The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-09-26
HON. JAMES G. BLAINE.
He Talks About the Alleged COnkling Letter.
and Refutes Some Old ISLANDERS.

3scisi to the Indianapolis Journal
AUGUSTA. Me-, Sept 2a-Ths Kennebsc
Journal tomorrow will publish the following:
"a representative of this paper called on Mr..
Blaine yesterday to ask IL he desired to say
any thing in answer TO the recently published
letter attributed to the late Senator Conkling.
Mr.. Blaine said: Nothing could induce me TO
enter into a controversy over Mr.. Conkines
letter. During our joint service In Congress-
some sixteen years in alive had some sxas-
perating controversies. but / never spoke or
wrote a word concerning him except publicly:
and now that he Is dead, rly lips are sealed
against every form OF criticism or unkind ex-
preesion. no matter what may be the impru-
deuce or the injustice Of any Of his surviving
friends
''The reporter asked Mr.. Blaine il be had
noticed that doubt had been expressed in several
papers as to Mr. Conkling being the author Of
the published letter. Mr. Blaine replied that,
OF courss, be knew nothing about that point,
but it was great surprise to him that such a
letter should have been written by Mr.. Conkling.
The date shows that the letter was written just
SIX days after the close OF an exaspersting per-
sooal debate with Mr.. Conkling, and II Mr..
Conkling had intended to say anything OF the
kind he would have been apt TO say il then, aud
not Immediately atterwArd In q private letter,
which was not given TO the public for twenty
two years. and not until Mr. Conkline bad been
dead several months. The whole affair was not
In accordance With Mr.. Conkling's habitusl
courage IN debate.
"When asked il he knew ANYTHING Of Crandall
or Haddock, Mr.. Blaine replied that be had
never seen either OF them, aud bad never heard
the name Of either except on the occasion Of his
personal debate with Mr.. Conkline in April,
1866 Though he had not charged bic mind
with the fact, so as to remembe accurately, his
strong impression was that they were both off,
GERS in New York under the enrolment act dur
ing the war, and that both had been dismissed
from the service for misconduct in Office.
"Mr. Blaine was then asked II he had any
thing to ssy about the charge that he mad made
money out OF the recruiting funds or the war.
He repiisd that is might with equal truth be
charged that he hsi mxce money by roobing the
mails or by piracy on the high seas.
''rhe reporter asked if the whole business Of
the recruiting scandal had not been fully inves-
teated in Maine. Never said Mr.. Blaine, was
a subject more thoroughly or more persistentIy
investigated than the recruiting scandal which
grew up in this State the last year OF the war
in connection with the filing of town quotas by
what was known IS paper credits II Was in
vestieated by special committees of the Legis-
lature aud finally aud more searchingly by Q
public ommisson composed OF three prominent
gentlemen, ,wo of whom were eminent lawyers
and the third DISTINGUISHED officer in the late
war. One Of the lawyers was Democrat Of the
most pronounced type. There 10 not a word OF
evidence. or even a suggestion, or o hint in any
one Of the three reports that / had any more
connection with the matter than had Mr.. Conk-
ling or his nnwise friend who publishes this let
ter aud attributes il to the dead statesman
''Our representative then asked Mr. Blaine If
he had not assisted the public commission in
their investigation. Mr. Blaine said that in a
certain way he had done So The commission,
needing voluminous information from the War
and Navy departments in respect TO recruiiiug
frauds, found great difficulty in obtaining what
was essential to their Investigation. They then
applied to him for aid. In their final report to
the Legislature the com missoners made the fo.
lowing acknowledgment OF his services:
"0ur inquiries had been so long bafied by formal
references to incousequent facts and ingenicas
looking of the material matters about which ttsre was
uncertainty, that It seemed probable that evidence
OF any value to our purpose could be obtained from
Washington within the period to which our lsbors
James G.. Blaine, member of Congress from the Third
district of Maine and to his effective intervention by
personal appeals at the departments where requi
sitions for documents were waiting compliance, We
consider ourselves largely indebted for whatever in
formation from these sources we have been able to
obtain.
"Mr Blaine was further asked if he had not
tried in Congress to stop all fraud ulent recruit
ing He replied that he had. During the last
year Of the war he said recruiting frauds were
running riot throughout many of the loyal
States. A system OF fraudulent credits bad
been invented by which quotas were filed with
out soldiers being added to the army It wss
in this field OF operation that ths bounty specu-
lstors made their money. When the last en-
rollment bill was under discussion. during the
session Of Congress which began in December,
1864. he had offered an amendment
in these words: That in any call
for troops county, town, township,
ward, precinct election district shall have
credit except for men actually furnished on said
call or preceding call by said county. town town
ship, ward, precinct or election district. and
mustered into the military and naval service on
the quota thereof In advocating this amend
ment. Mr. Blaine said he had explained the
frauds that were in progress in many States,
and during his speech in the House he had said:
The amendment which / have offered IS de-
signed TO correct this evil; to cut il mp by the
roots and bring back recruiting to an honest,
meritorious and patriotic effort to fill the ranks
of our gallant army, and not with
the shadowy fctions which pass under
the general name Of paper credits.
We have witnessed with amazement the quotas
Of entire cities and districts technically filled
without adding a single man to tho effective
military force of the Nation
"Mr. Blaine said his amendment was passed
by vote Of eiehty-four to thirty-sx-the Re-
| publicans voting in the affirmative with a few
Democrats, like MIR. Holman, Of Indiana. Tn
negative was unanimously Democratic. 1T will
be seen, said Mr. Blaine, that the official record
| OF the Nation refutes the whole charge
mr Blaine remarked that, outside of . po-
iiticai campaign, the charge would never have
been made