Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-05-01
FROM WASHINGTON.
IN DEFENSE OF BLAINE.
The Correspondence Between senator
Edmunds and VIM. w. Phelps.

WASHINGTON, April so.
The following correspondence recently
passed between Senator Edmunds and Hon.
VIM. Walter Phelps;
WASHINGTON, April 2S,
Dear Sir-I have read your letter In de-
fense of Mr.. Blaine in the Sunday Tribune,
and also the editorial of the tribune thereon.
in which you say that 'Senator Edmunds was
understood 10 have block of Burlington 4
Missouri securities" and Senator Edmunds
acquired interest in the Burlington 4 Mis-
souri, road when they were in the Senate.
They both supported the bill to restore the
land grant to the road" These taken in
connection with the list of your letter. evil
IDENTIFY means that at the time of the legisla-
ton referred TO | WAS in some way interested
in the road OF securities, and the editorial IN
the Tribune SAWS il expressly as being your
statement, and IL that thing both yourself
and the Tribune are totally mistaken, have
hunted what suppose is the joint resolution
TO which you refer, it being the Senate joint
resolution No %, first session of the fist
Congress, of which | had no recollection
before, bnt see on looking at the Congress
sional Globe of the time, did make a single
remark on the subject of the House amend-
ment, which remark | commend TO your
careful consideration. | had not at that
time and never had before, any
ownership or interest in any bond or
stock of that road or any other
out of the State of Vermont. | never ex-
p,cted to have and had no more connection
with the passage of the joint resolution than
YOU had, and knew no more than you (Which
| assume was nothing at alD except what
NAV be inferred from my remarks on the
House amendment. More than three months
after, and on I'll 18th of July, 1869, | find ON
looking at my old books that subscribed for
1876 shares of stock aud $4,000 of bonds of
the Burlington 4 Missouri River Railroad
Co. in Nebraska. which | assume was road
in some way affected by the legislation re-
ferred to. | paid in cash the same price
that all the others did, and had the stock for
several years, when sold il in the Boston
market at market prices and no more, and
then or afterwards bought more bonds of the
same company which still hold. This is
the whole story and give you authority to
verify il by an examination of the books of
the company in Boston or an examination of
my books. or both Ii is of some conse-
quence among men who intend to be truthful
as do not doubt you do, to be somewhat ac-
curate in making statements about acts of
other people. II you or anyone wish to
know anything concerning my business at
any time shall be happy to put you in pos
session of precise information SO you will
be certain that what you say will be true.
am neither willing nor desire to be a can
didate for President, which everybody who
has spoken or written me on the subject
knows, but as | like to stand well in the esti-
nation of my fellow citizens dislike to be
accused of either corruption, lies. selfish
ness or acting on public questions in which
havea private interest, when such accusations
are untrue. Respectfully yours.
Gro i. EDMUNDs.
To Hon. VIM. Walter Phelps, House Of
Representatives.