New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-09-20
MR.. RL1rNES TINDTC1TTON


Mr.. BLAINE'S TINDTC1TTON
On another page Of this issue all the so-called
Mulligan" letters me reprinted in chrome
logical order. This is done, as was stated yes
terday, at the request of sincere and con-
scicntious Republican, DR.. George W. Brush,
of BROOKLYN. and also because the new letters
brought forward this week by Fisher ana
Mulligan cast light upon the old series aud
demonstrate Mr.. Blainc's innocence We ask
all reminded men to read the letters "a
arranged in the order of time, and to Judge for
themselves whether Mr. Blame did not bear
himself throughout these transactions as an
honest Legislation and nm honorable man.
Three specific charges have been made
against MIR. Blupcs official conduct ms Speaker
and Member Of the House Of Representatives,.
These relate tu Northern Pacific, Union Pacific
and Little Rock transactions.
l. Mr. Blaine is charged with dealing ~
Northern Pacific stock. He wrote to Fisher
that there was - good chance to buy an interest
in that enterprise. he admitted that hr could
moi touch it himself obviously because he was
a Member ol Congress and could not own -
stock which was subject to National legislation.
llo wna able. ms hc THOUGHT. to control IFS nlol-
~
The chance uf purchasing II, The money VIA
aon a. him. hold .ht him lof over ~ wear nnd
Gnaih t,lnhcd With interest There WIS no
bargain, The negotiations chno 10 nothing.
Obtiousy Nh. blaine did not own tie HlnrA,
II he had done 80 he would have transferred II,
There Is no reason 20 snppoae that he would
have plohted ia any degree by the transaction
il it had been carried Out. Certainly he did not
do 50.
II. The Union Pacific charge receives only a
casual reference here because the correspond
cnce does not relate to it. The sworn testimony
of Mr.. Blaine, Thomas \. Scott, and the written
dcnials of Sidney Dillon, f. IL. Rollins, Norton
Bliss q Co.. and Caldwell ar dead against 1t.
Opposed to that array Of negative evidence Is
miserable assortment OF petty suspicious ana
understandable assumptions based upon hear
say Mr. Curtis disposed OF the charge most
cffectually when the evidence was before the
country. The "Mulign letters leave this
count in the Indictment precisely where 1t was.
III. Mr.. Blaine has been ch rged by The Frca-
ina Post and its colleagues in rancOrOuS defama-
ton Cd with making a ruling in favor of the
Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad, an enter
prise in which some Of his fjiendS were inter-
eStrd" (2) with writing at once to the pro-
motors calling attention to the service he had
rendered them; and (3) with securing from
them, "dS Il re,cGrd tor (the ruling,
9" his appointment selling agent OF
"the bonds of the road. on commits
"sion. in Maine" and withrecelvmga number
of such bonds as his percentage. Now, o. the
letters Of October H. 1869, prove that on April x,
1869, when the ruling was made, neither Mr..
Blaine, nor Fisher, nor Caldwell was interested
in the enterprise. (2) The same letters prove
that Mr.. Blaine did not r. fer to the ruling at
once, but months aftcrward, and not until
Fisher had made an offer and Mr.. Blaine had
accepted it in regard to the purchase and sale
of Little Rock securities. (3) The letters of
June 20 and July 2. 1869, and also the contract
of September 9, / $50, prove that Fishers ar
rangemcnt with Mr.. Blame had been made,
that the papers had been signed, that the
bonds had been partially placed in Maine and
virtually closed, before the letters of
October 4 referring to the ruling were written.
The charge, therefore, by 1hc Erening Post,
Inc Times and their allies, that Mr.. Blaine made
a ruling in favor of road in which his friends
were interested. that hc wrote ut once 10 them
10 remind them VI the service he had rendered
them, and obtained asa reward for the ruling
financial privileges and actual grauilics, IL II
series Of monstfous lies The letters them
selves prove that neither The ruling nor Mr.. |
lilaincs subsequent reference to II had anything |
Whatever 10 do with the purchase and sale Of |
the Little Rock securities.
Mr.. Blnincs accuscrs are unable to point TO
any official act which compromises his public
honor. The ruling itself was entirely
proper and merely tended TO separate n
notorious railroad job from an mno-
cent measure, which had passed the
Senate 10y unanimous vote. the virtuous Mr..
Schurz himself tactly giving IL his sanction.
Congress, having extended the period for the
construction of the frat twenty miles Of the
road. could not do anything more for the enter
prise. The company was organized under the
laws Of Arkansas, and the land grant In aid OF
its construction was received from the State
under general law. No measure affecting the
road, except n technical amendment too trivial
to notice. subsequently, came up In Congress.
MIR. Blaine neither ruled nor voted on any bill
connected with the enterprise after hc had In
vested IN the securities nor IL there any evil
dcnco that ho used his influence as Speaker or
as n member Of the House IN behalf Of the en-
terprisc He did invest his own money and
induced his friends IN Maine 10 invest theirs in
II railroad enterprise under tho control of the
State OF Arkansas. When Fisher and Caldwell
made a contract with the State ~ build the |