Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 September 1884 — BLAINE LAID BARE. [ARTICLE]

BLAINE LAID BARE.

A Supplemental Edition of the Mulligan Letters Written by Blaine. One of His Friends Who Advanced Him Money Which He Did Hot Return. Anxiety of the Tattooed Knight to Assist His Companions to Establish a Bank. Appeals to “My Dear Fisher” That "Would Cause the Flintiest of Stones to Weep. The Mulligan letters which James G. Blaine oppressed have been given to the world through the Boston papers, and are printed below. The reason that Mr. Fisher gives lor having the letters printed is that he considered it a -duty to have them published for the benefit of the people of the United States. Mr. Mulligan has been denounced by the Blaine papers, and his Integrity impeached. Both Mulligan and Fisher have considered It their duty to defend themselves, and they submit the letters .without comment; T?o the People of the United States: Believing that it Is onr duty to lay before onr fellow-countrymen the following documents which have been in our possession, we have placed the originals for safe keeping in the hands of Messrs. Sohler A Welch, counselors, of Boston, and herewith submit their contents -without comment. The letters from Mr. Fisher are letter-press copies of the originals: Augusta, Me.. Oct. 4, 1869—My Dear Mr. Fish--er: Find inclosed SIO,OOO check in payment of A. AP. Coburn’s subscription. I presume you will receive by same mall the 20 per cent, due on all -the subscriptions already forwarded to yon, and also Ym the following: Philo Hersey, Belfast, 45,000; A. W. Johnson, Belfast, $5,000; B. C. Johnson, Belfast,.ss,ooo; N. P. Mnnroe, Belfast, 46,000; C. B Hazeltine, Belfast, SS,CUD. This makes $125,000 in all I have disposed of. It Is doubtful If I dispose of any more, but I shall know- by to-morrow, so there will be no delay to -embarrass you In any way. No one will ever know from me that I nave disposed of a single dollar in Maine. So there need be no embarrassment in talking with Mr. Caldwell. I don’t wish yon to settle that matter with Mr. Caldwell till yon hear from me .again. Please send Receipt to A. & P. Coburn, Skowhegan, Me. Yours truly, J. G. Blaine. After I received the letter in regard to Mr. .Adams’ case I telegraphed again. Delano had returned, and I think the suspension was at once ordered by him. J. G. B. P. S.—l send only SB,OOO this morning; will oend $7,000 remaining to-morrow morning. Augusta, Me., Oct. 5, 1869.—(55.000)—My Dear Mr. Fisher: I Inclose you $2,000 check, balance of A. <fe P. Coburn’s installment; SAJioo In payment of Anson P. Morrill’s installment. Lot M. Morrill’s subscription of $5,000 is additional to those already advised, making in all $13,000. ■There may pcssibly be $20,000 more, but $150,000 will be mu limit. I received yours inclosing P. B. Hazletine’s letter from Belfast. By mail succeeding this you will receive a cashier’s check Jtor SI,OOO, and hereafter you will have no trouble with any of the Maine subscriptions. All will ■come to you 'in cashier checks or money direct by express. I note what you say about the importance of my keeping all Quiet here. I fully appreciate your wisdom and your kindness, and shall endeavor to do jfist as you desire In the premises. The letter, inclosing the Globe by •same with this, can be read by you to Mr. Cald•Well if yon think it expedient. I have endeavored in .writing it not to be indelicate. I shall Ifee yon in Boston Thursday noon. Don’t send ■«ny receipts to the Maine folks till I come, fours. Blaine. W. F., Jr., Esq. Those two letters of Oct. 4 and 5. 1869, are in *ontinuation of the two letters of Oct. 4, 1869, which have been already published: Augusta, Me., Nov. 18, 1869. My Dear Mr. .Fisher: It is quite evident to my mind that at the approaching session of Congress there will he an expansion of the currency to the amount •of $50,000,000 to $75,000,000. The form it will take, I think, will be an addition to the nationalbank circulation West and South. My obj ct $n writing is to ask in season if your friends would desire to establish a bank at Little Bock. It will be to some extent a matter of favoritism |s to who gets the banks in the several localities, and it will be in my power to “cast an Anchor to the windward” in your behalf if yon ales ire it. Please think over the matter and gonfer with Mr. Caldwell, and let me know your desires as soon as you reach any conclusion. There of course, no special hurry, but I thought 1 would suggest the matter in order ♦hat you might mature your thoughts in good iime. It would be well to determine the amount ;fo which you might wish to go. I suppose it .pight be practicable to secure a $500,000 bank, hut in that locality you would hardly wish to go so deep. But they are very profitable institutions —say $250,000. Yours very truly, m J. G. Blaine. Warren Fisher, Jr., Esq.

Forty-first Congress, United States House of Representatives, Washington, ■D. C., Dec. 7, 1870.—My Dear Mr. Fisher: You Rave received Mr. Boutwell’s answer. I presume you will not deem it necessary to come on here; if so, let me know of it a day or two in •advance. I have written Mr. Caldwell about the bank; no trouble in securing a bank of $600,000. The Secretary of War will not allow the use of the arsenal at Little Bock; says it is Impossible. Very hastily and truly, J. G. B. House of Representatives, Washington, D. C., Dec. 9,1870. —My Dear Mr. Fisher: I wrote Tery hastily, both to yourself and Mr. Caldwell, In regard to the bank. A further conference -with the Comptroller of the Currency gives some additional facts which are of interest, and this better is intended alike for yourself and Air. •Caldwell. Please show it to him. Theyvare mow allowing 90 per cent, circulation on 10-40 bonds instead of 80, and then 85, as at different periods in the past. They give me the assurance that you shall have full $450,000 circulation on a basis of $500,000. You can, of couree, •deposit 5-20 s if you please; but you will get no more than 90 per cent circulation. They will cost you more, of course; and though you get more interest, you will very likely be disturbed in the quiet possession of them very soon by the •operation of the funding scheme. The opinion *ains ground here quite rapidly, as von might infer from Secretary Boutwell's report, that the debt can’t be funded at less than 6 percent. By taking 10-40 bonds, therefore, you would be undisturbed as long as the banking Bystem lasts, or at least lor thirty years and more. None of the 10-40 S mature before A. D. 1904, and that is quite long enough to embrace within the scope of any financial operation. It might be well to have your formal application for your . increase of capital, and then take such time as you may wish for getting your stocks subscribed. If you desire, I will confer with Senator Rice in legard tqgforms, etc. It might be better now to l.t him take the lead. Yours very truly, J. G. Blaine. W. Fisher, Jr. Augusta, Me., Dec. 29, 1870.—My Dear Fisher: T am in hopes now that I shall secure $25,000, or pearly that. I find money very tight and rates well up to 9 per cent, stiff at that. The moßt of It will be for five or six months. If I had had more time and earlier notice I could have raised more, and at easier rates. I have seen most of theT>artieß to whom bonds are due. I do not have much trouble about the January coupons ■of the first-mortgage bonds, but they, of course, •growl some on six of the bonds. I would be glad to have the coupon. I promised them individually to make it right in the future. I did not in any way use the name of the company, nor commit you to anything—only mvself. Only the land bonds, I cannot make them see the equity of removing the April coupon, and I promised to try and adjust that matter with you on my return to Boston. They all agree with one voice that no bond shall be exposed for sale. I wish you could give me the benefit ■of that fraction, making thirty-two of the firstmortgage bonds for the $31,500 due. I used the •extra s>oo in adjusting the interest matter, and it fits completely. I will make it all right with you. What I want, then, is $82,000—532,000 firstmortgage bonds, $50,000 land bonds; and also for collateral to thpnotes for $25,000 an additional $50,000 of land bonds. Please meet me at Mr. Caldwell’s private office on Saturday at 12:15 sharp. I shall try to bo there at noon, but allow fifteen minutes for grace. It is verv important that I have everything completed that day, as a man will come to Boston with me to take charge of the bonds. Yours in great haste, J. G. Blaine. Forty-first Congress, United States House of Representatives, Washington, D. C., Jan. 26, 1871. —My Dear Mr. Fisher: I have this momentwrftten to Air. Caldwell suggesting that in casedrcan arrange a meeting in this city next week with Col. Thomas A- Scott, to come on here. I have some reason for believing that a very advantageous arrangement may be made for taking, say, $300,000. I will telegraph Mr. Caldwell by Tuesday evening if I can arrange the meeting and ask him to hold himself in

readiness for the journey. Your letter Is this moment received. You ask my advice; let me have an accurate and reliable statement of your financial condition and I can do something. I feel very sanguine with Thomas A. Scott. I tnink yon will not deem me unreasonable when I again and persistently urge that I ought to have good notes for the sk,ooo, and that I ought also to have the $82,000 bonds which were made by yourself and Mr. Caldwell the express basis of the $25,000 loan. I do not believe your company has a stronger or more equitable aud legal claim than mine, while its personal hardships to me are bitter and burning and humiliating to the last degree. Sincerely your friend, J. G. Blaine. Fobtt-second Congbess, United States House of Representatives, Washington, D. C„ April 21,1871,—My Dear Mr. Caldwell: On the 29th Inst, the second note of the loan I negotiated in December last falls due. The first for $2,032.50, which fell due March 1-4,1 was compelled to meet at the greatest possible inconvenience to myself. I drew on Mr. Fisher for the amount, but he declined to notice the draft. The note which falls dne on the 29th inst. is for $2,578.35. It seems extremely hard and unjust that I should be compelled to pay this money. ltds no more my debt than the debt of President Grant or* Queen Victoria, and I cannot believe that you and Mr. Fisher, both or either, intend to leave this burden on pie. If you doit will crush me. I have no possible means wherewith to meet these notes, and I beg of you and Mr. Fisher, either or both, to come to my relief. In a letter from Mr. Fisher mATer date of Jan. 24 he writes as follows: “In regard to the $25[000 which you borrowed and loaned to Mr. Caldwell, or rather Mr. Pratt, as it was assumed by Mr. Pratt because ytfu received from him $50,000 in land bonds for the amount. Upon my visiting the office for the first time after you left the city Mr. Pratt said be and Mr. Farrington gave to yon their individual bonds, and they kept the money. And in order to obtain the money and get out of Mr. Pratt’s hands', I obtained $50,000 in land bonds and took what I supposed to be money, but it was not there. Part of it had been misapplied to other matters. Fifteen thousand dollars of it I loaned Mr. Caldwell. The balance went into a house at Little Rock without my knowledge or consent, and Pullman cars, etc., etc.” Now, my dear sir, if this be a correct statement, may I not hope yon may relieve me to the extent of the $15,000 and Mr. Fisher will surely pay .the other $10,000? As a wholly innocent third party, doing my best to act as a sincere and steadfast fnOnd to both of you, I ought not be left exposed to financial rnin and personal humiliation. Please read this taMr. Fisher. I have advised him of my writing to you. Sincerely yours, J. G. Blaine. Josiah Caldwell, Esq. No. 1 Pembebton Squaee, Boston, April 25, 1870.—Dear Fisher: I inclose a letter from Blaine. I forgot to speak to yon about them when I saw you this afternoon. I hope you can help him. I would if it were in my power. Blaine is an Important man for ns to have. He feels all right toward I only wish that I was so situated that I could help him. Yours very truly, J. Caldwell. This letter inclosed Mr. Blaine’s letter to Caldwell of April 21,1871. Augusta, Me., Jnne 14, 187 L—My Dear Mr. Fisher: I tried very hard yesterday and day before (Monday and Tuesday) to see you, but was not fortunate enough to run across you. I am in a very painful and embarrassing situation, growing out*of my connection with the Fort Smith enterprise. I have paid and caused to be paid into your treasury about $150,060, and the only result to me is the most painful perplexity. The most painful of all—the most’ oppressive—is the $25,000 which I paid to Mr. Pratt for you January 2, which I borrowed here on my own credit on the distinct understanding with you that it was to be repaid, and that I was also to receive a certain proportion of bonds. I have received only a part of the bonds—the larger part—and not a dollar of the money. And now, in addition to all other troubles. I have SIO,OOO of coupons, a little over that amount, which I am held to take care of partly through verbal understanding and partly through written agreement—coupons due in April on the land bonds and to fall due in July on the first-mortgage bonds. Now, I have a proposition to make to you which I think most liberal and fair, going as far as 1 possibly can so without ruining myself past all recovery, f you will look at a copy of our agreement in your hands, you will find there is still due to me $70,000 of land bonds and $32,000 of first mortgage. In order to square myself with my friends I need and must have $36,000 in land bonds and $3,000 in first mortgage—sls,ooo in all—still leaving $57,000 of mine in your hands. Now, if you will take up these SIO,OOO of coupons, paying me the cash therefor, and give me the $45,000 of bonds, I will let all the remainder of onr matters stand until you are perfectly at ease and ready to open correspondence on the subject yourself. In other words, I will leave the matter in your hands until the Fort Smith enterprise is out of the woods and its tangled affairs well smoothed out. I trust, in consideration of our many years of friendship, as well as in view of the peculiar relations I have held in this matter, you will make an effort to do this. Pray let me hear from you at your earliest leisure, and greatly oblige yours truly, J. G. BLAINE. W. Fisher, Jr., Esq.

Bostqn, Sept. 30, 1871.— My Dear Blaine: It Is of the greatest importance that the parties owning the interest, the $25,000, and invested by them in the Northern Pacific Railroad, should receive what is dug them, and nnless something is done about it I shall be forced to turn the document over to them, and you settle directly with them. lam constantly reminded about it, and they all say: "Why don’t Blaine deliver to you our Interest?” Mr. Caldwell tells me he has paid you his last note due you, and gave you the $50,000 land bonds in addition. I should judge it was for your interest to settle the matter at once and have no further delay. You must be your own judge in the matter, bnt my advice is to settle at once. I remain, Wabben Fisher, Jr. Mr. Blaine’s letter of Ocjj, 1, ltf7l, already published, is the answer to this letter. Boston, Oct. 24, 1871. —My Dear Blaine: Yesterday I received your favor of the 21st- inst., which I replied to by telegram. Mr. C. has not been in this city for four weeks. He is now in St. Louis. I can get no information when Mr. Caldwell is to return. When he does I will lay the matter before him. In the meantime I can say nothing in regard to the matter farther than what I have heretofore told you, that Mr. Caldwell represented to me that he had paid for your account, and for which he has your receipts, all but $2,500 of the $25,000 which you loaned, for which yon received as collateral $50,000 of the Little Rock and Fort Smith land-grant bonds, which you since sold at 60 cents on the dollar, realizing therefor $30,000, leaving you in advance of funds even if Mr. Caldwell had paid yon nothing. I have heretofore advised yon that I had been frequently importuned for the securities of the Northern Pacific Railrhad, and as a last resort I had to surrender you obligation for the benefit of the parties in interest, who now say that after so long delay they will not take the securities, but require you to refund the money. I remain, Wabben Fishes, Jb. Augusta, Me., Nov. 31, 1871— My Dear Mr. Fisher: I write Mr. Caldwell this day earnestly asking him to. relieve me from the very pressing and painful embarrassment entailed npon me by raising the money I loaned to yon and him last winter. Mr. Saldwell has paid me $6,000. There remains $21,000, with considerable interest. There is due, also, to me under contract with yon, $70,000 land bonds and $32,000 first mortgage. Retaining in my possession the $50.000 land bonds as collateral to the note, there is still due me $20,000 land bonds and the first mortgage bonds, $32,010. I have already made one proposition tor settlement, to which I call Mr. Caldwell's attention. X must have the matter settled in some way and at once. Sincerely yours. J. G. Blaine. W. Fisher. Jr.. Esq. P. S.—lt is very important to me that I have some bonds next week. If you don’t accept the proposition I have made, suppose you consider this: Let me retain the land bonds now in my possession as satisfaction for loaned money, and you pay me the $70,000 land bonds and $32,000 first mortgage dne to me under the contract. I do not make this proposition to be bound by it. I merely suggest it. But I must have the matter settled in some way quickly. Boston, Nov. 4,1871.—My Dear Blaine: Your letter of the 3d inst. received. I hope Mr. Caldwell will respond to your request promptly and satisfactorily. I cannot say anything until I see Mr. Caldwell, who keeps out of the way of creditors, but he will call upon me soon. If you have given any to parties at Washington or disposed of them to others it is no consern of mine, and of course must be accounted for in settlement hereafter. I remain yours, etc., W. Fishes, Jb. Augiista, Me., Nov. 8. 1871.—My Dear Mr. Fisher: lam pressed daily for the bonds, which up to this time I have never been able to deliver. Let me assure yon that if I were suffering in this matter alone I would not bother you, but wait in silepee the issue of events. Bnt hdw can I do this with parties who have paid their money earnestly demanding of me the consideration promised by me, bnt which I am not able to give because I do not receive the bonds to which lam entitled by contract? lam ready to receive any reasonable proposition you may make. It is not a question of money making with me. It is simply a question of saving my word with others. I will sacrifice a great deal to get a settlement. I feel assured of your friendly disposition toward me, and, therefore, I do not wish to seem importunate and troublesome; but if you knew the agonies I have suffered in this matter during the past six

mouths you would pity me, I am sure, and make a great effort to relieve me. Pray let me know what I may expect. Yours very sincerely, J. G. Blaine. Warren Fisher, Jr. Boston, Nov. 10, 18T1.—My Dear Blaine: lam i in receipt of your favor of the Bth inst., from which 1 am led to Infer that the contracts I made through you to your Eastern friends have not been fulfilled on my part, but such is not the fact, as I have delivered each and every one : of them, all the securities, in accordance with the contracts, and they have surrendered to me my obligations. You are well aware of the condition ot the road, and that yon have received your full proportion of the bauds to whioh yon were entitled under the Eastern contracts when yon consider the length of the road completed. I think yon can readily see that I can make no proposition further than as the road progresses to deliver yon bonds in accordance. 1 know but little of your obligations to deliver bonds to others, bnt taking into account the SIOO,OOO bonds yon sold to Tom Scott, and the amount of money .'you received on the Eastern contracts, onr relative positions, financially, in the Little Bock <fc Fort Smith Railroad bear a wide contrast. Mr. Caldwell is here, bnt I have not seen him; still I presume he has paid procer attention to your letter addressed to him. I remain, with kind regards, Warren Fishes, Jb. Tjie following was in reply to Mr. Blaine’S letter of April 13. 1872, already published: Boston, April 16, 1872.—My Dear Blaine: Your favor of the 13th inst. reashed me this morning. I am surprised at its contents. I have loaned you at various times, when you were comparatively poor, very large sums of money, and never have you paid me one dollar from your own pocket, either principal or interest. I have paid sundry amounts to others to whom you were indebted, and these debts have been allowed to stand unpaid like the notes which I hold. I have placed yon in positions whereby you hays received very large sums of money without one dollar of expense to yon, and you ought not to forget the fact on my part. Of all the parties connected with the Little Bock and Fort Smith Railroad no one has been so fortunate as yourself in obtaining money out of it. You obtained subscriptions from your friends in Maine for the bnllding of the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad. Out of their subscriptions you obtaiued a large amount, both of bonds and money, free of cost to you. 1 have your own figures, and know the amount. Owing to your political position yon were able to work off all your bonds at a very high price, and the fact is well known to others as well as myself. Would your friends in Maine be satisfied if they knew the facts? Are my associates satisfied to have you'obtaln $25,000 for Northern Paoifio Railroads, and yon not make the investment as per agreement? The course you have thought proper to take in regard to my request is rather a poor one, taking your relations with me, and I again ask you toireconsider and grant it. You will find it much easier to pay by obtaining the credit, and I selected that course, thinking it to be the best. If you again decline I shall be obliged to use the notes or sell them to outside purchasers. Necessity knows no law. Whatever bonds are still due to you will be delivered as the road progresses. To the other portions of your letter I make no reply. Yon know the tacts. It is sufficient that I know them, and it is useless to mention them at this time. Please answer at once. I am, respectfully yours, Wabben Fishes, Jb. The reply to this letter Is Mr. Blaine's letter of April 18, 1872, already published. The expression, “obtained the credit," in the above letter, refers to a request by Mr. Fisher that Mr. Blaine would give him a letter of credit to be drawn against by Mr. Fisher during a proposed European trip—Mr. Blaine being at the time indebted to Mr. Fisher for borrowed money, for which Mr. Fisher held Mr. Blaine’s demand promissory notes. [Confidential.] Washington, D. C., April 16, 1876.-My dear Mr. Fisher: You can do me a very great favor, and I know it will give you pleasure to do so, just aFI would do for you'under similar circumstances. Certain persons and papers are trying to throw mnd at me to injure my candidacy before the Cincinnati convention, and you may observe they are trying it in connection with the Little Rock and Fort. Smith matter. I want you to send me a letter such as the inclosed draft You will receive this to-morrow (Monday) evening, and it will be a favor I shall never forget if you will at once write me the letter and mail the same evening. The letter Is strictly true, is honorable to you and to me, and will stop the months of slanderers at once. Regard this letter as strictly confidential. Do not show it to any one. The draft is in the hands of my clerk, who is as trustworthy as any man can be. If you cannot get the letter in season for the 9 o’clock mail to New York, please be sure to mail it during the night, so that it will start first mail Tuesday morning. But, if possible, I pray you to get it in the 9 o'clock mail Monday evening. Kind regards to Mrs. Fisher. Burn this letter. Sincerely. J. G. B. This letter was indorsed on the back as follows: Not knowing your exact address, I send this to the Parker House, in order that it may (not) be subjected to any danger in the hands of a carrier. J. G. B.

The Western Union Telegraph Company, dated Washington, D. C., 1876, received at 9:44, April 16. To Warren Fisher, Commonwealth Hotel: Please go to Parker House to-morrow (Monday) evening on arrival morning mall from New York. Find letter. .Answer by mail. J. G. Blaine. 19 D. 11. 4 p. m. The following is the inolosnre referred to in the preceding letter: Boston, April, 1876.—H0n. J. G. Blaine, Washington, D. C.—Dear Sir: I observe that certain newspapers are making, or rather insinuating, the absurd charge that you own or had owned $150,000 of Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad bonds, and that you had in some way obtaiued them as a gratuity. The enterprise of building the Little Rock and Fert Smith Railway was nndertaken in 1869, by a company of Boston gentlemen, of whom I was one. The bonds of the road were put upon the market in this city on what were deemed very advantageous terms to the purchaser. They were sold largely through myself. Yon became the purchaser of about $30,000 of the bonds on precisely the same terms that every other buyer received, paying for them in installments running over a'considerable period, just as others did. The transaction was perfectly open, and there was no more secrecy in regard to it than if you had been buying flour or sugar. lam sure you never owned a bond of the that you did not pay for at the market I am sure that no one received bonds on any other terms. When the road got into financial difficulties and loss fell upon it you still retained yonr bonds, and you held them clean through to the reorganization of the company in 1874, exchanging for stock and bonds of the new company. You acquired, also, some demands against the new company.bv reason of your having joined with others in raising some money when the company,,was in pressing need. For the recovery of that money proceedings are now pending in the United States Circuit Court in Arkansas, to which you are openly a party of record. Concealment of the investment and everything connected with it would have been very easy had concealment been desirable, bnt your action in the matter was as open and as fair as the day. When the original enterprise failed, I know with what severity the pecuniary loss fell on yon, and with what integrity and nerve you met it. Years having since elapsed, it-seems rather hard at this late day to be compelled to meet a slander In the matter where your conduct was in the highest degree honorable and straightforward. You may use this letter in any way that will be of service to you. Yery sincerely yours, W. F. Jb. The words “ Indeed, I am sure that no one received bonds on any other terms,” were interlined in the foregoing letter in Mr. Blaine's own handwriting. We hereby certify the foregoing to be true and correct copies of the originals. Wabben Fisher, James Mulligan, Boston, Sept. 12, 1884.