The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-10-04
Blaine and Conkling.
THE LETTER RECENTLY PUBLISHED REFUTED
BI THE OFFICIAL RECORD.

THE LETTER RECENTLY PUBLISHED HrFUrED
BI THE OFFICIAL RECORD.
The kennebcc journal publishes the follow
ing interview with the Hon. James &. Blaine
\ representative of this paper called on Mr..
Blaine ut hi, residence yesterday to ask if he
desired to say ANYTHING in answer to the recent
ly published letter of the late Senator Conkling
Mr.. Bainc'> reply was rs follows: Nothing
could induce me 10 enter into a controversy
over Mr.. ConklinS's grave. During our Joint
service i'll Congress, some sixteen years in all
we had some eXasperating controversies. but
never spoke or wrote a word concerning him.
except publicly, and now that he is dead my
lips are sealed against every form of criticism
or unkind expression, no matter what may be
the imprudencc or the injustice of any OF his
surviving friends
Our reporter asked Mr.. Blaine if he had
noticed that doubt had been expressed in seS-
eral papers as to Mr.. Conkliug being the author
of the published letter. Mr. Blaine replied
That OF course he knew nothing about that
point but ii was a great surprise to him that
such letter should have been written by Mr.
tonkiing The date shows that the letter was
written just six days after the close of an eX-
asperatng personal debate with Conkling, and
if Mr.. tunkiing had intended to say ANYTHING
Of the kind he would have been apt TO sayit
then and not immediately afterward il pr-
vate letter. which was hot given to the public
for twenty-five years, and not until Mr.. Conk-
ling had been dead several months. The whole
aH',t WE NY III u'torutuce Will MI NoHh-
ilnS's habitual courage in debate.
When asked if he knew anything of Crandall
Or iiaddooN; Mr. bia'he replied that he hnd
never seen either or them, and never heard the
name or either except upon the occasion OF his
personal! debate With Mr Conkllng IN April.
iou0 houSh lie han not charged his mimi
With the TACT SO as to remember accurately. his
Stfohg impression was that they We're both Of
nee!S III New ofk under the enroIimeht ACT
curing the war anu thal hotn had heen dls-
missed from Tue service Tor misconduct III Oh
nee.
Mr. n'aihe was then asked by our represeli-
't'l'e II ne had anything 10 say about the
charge mat ne had made money out or the re-
III ,'!e ",''' iio lePi'i" si'.'' IL
.i'7',' M''ti ti"' u ~ e N',"i ~" una. nv
hau ha,e money hE fopnlilS the mans or nH
piracy OH the hisn seas The reporter asked II
the Whole business Of the recruiting scandal
bad hot been fully Investigated in Maine
E,yar S,i.j Mr. nl,irn was suhiart mara
tI,,rl,,,,,bi,. III ,,,ara ,,.;t,,,,, in!,.n.,;ntnj
-"'t ~ .'0 ~, Ni,t'H ~ ,i'-'''u
ihah ihah ihe rccfu'i'i'S ScainalS WhlciI gre" up III
thlS Ntiic tue la>t wear OF tile war III conhec-
upn WITH the Elilng OF town quotas bN What
We're known As paper eredts.' It was nves-
tivatpI by sNeriaI committees Of two episla-
tires nni fnollv arL most Search;nrlv hr
public Commission composed Of three proml-
ncnt gentlemen, two of whom We're eminent
LAWYERS ard the third distinguished officer In
the late war. one of the lawyers was Dem
ocrat of the most pronounced type. There Is
rot L Word oil GNltlencG, or even 4 SUGGESTION
or hint in any one of the three reports said
Mr.. Blaine that he had any more connection
with the matter than had Mr.. Conking or his
uuwse friend who publishes this letter and at
tributes il to tie dead statesman.
Cur representative then asked Mr.. Blaine il
ie had not assisted the Public Commission in
thri" investigation. Mr. Blaine said that in Il
! certain way he htd done so. he COMMISSION
nGt,ii'..t NoumiuouS information from the " ar
aud Navy Departments in respect to recruiting
fral,l> fnuul GREAT efficiently in oht,uino what
v.s essential Ia th,ir inycstir,tinn Tiny tbnn
,n,,linl H. Ii,, fr oil IL ,ho;r f,,l ro,,,ort ~
'tti II 80 II ~ - % ~ ~ ~ -
fnlIo,in.r .,rErnwInl, l,.nnnt ot Iis assi.tanre.
,,,,,,;.t .,..,
~ J' IL nn;a','i
ny,rInmsng nf me- nntcra ,,"ttrr ,l,n ,,hi"
there was uncertainty, that it seemed probable
mat no evidence of any value to our purpose
could be obtained from Washington within the
l,crioti 10 which our ahors were confined In this
member of Congress from the Third District of
Maine and to his effective Intervention by person
al appeals at the departments, where our requlsi
m ors"l! ra oi',.. f,i
Information from thrsr su,Ircr. wn bnvc bren
able To obtain
Mr. ploina ,,.,y f,,,,bo, asked If lao 1,J mot
,rij i, :','1,,s 10 t, au f.o,,I,,lt ,.,,.',;t
;n~ IT, ra,Iio,j th,t Li' had nmrnr 40 ial,
la-,, If ~ v,,r ,'' s.id Mr. Rln;mo re.rni,in,r
i,,l ,,,,,.,irr r;o, tirnn'r,nrt ,,,am, -
~ !,' >.t,+o lto,, If fr,"nnt nrodl
~ III h.1n ir,nnt., Nv whinh nnntas ,ynra
II IA II tI,is Xii nf onarotinn thnt thp ho,n-