The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-05-01
Hon. WIN. WALTER PHELPS.
pheIns AnsHEers .

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, WASH
INGToN, April 28.-Dear Sri haYe
this moment received your letter of this
morning, and hasten to correct some i'm
pressions you have gotten, either from
my letter 10 the Post Or, more probably,
from some OF the numerous
newspaper comments. l regret if
YOU think that in using
your name as an illuslrationsof prln-
ciple l have IN any way hurt your repu-
tation. 1t is reputation OF which you
and the country may well be proud, and
as l said IN my letter, facts
do not and ought not to hurt
any mans reputation. The principle
sought to illustrate was mat a leglsla-
tor has no right to refuse justice to cor
porate interest because ne happens to
haye some share in proper
ty that would be benefited
aud that it was not necessarily wrong
thing for delegate to acquire an inter
est in corporate property after iegIsia-
tive action in which he has assisted, and
l cited as an illustration your conduct
and that of many other Legislators winch
neither l nor anyone else censured.
| asked why such conduct was censuT-
| able in Blaine, and not in any one else.
| Blame did not vote, but did rule, so that
| The Little Rock 81 Fort Smith railroad
| got its land grant confirmed. Knowing
| no more of the road at the time than
and forgetting the facts, three months
afterward Blaine bought his interest
| in that road. You voted, because the
! assent was unanimous, and you were
present to confirm the land grant OF the
| Burlington 81 Mo. road kownlng at that
time a little more of it than l did,
| for you debated ii. You forgot the fact
| that three months afterward you bought
your interest in the road. The cases
| were SO analogous IN all essential partic-
| ulars it seemed proper to group them.
| Had / thought the action OF either OF
| YOU discreditable should not have de-
| fenGed him nor mentioned you. Where
! is there any lack of accuracy in my state
| ments about other peoplef sald
| that Senator Edmunds was understood to
have block of Burlington q Missouri
| securities. and again that Senator Ed
munds acquired his interest IN the Bur
lington 81 Missouri road when he was in
the senate. You say that on the 18th OF
July, go, you subscribed tor 195 shares
of stock and $1,000 of bonds in the
| Burlington 81 Missouri River railroad
| company | am inaccurate in these
statements only in the case that you
were not q member of the senate on the
18th of July, 1860, and in the case that
stock and bonds do not constitute q
block. l SAID that they, both you and
another, supported the bill to restore the
land grant 10 their road. You say on
this point nothing accurately. You
had only to- say that you
voted against the bill Had you
done this / would cheerfully admit my
iuaccuracy, but the official record SHOWS
you present and speaking upon the res
, | olution at the moment Of its passage
and the record shows IL passed without
| a vote against 1t. If the Tribune misap
pretended me as saying you were Ia any
J way interested in the road at the time Of
the passage OF the resolution. il wal
responsible, and not l. / suspect j
can take care OF itself, and prefer
to. / made no such represents
ton, directly or by implication
: Such fact would destroy the parallel
ism between your case and Blaine's- HI
had no interest in the road at the time o.
the passage of the resolution, as you had
none. He ACQUIRED his interest in Boston
three months after, just as you acquired
yours in Boston three months after
think my statements were as accurate
: as popular language could make them
| Had l thought them a charge L coulC
have used technical language and lega
: pleading, but such language would no
! | have stated the facts more fairly. d.
:, | not want 70 know anything OF you
business transactions except these fact
o which the public has long known, ant
=. OF which you need not be ashamed, no
= do need any other evIdenc
4 than your own word for anything
YOU choose to com munIcate. The fac
that you, like your great associates, q
not escape Misrepresentation at tn
|. hands of the press, has neye
. shaken my entire confidence i
~ your honor and honesty, nor need ad
d that have been long in school wher
is [ have learned to sympathize with pull
: lie men who are falsely and perpetual
J. accused of corruption, bias and selfish
+ ness. and of acting upon publ
questions IN which they hay
private interests; nor hav
they been exempt from such penaltis
e. of greatness though neither willing nc
n DESTROYS 70 be either candidate or pre-
3 dent and naturally liking TO stand we
y IN the estimation of their fellow citizen
Such expressions of envy are always Il
penalty of greatness and can be only e
!, capped by obscurity. The disposition ,
this letter is in your hsnds. I am, d
J, Senator, with high esteem, respectful
yours. W.. WALTER PHILIPS.
SENATOR GEO. +. EDMuSDs.