The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-08-16

tain contracts which had been made with tHc WnHrE
barre Coal and Railroad Company, which lie aid Mr..
LANE succeeded In doing.
"Q.-Was IL before the electioni
"A-Oh yes, sir months before thM had no
relation to The election all 1t had nothing at all
to do with the Erie Railroad election. ...,
Oh carrying that election and in getting the
contracts fixed with the Erie Railroad the re was
t60.OO paid TO Mr.. DAvIsS .
, Was snS S % 9%h bonds ~ o re services and
then the balance which was paid him tor services
while he trustee. AS acting trustee OF the road
80 by Mr. MoRTox-Trustee of what :
"k-1rus.ee under the BEnDKIL mortgage:
prin.td for his services as trustee, do you remom-
"A.-Ithink tho difference between the flfty bonds
mud the whole amount"
This is the evidence rs to the fact of
bribery and II should be borne in mind that
it consists not merely in the sworn state
ment of President ELDRrDoE, but also of the
account books of the Boston, Hartford and
Erie Company, which shows the payment Of
the money by that Company Of which
ELDRIDGE gives the explanation which we
have quoted. Now let us see what was the
consequence Of this bride upon the Erie
Railway, of which DAVIS was a Director and
counsel. Upon this point the testimony of
Mr.. ELDRiDeE 10 given on page 1876 of the
report as follows:
II made proposition to the Erie Railroad that
they should lake 1--WE millions OF the bonds Of The
Boston, Hartford aud Erie hailrSae. and give me
dollars. The Erie Railroad in July agreed to give
us SO much money or those boudsIthst - four
and SIR. FARwELL came TO New.York and received
checks for that amount and came over and signed
boston, ilarifoTd and Erie; was President OF tie
Rre Railroad, and VIC thought that was the best
way to do II. lie came over and took tnat amount
OF money, and then subsequently,, In about ten days
or two weeks afier that, went To New fork-per-
pfs money which 10 come 70 1
ing TO one million ave hundred Thousand dollars.
"A-rwo millions.
"Q.-And you got the balance
AYES, sir l don't rene nber the amount less
discounts, sc. Igot drafts, &c.
"Q-how were they 70 pay tile four million
"A.-They were to pay the four million dollars in
this way: Two millions in cash; one million FIVE
hundred aud seNenty-dye thousand-if that Is the
amounti don't pretend TO give the exact dEures-
ian drans those drafts i think were payable in
month payments and for the balance there Were
Owe hundred and thirty sevcn bonds OF the Boston,
the sale OF the five millions. Those bonds, as
stated TO the Committee In the first instance here.
wero placed In the hands OF certain parties for alopn
OF Erie stock. certain number OF tho bondholdcrs
OF the Buffalo and Bradford road one OF the leased
these bonds, They agreed to exchange these bonds
or convert them, M they had right 10 do into Erie
stock: they offered TO lend inc upon them, and TO
take Boston, Hartford and Erie bonds Us collateral
guaranteed by the Erie Railroad. gave them the
bonds aud they gave me the Erie stock. became
Whs have taken ny az tn o GsD Thew Sos my
obva' IONS and that was 70 run for eighteen months
The Erie Railroad WIS 10 assume these, and that
to complete the sale and purchase OF the Ave
"Q.-I don't quite understnnd It. You were to
lsve four millions for five million dollars OF bonds
"A.-Ios, sir that was the unlerssa ndng."
Here then is the case as exhibited in this
sworn testimony. taken Ivy the Joint Com.
mittce of the Massachusetts, Legislature, aud
never contradictcd or questioned. JOHN
BANCROFT DAVIS, being q Director and coun.
Sci Of the Erie Railway Company, received y
bride of sixty thousand dollars 10 assist AZ
Director of that Company, the managers OF
the Boston, Hartford and Erie in procuring
from the Eric Company certain contracts
which were very desirable to them, but which
the majority OF the Erie Directors had up to
that time refused, as likely to prove very in
furious 20 their stockholders Having taken
this bride, DAVIS assists ELDRDGE and his
fellow conspirators in making the contract
by which the Erie Company pays four million
dollars for FIVE millions of Boston, Hartford
and Erie bonds. This is the transaction.
The amount of loss which II entailed upon
the stockholders of the Erie Ra ilway, taking
present market price, is something lees than
three millions of dollars. This, however,
has nothing TO do with the principle involved.
Whether the loss OF his clients and constitu.
ents was less or greater the fact is the same.
that JoHS BANCROFT DAVIS is proved by
this testimony TO have received bribe Of
100000 TO Ietray his constituents and dc.
fraud his clients.
Mr. GREELEY proposes that the ques-
ton whether DAVIS has or las not been
brUel should now be referred TO
Gov. CLAFLIS of Massachusetts, because
he IL "a man of dscernment and
integrity, and wholly disnterested In
The premises We do not dispute tho
value OF Gov. CLAFLIN's judgment upon
any subject which he may examine; but il
is not the opinion of WILLIAM CLAFLIS, but
that of HORACE GREELEY, that tho public
are looking for in the present instance
The time was when Mr. GREELEY did not
need the judgment Of any other man TO in.
form him whether public officer had been
guilty of misconduct such as ought to dis
qualify him for the exercise of any public
trust He used TO be prompt and earnest in
exposing every crime of nature similar to
this Of the Acting Secretary of State. He
used to be able to take up such evidence as
that which we have now quoted, and to drive
the holdest criminal by his denunciations
from every place of public honor and power
We appeal TO him now in behalf of the good
name Of his country, of the great political
party of which he Las ever been an honored
leader, of tho credit OF the Government
which we are confident he would not willing.
ly see disgraced, to take up these facts in the
history of BANCROFT DAVIS, and with ear
nest and effective words TO send him back into
that dishonorable obscurity and ignomny
from, Which he nuoht N evar aUain IN arnarn.