The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1884-08-19
[Personal.l


AUGUSTA, Me-, October 4, 1869.
M DEAR SIR spoke to you shor
time ago about point OF interest TO you
railroad company that occurred at tG
last session OF Congress.
II was on the last night OF the session
when the bill renewing the land grant tc
the Salc of Arkansas for the Little Rocl
road was reached, and Jul u,ot Indiana
Chairman of the Public Lands Com nit
tee, and, by right, entitled to the floor
attempted to put on the bill, an amend
ment, the Fremont e. Paso scheme
scheme probably we'll known 10 Mr.
Cald we'll The House was thin, and tht
lobby in the Fremont interest had ths
thing all set up, and Julian's amendment
was likely to prevail if brought to vo'e
Roots and other members from Arkan'
sas, who were doing their best for theil
own bill, Ito which there seemed to be
no ob;ection,) were in despair, for it wa;
we'll known the Senate was hostile to the
Fremont scheme, and if the Arkansas
hill had gone back to the Senate With
tJulian's amendment, che whole thing
would have gone on the table and slept
the sleep of death.
In this dilemma Roots came to me to
know WHIST On earth he could do under
The rules, for he said it was vital 10 bis
constituents that the hill should pass.
Told him that Julian's amendment was
.entifeiv out of order. becanse not ger
name; but he bad not sufficient conf
dence in his knowledge of the rules 10
make the point, but he said Gen. Logan
wss opposed to the Fremont scheme, and
would probably make the point / sent
my page to Gen Logan with the suSges
tion, and be at once made the point.
could not do other wise than sustain it, ,and
so the bill was freed from the mischiev-
GUS amendment moved by Julian, and at
once passed without objection.
At that time | had never seen Mr..
Cald well, but you can tell him that, with
out knowing 1t, l did him great favor.
Sincerely yours, JAMES G. BLAINE. :.
W. Fisher, Jr., E,q., NJ "a, India
street, Boston.
On tue same day he wrote a second
letter to Mr. Fisher, which reads thus:
AUGUSTA, October 4, 1869.
MY DEAR Mr.. FISHER: Find enclosed
contracts of parties named 10 my letter
OF yesterday. The remaining contract,
will be completed as rapidly as possible,
N; = <,, ,,, a., =, :, ,,.,. "a III ,,arunit
enclose you part of the Congress
sioual Globe of April 9, containing the
point to which ! referred at some length
10 my previous letter of to-day. You
will find it OF interest to read it over and
see what narrow escape your bill made
or that last night of the session. OF
course It was nv plain duty to make The
ruling when the point was once raised.
II the Arkansas men had not, however,
happened to come to me when at their
wits end and in despair, the bill would
undoubtedly have been lost, or at least
postponed for a year. thought the
point would interest both you and Cald-
well, though Occurring before either OF
you engaged 10 the enterprise.
/ beg you to understand that | thor
ouehly appreciate the courtesy 81
which you have treated me in this rail-
road matter, but your conduct toward
me in business matters has always been
marked by unbounded liberalily in past
years, and, Of course. ! have naturally
c,me 10 expect the same of you now.
You u, ge me 10 make as much as fairly
can out OF the arrangement into which
we have entered. 1t is natural that
should do my utmost TO this end. ! am
bothered ny only one thing, and that is
the indefinite arrangement with Mr.
Caldwell. / am anxious 10 acquire the
interest be has promised me, but l do
not get definite understanding with
him as l have with you. | shall be in
Boston in a few days, aud shall then
have an opportunity to talk matters over
fully with you. am disposed to tbinl
that Whatever | do with Mr.. Caldwell
must really be done through you. KinG
regards TO Mrs. Fisher. Sincerely.
j. G. BLAINE
W. FISHER, Jr.
Now, MI. Caldwell may have beer
very slow of apprehension. But these
two letters flor they were evidently ad
dressed TO him through Mr. Fisher
we're certainly clear enough to remint
him that Mr.. Blaine vas something NOR,
than a mere railroad man or Wall stree
fnancier; that, in fact, he was Speaker
OF the House Of Representatives. The,
told him very pointedly that Mr. Blaine
as Speaker, had done him a great favo
although he had done it "withou
knc wing bim." and in a correct way
but favor which was Of great value t.
the company And it was certainly no
the fault of Mr.. Blaine's letters il Mr.
Caldwell did not understand that
Speaker OF the House, who could d.
such favors "without knowing it," nigh
do equal and still greater fayors whil
knowing it; and that, therefore, Mr.
Blaine, as Speaker, had more various
channels in which to make himself use
full, and to prove live-head In this lan'
grant railroad enterprise, than mer
railroad builder or a mere Wall sire. .
inancier. And writing two letters !
the same subject on one day, Mr.. Blain
showed himself dreadlulIy in earnest i
'pounding clear notions of the Speaker
Opportunities for usefulness into MI
Cald wells head, in order to induce tha
gentleman 10 give at last 10 Speake
Blaine that interest in the railroad enter
prise which the Speaker insisted upol
having.
Mr.. Blaine'c friends dislike grestly t,
be brought face to face with these lei
ters. They cannot deny their genuine
ness and they cannot explain them away
Some OF them content themselves Will
the general remark that after all the'
were such that the Speaker OF the Hous
would have no reason to he ashamed OF
And then they at once change the sub
jet and speak of the tariff. The fact i
that Mr.. Blaine did see reason to be ex
tremely anxious that they should pot be
come known He certainly did not con
slider them innocent. But they did bt
come known in a very peculiar way