The Republican journal., 1884-10-02
The Little Rock Il Fort Smith Railroad
Matter.

WHAT DEMOCRATIC INVESTOR SAYS OF MIR.
BLAINE'S PART IN THE TRANSACTION. AN
INTERVIEWER IN TOWN.
We had hoped to publish the following letter
last week, with the statement of Judge Hersey,
but it was received from Augusta one mail too
late. few words of preface are necessary.
The letter was called out by an article in the
Maine Standard then edited by Eben F. Pills
bury, in which Mr.. Blaine was charged with
acting in bad faith toward his Maine friends
who invested in the Little Rock & Fort Smith
stock. The Standard refused to publish the
letter, thus betraying its malice, and subse-
quently Mr.. Hazeltine sent the letter to the
Kennebec Journal in whose columns it appear
ed. We are indebted to Mr.. c. A. Sprague for
copy. The italics in the letter are its authors
BELFAST, Sept. 1G, 1872
To the Editor of the Maine Standard:
Your paper contained an article short time
since rejecting on Speaker Blaine for an alleged
want of good faith in dealing with the estate of
the late A. W. johnson of this city, in the mat
ter of certain bonds of the Little Rock and
Fort smith Railroad Company. | did not see
the article at the time of its issue or | would
more promptly have written a correction. AL
low me now, as one of the executors of Mr..
Johnson's estate. to say that your information
is entirely erroneous. | desire further to say
that Mr.. Blaine's conduct in the whole matter
was that of gentleman and man of honor.
The business matter between Mr. Johnsons
estate and Mr. Blaine was altogether private
and personal. and can see no reason for drag
ging it before the public. But should | remain
silent under the circumstances | would seem
to give my assent TO the truth of the charges.
opposed as 1 dAt II Nj. BlutAe boitttcuig, / tte{
constrained 10 Jed D,g teStiony 10 his inst a1d hoa-
oIabte co"d"d u, all business haSoct,o,S ciM ,chich
lace had any htor(elqe. Mr.. Blaine has had in
his possession more than a year the amplest as
surance from me in writing that his course to-
ward the johnson estate was IN tie highest deglee
hoaotub{e aAd more h0m coHM h0Ge ban oldtadlJl8
etpected N baSiDeSS Transactions As | cannot be
lieve you would Intentionally injure Mr. Blaine
personally, | ain sure you will be glad to pub
fish this explanatory note, a,"l DartcuiaILg re-
quest hat arg oho pdIn that mag luce D,oae tie
stae cdTes rW ULso be Just c,oaqh 10 qtte lis note
" p(ace J." It's col~n",s Yours Respectfully,
c. b. HASELTINE.
Dir. Hazeltine is and has always been a
Democrat, and is now the Democratic candi-
date for Presidential elector for the third Maine
district He is gentleman of wealth. large
business experience, extensive travel, aud is
widely known as a man of the strictest integrity
and highest sense of honor. What he said III
his letter printed above he has repeated and re-
affirmed whenever the subject has been moot
ed in his presence. He has read the Fisher
Muligan letters and finds nothing in them to
change his views. or which i'll his opinion re-
fleets IN any degree upon Nj. Blane> official or
private integrity. On the contrary he has free
ly expressed his Indignation at the wanton and
malicious attacks upon Mr.. B,aine which he
regards wholly unwarranted and without
foundation.
A CHICAGO INTERVIEWER IN TOWN.
On Friday last Mr.. Thompson. Il correspot-
dent of the Chicago Daily News, an anti Blaine
paper, was III Belfast seeking interviews with
those of our citizens who had invested in the
Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad. lie did
not see Judge IIersey, who had left town the
day before, but he called upon II. Ii. johnson
and later saw Mr.. Hazeltine. If he faithfully
reports the substance of his conversations with
these gentlemen his mission will prove a fail
ure, i'll one respect, but if published it will
counteract some of the falsehoods put forth by
the anti Blaine papers, The News man had
fully made up his mind from reading the Fish
er letters that Mr. Blaine had not carried out
his contract with his Maine friends in good
faith and >trove earnestly to impress this idea
upon the minds of those he was Interviewing
but in this he was unsuccessful. The men who
put their money in the enterprise would natur-
ally be expected TO know more about the terms,
etc, than outsiders, and as to Mr.. Blanes in
tegrity IN the matter they have already placed
themselves fully and squarely on record.