discus
sion about the veracity Of Mr..
Blsine's assertion in Congress, when
he read the MullIgan letters, that he had
produced every scrap and scrimption"
Of them. There were certain variations
In the dates Of those produced, with the
dates OF the letters as detailed in Mr..
Nulligan's memorandum Of those that
were in the package that Blaine fraudu'
leutly received from him which gave
color to the belief that Blaine did not
read all the letters he had stolen.
The Sun, however, seemed to have the
strength Of the argument In maintain
ing that he had done SO. But in the
recent publication Of Fishers letters to
Blaine, is found one OF the letters that
was noted in Mulligan's original memo
randum, but which Blaine declared was
not In the package of letters that he
seized. The letter now is published
from the letter press copy in the possess
sion Of Fishers estate, and its contents
90 to sustain the belief that Blaine de
liberately suppressed it. Mr.. Mulligan
informs the Times that it was in the
package that Blaine received.
In 1871 Blaine loaned $4,000 to
Josiah Caldwell, who was associated
with Fisher in the Little Rock II Fort
Smith railroad enterprise. Blaine re
ceived $4,000 OF the railroad land
grant bonds as collateral security for
the loan.
In the suppressed letter Of Oct. "a,
III, Fisher tells Blaine that Caldwell
asserts that he paid for Blaine's account,
and has his receipts. all but S2,50O of
this loan. He further tells him that he
-Blaine-had since sold the $50, 900
Little Rock & Fort Smith railroad
land grant bonds rat 60 cents on the
dollar, leaving you now in advance of
funds even If Mr.. Cald well had paid you
nothing"
1t appears, by Mr.. Blaine's statement
to the House when reading the Mulligan
letters, that on May IL, 1915, he recov-
cred this loan Of 5000, which he had
claimed before the commissioners ap-
pointed by the United States circuit court
to settle claims against the Little Rock
q Fort Smith railroad. The commits
sioners reported that he should receive
$25, 900 in first mortgage bonds of the
road and he got them,a he thus admit.
ted in his statement in Congress Jaas ;,
1876: Il will inform gentlemen for
their benefit, especially those who are so
eager to search the records of the circuit
court at Little Rock, Ark, that it was
this So. 900 which l recovered through
Che courts of Arkansas, l think it was
the lst of May this spring (ls76.l"
So that according to the showing Of
Fishers letter to Blaine of October "a
1871, which he could not find and did not
read in the House with the other stolen
letters on June 5, 1876, Mr.. Blaine had
received So, 500 cash on account of his
S25, 900 loan to Caldwell; also $50 900 in
land grant bonds, on which he realized
$50, 900 (; and In addition he received, by
his own statement, S25, 200 from the
United States court for this loan. IL
does not appear that the proceeds OF the
land grant bonds were ever accounted
for by him to Caldwell or anyone else !;
so that the showing of this letter of Oc-
tOber "A. 1871, would have been EN-
barrassing to Blaine. Mr.. Mulligan
says he took it from him with the others
and the internal evidence sustains the
belief that he had it and suppressed it.
There is nothing to contradict this
supposiiion but Mr.. Blaine's word
which Is worthless. "A man who will
steal will lie, unless he is a very peculiar
individual indeed {; and man who will
get down on his knees to another, to beg
him to suppress letters that he had writ
ten, will suppress those letters himself, If |
he has to, when he gets then in DIS
session. 1t is only question of the
urgency OF Mr.. Blaine's need. IT the
contents of the Oct. oath letter made its
reading In the face of Congress inexpe-
dent, we do not suppose that many per-
sons will deny that Blaine would not
have read 1t aud would have denied that
he had it; just as he did do.
ElODlug Daughters