The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1886-08-05
Col. Edwards Great Mistake.


nying IN into the statements of journal corrc
spondcnts that he had said abusive things about
the &. A. r., we asked our correspondents to
take oath to their atiirmaions and to give
further particulars if they could. We have
now received returns from these correspond
ents and also additional testimony, all forming
Il mass of evidence which would be abundantly
ample to settle any issue in court of law.
This evidence shows, not that the Col. viliied
the G. A. X. once or twice, but that he has
done it habtually.
Following is the original statement of Judge
Woodbury. of Bethel. one of the most reliable
men in Maine, to which he has taken oath, and
which Col. Edwards pronounced absolutely
false:
BETHEL, July 90, 1886.
This Is to certify that have heard Col. &. S.
Edwards of Bethel call the G. A. r. ''a ID
political machine run by the republican party"
and ''set of id bummers''
ENoCH W. WOODBURY..
Oxford S., July %, 1856
Subscribed and sworn to by Enoch w. Wood
bury, before me, this day.
SIMEON w. SANBoRS,
Justice of the Peace.
Judge Woodbury. has sent Us the following
supplementary statement, wherein he gives
the time, place and other interesting incidents
of his conversations with Col. Edwards in re-
spect to which details his memory is fortified
by memoranda in his diary, which may be seen
by any person who wishes.
BETHEL, July "a, 1896.
To the Editors Of the LeriStOn JOurnui:-
The unfortunate misunderstanding between
Col. G. S. Edwards and myself about language
alleged to have been uttered by him about the
&. A. r., and which he denies over his own
signature i'll the Eastern Argus, is not of my
own choosing and gives me a claim to a hearing
due alike to myself and the public. | would
not detract one word of praise his warmeSt
admirers may say of him As Kind and oblig
ing neighbor; neither would [ pluck from his
brow one laurel won in the army as colI-
rageous fighter. When Jefferson Davis was
with our army in Mexico, he was Il brave and
courageous soldier, and deserved well of his
country; but when he unsheathed his sword to
lead the rebellion, he was a traitor. SO when
Col. G.. $. Edwards left Bethel the 10Th day of
January, 1880, to act upon the staff of Joseph
l.. Smith, who was not elected Governor of
Mane and counSeed fighting to eject the law
fully elected legislature from the State House,
and unSheathed the very sword that he carried
through the rebellion for that purpose, where
in did the two men differ? The Argus calls
upon the Lewiston journal to give the time
and place concerning the G. \. Il. Now, TO
answer the question of the Argus, Col {. $.
Edwards left Bethel the 18th of January 1880
for Augusta saying that he was appointed Il
member of Gov. Smiths staff Soon after his
return to Bethel | met him on the street, and
inquired how he found things at Augusta.
(Gou will excuse me for not repeating the pro-
family with which Ills conversation abounde,D.
He said eNctedly, Seen. Chamberlain is il
traitor. The q. A. r. are a political machine
run by the republicans. they are Il id set of
hIp thn rty had ,fp
mind, they would have pulled the state House
down over their heads if it had killed every
one of them"
In September 1880 Col. c. $. Edwards was Il
candidate for representative to the legislature !;
nominated by the greenback party, and accept
ed by the democrats (although it is but just to
say that some of the leading democrats would
not vote for him). SO sure was he of an elcc-
ton, that his friends on the morning of election
offered to bet $50 that he would carry Bethel by
a majority of 20 to so over ). B. TWtchel. the
republican candidate, claiming that he would
get the whole G.. A. X. vote. ! became dis
guSted with the personal solicitations of Col.
Edwards, to secure votes for himself during
the day, that when had obtained the result of
the vote ()efore the lccaratic.i by the select
mem on my way to the telegraph office | met
him and announced the result: =. b. Twitchcll
2SS votes. c. ). Edwards 255 votes" He repli-
ell cXcitedly "Just as expected. The &. a. II.
are a political machine run by the republicans.
lnCN are Il SET OF DunnlefS.'
ENOCH W. WOODBURY..
Here is the sworn statement of a man who
gave leg to the Union cause in the late war,
Il man who has aS good war record is Col.
Edwards or any other man in Bethel:
l. Jerome O. Sanborn, of Bethel, Me. on oath
say that | was soldier in the late war, and
have talked with Col. c. :. Edwards in regard
| to the Grand Army organization. | have heard
him say that it was "a lot of bummerS;" that
| it did not amount to anything; that if it was
not played out it would soon be played out
j. q. SANBoRN.
oxford :. s.. July 22l, 1856.
Then personally appeared the above named
jerome q. Sanborn, and made oath that the
| foregoing affidavit is true before me,
j. p. IIERRlCK.
| That there is no malice in the statements
| about COL Edwards abuse of the G. A. X. Or
ganization, is shown by the following dcrlara-
ton of member of Col, Edwards own regi-
ment. a much respected citizen of Bethel:
| |, Simeon w. Sanborn, justice of ,he peace,
| declare that | have heard Colonel Edwards
speak Gisrespectfully of the Ii. A. r. aud their
reunions. say they did not amount to anything
| and call them political machine. | have no
i'll feeling against Col. Edwards, in whose regi-
ment served and who was Il brave soldier
and with whom am on friendly terms; but
| the above is the fact.
SIMEON W. SANBoRN.
Witness, SAMUEL ). STANLEY.
| Next we give die affidavit of DIR. Godtlarc.
| an old and highly respected townsman of Col.
| Edwards, Il man of the first cut:
| Within year | was talking with Col.
| Edwards, on the street near my house in Beth
| ell Referring to the Grand Army of the Re
| public, | expressed surprise that he did not
| associate with them. He replied. Il don't ant
| an ~ ,ln will nf
| bummcrs.' There the conversation ended.
| Knowing they were an honorable set of men,
| | was greatly surprised.
L. b. GODDARD.
State of Maine, Oxford IS, July 26, 1856.
| Personally appeared the above named +. B.
Goddard aud made oath to the truth of the fore
| going affidavit by him signed before me.
| a. +. ElERRCK, JUSTICE OF TIE PEACE.
| We reproduce the following statement of G
b. Haskell, ESD. of Lewiston, who is now in
| California, one of the best known soldiers in
the ranks of the Maine G. A. Il.
Lewiston, July /.
| This Is to certify that in conversation with
| Col. Edwards on the curs two or three years
ago, asked him if he belonged to the &. A. r.
He replied that he did not and said the &. 4. II
men We're "a set of bummcrS.'
| GEORGE B. HASKELL.
Besides these gentlemen, several of the
| IOlOnel > uclSnDOfs ana one OF MS near fcl-
tives have told journal correspondent that
they have heard the Colonel make this talk
| Col. Edwards has made Il serious mistake
| He should have acknowledged saying these in
| discreet things and apologized for it, instead OF
| impeaching the veracity of men of honor and
standing. We would think too, that the Colo,
mel would have hesitated about going to Cali
| fornia with men to whom he had applied thest
cpithetS. Lewiston journal.