Morning journal and courier., 1884-04-29
SINGLE COPIES TWO CENTS.
Tuesday, April 20. 1854.

PHELPS DEFENSE OF BLAINE.
The New York Evening Posts attack upon
Mr.. Blaine did not attract the attention and
excite the comment which it was perhaps ex-
pected to, but it has undoubtedly injured his
prospects The article was . very strong
statement of the reasons which. in the opin-
| ion of the writer, made il unwiss to nominate
Mr.. Blaine It referred to the alleged inn
| proper use by Mr.. Blaine of his position ~
| speaker to benefit the Little Rock and Fort
Smith railroad, and his subsequent alleged
effort to benefit his personal fortunes by
means of his previous railing. The article
also referred to the Mulligan letters and ether
| matters which were brought into prominence
eight years ago.
Mr.. William Walter Phelps, of New Jsr-
sey, who has long been firm friend of Mr..
Blaine, has made formal answer to the
Posts article, and his defense of MIR. Blaine
is very able Concerning the Little Rock and
Fort Smith affair the Post said that
some of Mr. Blaines friends were interested
in the road at the time Of his ruling and that
Immediately thereafter he wrote TO one of the
promoters, calling attention to the service he
had rendered and finally securing his own
appointment as selling agent of the bonds
OF the road. Mr.. Phelps asserts that she evi-
dsnce proves conclusivsly that Mr.. Blains's
friends, Caldwell and Fisher, were not oon-
nected with the road at the time
of the ruling in question, and that
it was more than eighty days
thereafter that Mr.. Blaine wrote to
Fisher speaking of securing an interest in the
building of the road. As matter of fact
Mr. Blaine never secured such an interest.
but did get some of the company's securities,
some of which he disposed of to friends. and
afterwards redeemed when the speculation
turned out unsuccessful He believed the
first mortgage bonds were good, and disposed |
of them to his neighbors in that faith and /
with the determination to shield them from |
loss in case of disaster. Disaster came The
bonds proved worthless, and Mr.. Elaine re-
deemed them all. In one or two cases only
was there any guarantee. In none other was |
there any legal obligation, but he recognized
a moral claim and he obsyed It to his own
pecuniary loss. I cannot but feel that the
purchasers of these bonds would have
Jared worse had they to look to
many of those who have sought
to give an odious Interpretation to
Mr.. Blaine's honorable conduct. The ar
for the purchase of the bleck of
securities was made in June. The sales of
the first mortgage bonds out of the block
were continued through the months Of July,
August and September, 1869. So the trans-
action was closed when in the letter of 90.
tober Mr.. Blaine wrote to Fisher and told
him the story of the ninth of April. Mr..
Blaine had come across it while looking ever
The Globe, with natural curiosity to see
what had been his decisions during the first
six weeks of his speakership, and wrote Of 1t
10 Fisher as an item in the legislative history
,f the enterprise into which they had both
entered"
Mr.. Phelps replies to the other charges
against Mr.. Blaine and warmly defends Mr.
BIaine's career Secretary of State. Mr..
Blaine's friends, who number O great many
thousands, will feel that Mr.. Phelps has
completely vindicated their hero. But If he
mas it will be impossible to make large nun-
Der of the voters of this country see it,
This is the reason why it might not be wise
20 nominate Mr.. Blaine.
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