Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-05-08
Hon. William Walter Phelps, House ot
Representatives.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, !
WASHINGTON, Ap ii %.

DEAR SIR: | have this moment re
ceived your letter of this morning and
hasten TO correct some impressions you
have gotten from my letter tn The Post,
or more probably from some of e
numerous newspaper Comments. | re-
gret if you think that in using your name
as an illustration of a principle. that l
have in any way hurt your reputation.
1t is a reputation of which you and the
country may we'll be proud. and, as l said
in my letter, the facts do not, and ought
not hurt any mans reputation. The
principle | sought to Illustrate was that
legislator had no right to refuse justice
to a corporate interest because he hap
pens to have some share in the property
that would be benefited, and that it was
not necessarily a wrong thing for the
legislator to acquire an interest in corr
porate property after legislative action
in which he has assisted. | cited as an
illustration your cOrduct, and that of
many other legislators, which neither
nor anyone else ctnsured. l asked why
the conduct was censurable in Blaine
and not in any one else? Blaine did
not vote, but did rule that the Little
Rock 81 Fl. Smith road got its land
grant confirmed, knowing no more of
| the road at the time than ! did, and for
got the fact. Three months afterward
Blaine bought his interest in that road.
| You voted because the assent WAS unan-
imOds, and you were present to confirm
the land grant of the Burlington & Mis-
souri, road. Knowing at that that time
little more of it than l did. for you de
bated it, you forgot the fact. Three
months afterwards you bought your in
terest in that road. The cases were so
analogous in all essential particulars
that it seemed proper to group them.
Had 1 thought the action Of either of
you discreditable l should not have de-
Tended him nor mentioned you. Where
is there any lack of accuracy in my
statements about other people?" | said
Senator EdmundS was underst pod tn
have block of Burlington & Missouri
securities and again, Senator Edmunds
acquired his interest in tine Burlington
& Missouri road when he was in the
Senate"
You say "on the 18th of July, 1869
you subscribed for one hundred and
ninety shares of stock and six thou.
sand (S6,000) in bonds of the Burlington
Il Missouri River Railroad Company
| am inaccurate in these statements Oh.
ly in the case that you were not mem
ber of the Senate on the 18th of July
and in case the stncks and bonds do nsl
constitute block. said: They both
(you and anOther) supported the bill t,
restore the land grant to their road.
} You say on this point nothing accurate
You had only to say you "voted against
the bill" Had YOU done this | wout
cheerfully admit my lnaccuracv. but thu
official record shows YOU present anC
speaking upon the resolution at tn,
noment of its passage aud the recnr(
shows that it had passed without vot,
against it. If the Tribune misappre
hended me as saving that you were IN,
way interested in the road at the tin
OF the passage of the resolution it is re
, sponsible and not /. suspect that i
can take care of itself and prefer il SC
: l made no snch representation dirertl
or by implication such fact would de