The Portland daily press., 1886-07-29
Col. Edwards Great Mistake.

[Lewiston JournaLl
When Col Edwards published his letter
denying in toto the statements of Journal
correspondents that he had said abusive
things about the G. A. r., we asked our cor
respondents to take oath to their affirmations
and to give further partieularsIif they could.
We have now received returns from these
correspondents and also additional testimo-
ny, all forming mass of evidence which
would be abundantly ample to settle any is
sue in a court of law. This evidence shows
not that the Colonel vilifed the G. A. r. once
or twice, but that he has done 1t haDltually.
following is the original statement Oh
Jnd:ge-Eaodbury of Bethel, one OF the most ,
en- oath, and whftesnl9G hftsl9s, col. Edwards pronounc-
ed absolutely false:
BETHEL. Jusy 20. 1886.
This is to certify that have heard Cdl. c S.
Edwards of Bethel call the G. A. X. "a id polt-
cal machine run by the Republican party" and
~ '. ENocH W. WOODBURY..
Subscribed and:sworn to by Enoch W. woodbu-
ry, before me, this day.
Justice of the Peace.
Judge Woodbury. has sent us the following
supplementary statement, wherein he gives
the time, place and other interesting Incl
dents of his sconversation.with.Co Edwards,
in respect to which details his memery is for
titled by memoranda in mis- diary, which may
be seen by any person who wishes.
BETHEL, July "a, 1886.
To the Editor Of the Lelciston Journal:
The unfortunate mis- understanding between
Col C. s. Edwards and myself about language al
legged to have been uttered by him about the G. A.
R., and which he denies over his own signature
in the Eastern Argus, is not of my own choosing
and gives me 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 obliging neghbor; neither
would pluck from his brow one laural won in
the army as courageous fighter. When Jeffer-
son Davis was with our army in Mexico, he was 4
brave and courageous soldier, and deserved well
of his country; but when he unsheathed his sword
Col o G. S. EDWARDS left Bethel the 10th day Of
January, 1880, to act upon the staff OF Joseph l..
Smith, who who was not elected Governor oil
Maine. and counselled fighting to eject the law
fully elected legislature from the State House,
and unsheathed the very sword that he carried
two men differ? The Argus calls upon the
Of these utterances i alleges Col. Edwards said
question of the Argus, Col. c. S. Edwards left
Bethel the 10th Of January 1880, for Augusta,
sSShg SSSg e SSS Soop er his 70 Bethel
met him on the street. and inquired how he found
things at Augusta. (You will excuse me for not
repeating the profanity with which his conyersa-
tion abo1nded.) He said excitedly, "Gen. Cham
berlain is traitor. The G. A. X. are political
machine run by the RepuDllcanS,, Jney are a ia
set of bummers, and if the party had been of my
mind, they would have pulled the State House
down over their heads if it had killed every one
In September, $780, Col. G. s. Edwards was a
candidate for Representative to the Legislature;
nominated by the Greenback party, and accepted
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 election,
that his friends on the morning OF election offered
to bet $50 that he would carry Bethel by a ma
jority Of 75 to 80 over S. B. Twitchel the Repub-
lican candidate. claiming that he would get the
whole G. A. II. vote. became so disgusted with
the personal solicitations of Col. Edwards, to
secure votes for himself during the day that
when had obtained the result of the vote before
the telegraph Office met him and announced the
result; s. B. Twitchell 2S5 votes, Q. s. Edwards
255 votes" He replied excitedly, Just as ex-
pected. The G. A. r. are political machine run
by the Republicans. They are set OF bummers."
ENoCH w. WOODBURY..
Here is the sworn statement of a man who
gave leg to the Union cause in the late war,
a man who has as good war record as Col.
Edwards or any other man in Bethel:
1, Jerome o. Sanborn, of Bethel, Me-, on oath
say that was a soldier in the late war, and have
i ' was "a lot lot Of 6ammers' that it did not amount
would be played out. j. o. SANBoRN.
Oxford, SIS, July 22d, 1856.
Jerome 8. Sanborn, and made oath that the fore
7''''' ""'''''' ~ - ' j. P HERRIcK.
That there is no malice in the statements
about Col. Edwards abuse Of the G. A. X.
organization, is shown by the following dec
laiation of member Of Col. Edwards own
regiment, much respected citizen of Bethel
l. Simeon w. Sanborn, justice of the peace,
declare that have heard Colonel Edwards speak
dsrespectfuly of the G.. A. r. and their reunions
say that they did not amount to anything, and call
them political machine. l have no Ill feeling
against Col Edwards, in whose regiment served,
uOh uyhO w a hra coll and whom
on friendly terms; but the above is the fact.
Witness, SAMUEL S. STANLEY.
Next we give the affidavit of DR.. Goddard,
an old and highly respected townsman Of
Col Edwards, man of the first cut:
Within year was talking with Col. Edwards,
ON the street near my house in Bethel referring
to the Grand Army OF the RePubllc, Il l expIesSea
surprise that he did not associate with them He
replied, Il don't want anything TO do with them.
They're a set of bummers." There the .conyersa.
tion ended. Knowing they were an honorable set
-'' "'0 E. B. GODDARD.
Personally appeared the above named E; B.
Goddard and made oath to the truth of the fore
going affidavit by him signed before me.
A. E. HERRIcK Justice of the Peace.
We reproduce the following statement OF
George b. Haskell, Esq, of Lewiston, VINO
| is now in California, one of the best known
soldiers in the ranks of the Maine G. A. X.
LEWISTON, July l,
This is to certify that in conversation with Col.
G.. S. Edwards on the cars two or three years ago
| / asked him if he belonged to the G. A. r.. He
replied that he did not and said the G. A. r. men
| were ''a set of bummers."
GEORGE B. HASKELL.
| Besides these gentlemen, several of the
| COlonel's neighbOrs and one of his near Tea-
| tives told Journal correspondent that they
| heard the Colonel make this talk.
Col. Edwards has made serious mistake
| He should have acknowledged saying these
| stead of impeaching the veracity Of men OF
| honor and Standing We would think, too,
| that the Colonel would have hesitated about
| going to California with the men to whom he
had applied these epithets.