The Portland Daily Press

THE BRIBERY CHARGES.
Attempt of the Fusionists to Implicate Senator Blaine.
Mr. Blaine Pronounces all Their Charges False in Every Particular.

AUGUSTA, Jan. 9-8.55 P.M.-Senator Blaine has just sent the following despatch in response to one received here stating that a New York evening paper printed a special attempting to implicate him in Swan's bribery case:

AUGUSTA, Me., Jan. 9, 1880.

To J. W. Simonton, Agent New York Associated Press, New York:

Have seen your despatch to Mr. Boutelle. That is the first I ever heard of any charge against me. But whatever the form or phrase of the accusation I pronounce it an unqualified calumny, and merely a part of the wicked, unparalleled conspiracy to deprive a free people of their suffrage by fraud, forgery and perjury. I am busy night and day in the task of thwarting the conspirators, and it is merely a part of their dastardly and despicable course to invent some form of slander against me. I have not seen the charge, but I know it is a lie out of whole cloth and cannot now be diverted from the real work in hand to do more than denounce the calumny and its authors.

(Signed)
J. G. BLAINE.

SWAN'S STATEMENT
The Job He Says He Put Up to Catch Republicans.

BOSTON, Jan. 9.-The statement made by Swan in the Maine House of Representatives today relative to the attempt to bribe him is as follows:

The press of the Republican party makes charges against me reflecting upon my honor and integrity in relation to matters connected with my position as a member of the House. I refer to the attempt to bribe me by an agent of the Republican party. I will now briefly state the main facts connected with this affair.

I came from my house to the city on Saturday, Jan. 3d. On Monday following rumors were afloat that men had been offered money to absent themselves from the House of Representatives so no quorum would be present on the first Wednesday of January. Late in the evening of January 5 a reliable person who is now a member of this House informed me that Wallace R. White of Winthrop had called upon him and offered him $1000 in cash to deliver up his certificate and resign as a member of the House which he had refused to accept and that said White informed him that he wanted three more to resign and requested him to see me. Upon this information I went at once to the Augusta House and found Hon. E. H. Gove, Secretary of State, and told him what I knew about the matter. Gove and myself then went out and found Solon Chase and in their presence I hastily drew up and signed my statement. Swan continued: I then went and informed the gentleman who had been offered the $1000 to see White in the morning and inform him that I would resign for $1000. He saw White the next morning about 9 o'clock and gave him the information that I had requested. White sent back the request for me to meet him at the court house at 10.30. I went there at about that time and met Wallace R. White, who took me up stairs into a corner room. He then showed to me a statement as follows:

AUGUSTA, Jan. 6, 1880.

To the Chairman of the Democratic and Greenback Caucus:

After mature deliberation I have concluded that it is my duty as a citizen to obey the laws as they are construed and decided by the Supreme Judicial Court. I cannot therefore lend my aid to keeping out of their seats the Republican Representatives-elect-whom the Supreme Court has declared entitled thereto. I therefore give public notice that I will not participate in the organization of the House until it shall be fairly and fully determined to obey the mandate of the court. To resist that mandate is revolution destructive both to my party and the great interests of the State.

(Signed)
THOMAS B. SWAN.

He informed me that I should have to write a statement like it and sign the same, and also sign a resignation and deliver up my certificate to him. He said they should not want to use the resignation, but wanted it to show that I acted in good faith, and that, after the House was organized, I could take my seat and the Republicans would put me on important committees. I informed him I would sign the papers, and he said he had got to go and get the money as he did not bring it. He left the room and returned in about twenty minutes, and said it was all right. He then read to me and I copied in my own hand the letters to the chairmen of the Democratic and Greenback committees. He also read a resignation which I copied. I then put said papers without my signature into my pocket. We then counted the money and found it correct. I then signed the papers and took the money. He said he wanted some more men, and wanted to know if I knew of any he could get. I told him I thought he could get Harriman of Kennebunk. He told me to see him and come with him at 1.30 o'clock. I then left and called into the Augusta House to see if I could find Harriman, but did not find him. Mr. Swan continued: I went to the Augusta House, and found Harriman. Told him what had taken place, and he agreed to go with me, at 1.30 o'clock, and take the money and expose the fraud. I went to my dinner and then returned to the Augusta House, where I again found Harriman, and not far from 2 o'clock, we went toward the Court House. Before we reached it I showed him White standing on the platform. White went into the building, and so did Harriman. As I passed by the Court House White stuck his head out of the window of the same corner room and motioned to me, and I answered the motion with a nod of my head. I then went to the Granite National Bank, taking the money which White had paid me, and bought this draft on Boston. I do not claim this money, and it is subject to the order of the person who furnished it."

The Herald special adds:

"It is charged that when White left Harriman in the Court House to go after the money he was followed down State street and seen to enter Blaine's house. Upon leaving it he went directly to the Court House."