Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-09-26
THELETTERS.
A Terrible Story OF Official Prohigacy
and Personal Dishonesty.
The Relations Of Speaker Blaine, Oald
well, Fisher and Mulligan.

Fort Smith railroad induces THE
GAZETTE TO give them In full. Some
Of our readers may have seen them
elsewhere, but the letters will be read
now for the first time by many Of The
GAzErTEs readers. 1t viii be remem.
bered that in 1876 ex-Speaker Blaine,
then in mortal fear Of the congress
sional committee investigating his
relations to the Little Rock g. Fort
Smith railroad, went down on his
knees before James Mulllgan and
nefarlously obtained possession Of GER
tain compromising letters which he
thus secured TO save himself, as he
thought. from exposure and disgrace.
They were not all that passed
between himself and Messrs. Jo-
siah Caldwell and Warren Fisher.
Others remained in the possession
Of the original holders and
now, after the lapse OF years, are for
the first time given TO the public.
They will be found inore than ordina-
rily interesting reading. They throw
a great deal OF light upon Speaker
Blaine's attitude toward the railroad
aud his financial associations with its
prompters. They convict Mr.. Blaine
out OF his own mouth OF being a liar.
They show him TO have acted the part
Of a sniveling, whining, greedy beg
gar, trying always TO extract more and
more money from those who had been
his friends, had paid his debts, had
put him In the way of financial
profit and had even loaned him
money which had never been repaid.
Many interesting deductions and COM
PARSONS are TO be drawn from these
letters. The letters Of October and
5, 1860, contain references to the con-
cealment Of operations In Maine.
While In the house, on April 81, 1879,
Mr. Blaine said: MY whole cOnnec-
ton with the road has been open as
the day. "Whenever concealment
is desirable avoidance is desirable.u
The letter OF October 8 calls attention
10 another letter llcloslng the Globe"
The "Globe" was q copy Of the
Speaker BlRine's rulings favorable
to the Little Rock & Fort Smith
road. This Blaine wished 10 read TO
seem to be making any indelicate sug-
bNotilhe' luz lbbbeih ltlutluB W lnt
establlshment ofa national bank at
Little Rock show how willing Blaine
was to use his official influence sS.r
Caldwell, taking care at the same time
70 impress upon him nat such things
80 pp .avoritism. In the house, on April |
"a, 1876, Mr.. Blaine said: 81 never
had any transaction Of any kind
with Thomas A. Scott concern
ing bonds Of the Little Rock
IL Fort Smith road, or the bonds OF
any other railroad, or any business In
any way connected with railroads, di-
rectly or indirectly, Immediately or re-
motely.n Blaine's letter of January
20, 1871, and Fishers letter OF Novem-
Der 10, 1871, read curiously In connec-
ton with that statement. The letters
of January 20, 1871, April 81, 1871, and
June ii, 1871, relate In part TO the loan
of $25, 600 TO Fisher and Caldwell, Mr..
Blalne's statement therein contained
should be compared with Mr.. Blaine's
statements as reported TO the
court by Huntington, Whitney and
Ripley, commissioners. In the letters
of June IL, 1871, and October 4, 1874,
Mr.. Blaine Is self-contradlctory in re-
gard to what he had received out of the
letter of September 30, 1871, taken
with Blaine's of October 1, 1871, which
is a reply TO the latter, and the letter
OF October "a, 1871, with Blaine's reply
of November 3, 1871, show that Blaine
got $50 600 In land-grant bonds as coll
lateral for his loan OF S25 900. The let
ter of October "a, 1871, charges that
Blaine sold these for $50, 900. Blaine's
reply does not deny 1t. Neither does
Blaine, In his letter of November 8,
1871 In reply to Fishers OF November
4, 1871, deny the charge which had
been therein made that he had re-
ceived more than he had acknowl-
edged. The letter of Fisher TO Blaine,
April 10, 1872, contains distinct state.
ments that Blaine got out of the sub.
scriptions of his friends In Maine d
large amount both ofbondsa aud money
free of cost; that he sold his bonds, by
using his political position, ut very
high figure, and that discovery would
ipture him with his Name
friends, Blaine In his re
ply Of April is, 1872, admits
these charges. These statement,
should be compared with Blaine's
statement of April q, 1876, in tn,
house, and 1t appearing clear how
Fisher may refer 10 transactions Will
Atlantic q Pacific, Missouri, Kansa,
II Texas, and Union Pacific Railroad
companies, read In this connection
Blaine's statement on this point In tn,
house, April "a, 1876. The letter and
telegram of April 10, 1876, show thai
Blaine knew Fishers address 10y
telegram, but sent his letter L
the Parker house for fear o
discovery. II also appears how
Blaine tried TO manufacture ties
timony for himself. This letter, com
pared with the facts shown by BLAINE
letters and the memorandum book o
in Blaine's writing, produced by Mul
ligan, show how absolutely false wa
the letter which Blaine asked Fishe
to sign. But having tried and faile,
~ get this letter, Blaine said In tn
house that he had read letters from a.
persons who could throw any light OIL
the subject,
40 the People of the United States:
Believing that II Is our duty 10 la
before our fellow-count ymen the 70
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