St. Landry democrat., 1884-10-25
The Hooking Valley Affair.
: Harper's Weekly.

The Hooking Valley affairis another
glimpse of Mr.. Blaine's extraordinary
and unnecessary dupiicity. In July
there was serious trouble among the
miners in that region, and 1T was said
that Mr.. Blaine was interested in some
of the mines. 1t was supposed that it
the miners believed this report, they
would certainly not vote for Mr.. Blaine.
On the 22d of July, therefore he wrote
a letter in which he said, liam not and
never have been the owner of any coal
lands or iron lands, or lands of any
character whatever" in the valley ::
"nor have / at any time owned a share
of stock in any coal, iron, or land COM
pany in the State of Ohio.0 This denial
was as absolute and complete as his
assertion in 1879 that he had acquired
bonds of the Little Rock and Fort
Smith Railroad Company only by pur-
chase in the usual way and in open
convince the country that he had never
had any kind of transaction or interest
in land or land companies in Ohio,
But the documents are now published
which proves that in 1880 Mr.. Blaine
paid $25, 900 for share in an associa-
tion formed for the purchase of lands
in the Hooking Valley. Here, for in
stance, is a receipt
tsBosToN, December II, 1886.
stReceived from JAMES g. BLAINE, sos, 1880
being payment in full for one share in the as
sociatiOn formed for the purchase of
lands known as the Hope Furnace tract, situa-
| ted in Vinton and Athen counties, Ohio. THIS
| receipt to be exchanged for certificate when
prepared. J. n. DENIS0N, Agent"
| Mr.. w. ID. Lee, a friend of Mr.. BIaine's,
| in attempting to explain, admits that
| he asked Mr.. Blaine to subscribe, that
| Mr.. Blame did subscribe, and that lie
| held the shares for two years. But Mr..
Lee adds that MIR. Blaine took it upon
condition that at the end of the two
/ years during which he was to hold it he
might, il he chose, regard it as loan to
| be repaid with SIX per cent. interest. It
4 is thus evident that for two years Mr..
| Blaine did hold share in a land COM
pany in the State of Ohio, while he de-
clares in the most unreseryed manner
| that he has never owned such q share.
| Further, If the statement of his friend
he correct, he held it with the right Of
/ withdrawal without loss, and for the
4 purpose OF inducing other persons to
invest to whom such withdrawal was
not guaranteed. Moreover, it appears
that he took an active interest in the
4 enterprise kOluS Out lO OHlIl, Will OItl6E
gentlemen interested, to effect an ex-
I change of stock with a railroad COM
pany. Yetin the face of all the docu-
ments, which are sworn to and not
questioned, Mr.. Blaine now says:
.T do not own and never did own an acre OF
! coal land or any other kind of land iii the
/ Hooking Valley, or in any other part of Ohio.
NV letter to Hon. Hezeklah Bundy in July last
on this same subject was accurately true
This is the counterpart of his assertion
that there is nothing In the Mulliean
letters which is Inconsistent with the
most scrupulous integrity ;tnd honor.
There is no reason that Mr.. Blaine
slloeld not hold or have held lands in
Ohio. But there is every reason that if
! ',e did hold such lands he should not
deny the fact, and there is also every
/ reason that he should not have permit
ted the use of his name as deeoy,
which is the Interpretation given to the
transaction by Mr.. Lee. 1t is not sur
prising that his supporters have given
up explaining and defending his trans
actions and his assertions. But why
should they wish to make such a man
President?