The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-05-01
EDMUNDS AND PHELPS.
The Senator and the Representative
Discuss Railway Transaction.
A Question of Legislative Ethics
Considered - Appointment Of
Enox's Successor Tho
Day iii Congress.

WASHINGTON CITY, May Tile follow
ing correspondence recently passed between
Senator Edmunds aud Representative Will
lam Walter Phelps:
UNITED NTATFS SENATE, WASHINGTON.
April Is Dear Sir: have read your let
ter IN defense Of Mir. Blaine in The New
York Sunday Tribune and also the
editorial in The Tribune thereon, in which
you say that Senator Edmunds was under.
Stood To have block OF burlington & Mis-
souII securities. and Senator Edmunds ac-
quired these interests in the Burlington &
Missouri road when. they We're in the senate.
They both supported the bill to restore the
lana grant to theirroad.r
Mr.. Edmnnds, taking this as a reflection
upon his action as "A senator, proceeds to
give the transactions in full, saving that al
the time referred to, he had no interest in
any bond or stock of any road out of the
state OF Vermont, and never expected tc
have He says that he did at one time hold
shares IN the roads mentioned, for which he
paid IN cash the market price, afterward
sold IN the sama way, and again bought ana
now holds. He says any one who desires t.
know anything of his private business is wei
comn and concludes:
~ - Va 7''ti- it'li@f dlIDiiA illt'!l "
intend b be truthful, as | do not Doubt you
to I've, TO be somewhat accurate in max ING
statements about the act ant domgs Of othei
people. n you OF any body else " ISL 10 know
anything concerning my business or Other
tansactlou at any time, d shall be happy
to put y0u in possession of precise ufUrIna
ton, SO yOu viii he certain that what
you say is true | am neither willing
nor DESTROYS to be- either II candidate or presi
dent, winch everybody who has ever Spoken
or written Ia HE upon the subject knows, bu1
Al naturally ike 10 stand well in the est
nation IF my fellow citizens dislike to b,
accused Of either corruption bias, selfishnes,
or acton Un public questions III which have
IA private interest, when such accusations are
untrae. respectfully yons
GEORGE F. EDslUNDs,
Hon. William Walter Phelps, house of rep
resenTatives.
To this Mr.. Phelps makas the following re
ply:
HOUSE Of REPRESENTATIVES,, WASHING
TON, April 9S-Dear Sin: | have thi,
moment received your letter and haster
TO correct some Impressions yoI
have COTTON either from my iette,
to 7 he'osr, or more probably from some Of
che numerous newspaper comments re
greet if you think that. III using your name d
q
hurt yurr reputation. 1t is reputation o
winch you and the country may we'll l.,
proud, and, AS | said M my letter, the fact
do not and ought not to hurt any mans repu
tatl0n.
Mr.. Phelps proceeds to state that the prin
cii- he sought to illustrate was that a legig
lat"r mad no right to refuse justice becauS
he happened To be interested, that he he'll
that Blaine should not be censured for doin
just what others had done in perfect honor
He then argues to show that Edmunds' cas-
was exactly similar to Blaiue's, but denie
that his language can lie construed to mea
that the senator voted for a land grant to
road iii which he was Interested, saying thu
such a statement would have destroyed tn
parailelism between the two cases. He con
c!udes:
io not want to know anything of you
business transactions except these fact.
which The public have long known, and Q
which yuu need not I've ashamed; nor do
need any other evidence than your own war
for anything you choose to communicate
| have learned to sympathI2e wit
pubic men who are falsely an
perpetually accused of corruption, bia
ami seltishneSs, and of acting upon publ
duCoblpllS Ia W hi1AI bAlV nave EiAFo tp lAltV4
ests, nor have they been exempt fror
such penalties Of greatness, thong
neither willing nor DESTROYS to b
either = candidate or president, an
naturally liking to stand well i
the estimated of their fellow-citizans Sue
expressions Of envy are always the penalt
of greatness, and can be only escaped by oh
security. The disposition Of this letter is il
your hands.
am, Mr.. Senator, with high esteem, re
specially yours,
WILLIAM WALTER PHELPS.
Hon. George F. ELmunds, United State:
senate.
Mr.. Ednunds makes the following n
joinder;
UNITED STATES SENATE, WAsHINGTo,
April 5l-Dear Sit: / have yours, date
tue 18th instant, which was left G
my house late last evening. AccorC
ing to your permission, any geutema
Of the press who desires it will be permitte
to take copies of my note and yours. Tn
statement III your public letter, togsthe
with the facts referred to in my note, wi
show what the point was. With your argl
ment aud conclusion 1 have no concern. RI
spectfully yours, GEORGE F. EDMUNDs,
Hon. William Walter Phelps. house of rel
resentatives.