The Portland daily press., 1888-09-26
BLAINE AND coNkLlNc.
The Letter Recently Published Re-
futed by the Official Record.


nal tomorrow morning will publish the fol-
lowing interview with the Hon. James G.
| Blaine:
A representative of this paper called on
Mr.. Blaine at his residence yesterday to ask
if he desired to say anything in answer to
the recently published letter of the late Sem
atol Conkling. Mr.. Blaine's reply was as fol-
lows; Nothing could induce me to enter
into controversy over Mr.. Conkling's grave.
During our joint service in Congress, some
| sixteen years in all, we had some exasper-
ating controversies, but l never spoke or
wrote word concerning him, except public
ly, and now that he is dead my lips are seal
ed against every form of criticism or unkind
expression, no matter what may be the inn
| prudence or the injustice of any of his sur
| viving friends
Our reporter asked Mr.. Blaine If he 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 course he knew nothing
about that point but it was a great surprise
| to him that such letter should have been
written by Mr.. Conkling. The date shows
that the letter was written just six days
after the close Of an exasperating personal
| debate with Conkllng, and If Mr.. Conkling
had intended to say anything of the kind he
| would have been apt to say it then and not
immediately afterward in private letter,
which was not given to the public for twenty
| two years, and not until Mr.. COnkling had
| been dead several months. The whole affair
| was not in accordance with Mr.. Conkling's
habltual courage in debate.
When asked if he knew anything of Gran
dali or Haddock, Mr.. Blaine replied that he
q No nftl nf& &l.o...
heard the name of either except upon the oc-
casion of his personal debate with Mr.. Conk-
ling, in April, 1866. Though he had not
charged his mind with the fact so as to re-
member accurately, his strong impression
was, that they were both officers in New
York under the enrolment act during the
war, and that both had been dismissed from
the service for misconduct in office.
Mr. Blaine was then asked by our repre-
sentative If he had anything to say about
the charge that he had made money out of
the recruiting funds in the war He replied
that 1t might, with equal truth, be charged
that he had made money by robbing the
mails or by piracy on the high seas. The re-
porter asked II the whole business of the re-
crultlng scandal bad not been fully investi-
gated in Maine. Never. said Mr. Blaine,
was subject more thoroughly or more per-
slstently investigated than the recruiting
scandals which grew up in this State the
last year of the war in connection
by :. what were known as ''paper
credits" 1t was investigated by special
committees CT two Legislatures and finally
and most searchingly by public Commits
sion composed OF three prominent gentlemen,
two 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 is not word
OF evidence, or even suggestion or hint in
any one of the three reports, said Mr.. Blaine,
NgIf no
matter than had Mr.. Conkling or his unwise
friend who publishes this letter and at
tributes it to the dead statesman.
Our representative then asked Mr.. Blaine
II ne had not assisted the Public Commission
In their investigation. Mr. Blaine said that
In certain way he had done so. The Com
mission needing volumin0uS information
from the War and Navy Departments in re-
spect to recruiting frauds found great diff
their investigation. They then applied to
him for aid. In their final report to the leg
lslature the Commissioners made the follow
ing acknowledgment of his assistance:
Our inquiries had been so long baffled by formal
references TO 1ncOnseQuentlal facts and ingenious
overlooking OF the material matter, about which
there was uncertainty, that it seemed probable
could be obtained from Washington within The
period TO which our labors were confined. In this
dilemma We applied to Hon. James g: Blaine,
Maine and to his effective Intervention by per SON
al appeals at the Departments, where our requis-
tons for documents were waiting compliance, we
consider ourselves largely indebted for whatever
information from these sources we have been
able to obtain.
Mr.. Blaine was further asked if he had not
tried in Congress to stop all fraudulent re-
cruiting. he replied that he had. During
the last year of the war, said Mr.. Blaine, re-
crultlng frauds were running riot throughout
many of the loyal States. A sys-
TEN OF fraudulent credits had been
hN yUh Iah nAfa lAA
out soldiers being added to the army. 1t
was in this field of operation that the bounty
spectators made their money. When the
last enrolment bill was under discussion
during the session Of Congress which began
In December, 1864, he had offered an amend
ment in these words:
That in any cali for troops no county. town,
township, ward, precinct or election district shall
nave credit except for men actually furnished
town, township, ward precinct and election dis
trlct, and mustered into the military and naval
service on the quota thereof.
In advocating the amendment Mr.. Blaine
SAID he had explained the frauds that were
IN progress in many States and said in his
speech to the House:
The amendment which | have offered is ds-
signed TO correct this evil, to cut it up by the
meritorions ad DaGh recruItng 70 an honest,
our gallant army. We have witnessed with
anazement the quotas of entire cities and dis
trlcts techmeally filled without adding a single
man 10 the effective military force of the nation.
Mr.. Blaine said his amendment was passed
by vote of "a to S6-Republicans voting in
the affirmative, with few Democrats like
Holman of Indiana. The negative was
unanimously Democratic
IL Will thus be seen, said Mr.. Blaine, that
the official record of the State and nation re-
flutes the whole charge. Mr. Blaine re-
marked that outside political campaign he
would never have noticed the matter. He
added that outside a political campaign the
charge would never have been made.