The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1884-07-05
MIR. BIaine's Vindication,

The connection of Mr.. Blaine with
the bill renewing the land grant of the
Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad
of Arkansas has been SO generally mis-
understood that the honest, rock bottom
facts about it ought to be stated in a
few words for the information of the
public. Mr.. William Walter Phelps
covered the ground fully in his letter of
April "a, addressed to the editor of the
New York EUe7aing Post and printed
In the Chicago Tribune of Saturday,
April %. Mr.. Phelps letter, how
ever, is so long, and goes so much into
detail, that busy men who are less in
terested in getting at the truth of this
matter than in forming hasty opinions
about it will not read the evidence iii
full. We desire, therefore, to put the
truth in few words, and refer any
body who may not be satisfied with a
brief analysis of the facts either to Mr.
Phelps letter or to the Congressional
Record of 1876, where Mr.. Blaine's
own statements may be found in full.
The charge Is:
That in the spring of 1S69-Mr.
Blaine being at that time the Speaker
of the House of Representatives bill
renewing the land grant of the Little
Rock and Fort Smith Railroad, in the
State of Arkansas, was before the
House, and in his capacity of Speaker
he promoted its passage because he had
pecuniary interest in the road.
The truth is:
l. That Mr.. Blaine at the time of the
passage of the bill had no pecuniary in
terest whatsoever in the railroad or
its land grant, and expected to have
none.
?. That he had no acquaintance with
any persons who did have any pecun-
larry interest in the railroad or its land
grant.
3. That he did not promote" the
passage of the bill, and that it did not
need his influence, inasmuch as it had
already passed the Senate by q unani-
nous vote, and was not objected to by
anybody in the House In fact, it
passed the House by unanimous vote,
as soon as it was before that body, on its
merits.
4. That Mr.. Blaine's sole connection
with the bill was to rule out an amend
ment lacking to it the very odious and
Objectionable land grant of the Texas
and Pacific Railroad, measure which
ought not to pass, and which, if it had
been fastened to the Little Rock and
Fort Smith Railroad measure, would
probably have dragged it down to an
unmerited defeat. When this highly
offensive amendment was proposed, Mr..
Root, one of the Arkansas members,
called the Speakers attention thereto,
and, at Mr.. Blaine's suggestion, Mr..
John A. Logan, then Q member of the
House, raised the point of order that
the amendment was not germane, and If
was ruled out of order forthwith. The
bill then passed by unanimous vote.
Nearly three months after these
events Mr.. Blaine for the first time
obtained an interest in the railroad,
| purchasing the stock and bonds as any
other buyer might do, and then for the
first time formed the acquaintance OF
| those who had been instrumental In
| pushing the enterprise in the State OF
| Arkansas. He bought block of securi-
| ties belonging to the Little Rock and
Fort Smith Railroad, including stock
and first and second mortgage bonds,
in June, 1869, after the adjournment OF
Congress, and placed the first-mortgage
bonds during the three months follow.
| ing with number of his friends in
Massachusetts and Maine. The entire
series of bonds at his disposal was
closed out during the months Of July,
August, and September, of 1869, Sc
the transaction was ended when, in his
letter of Oct 4, 1859, Mr.. Blaine wrote
to Fisher, and merely in the way Of
curious "reminiscences called attention &c
the fact of his unsolicited and scciden