The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-08-29
GRAMEKcY PARK Horsx.
Arc Republicans in Favor OF Bribery

me OI0O6, an evening paper, makes the
following comments upon the case Of BAN.
CROFT DAVIS, Acting Secretary of State, aud
his sixty thousand dollar bribe
" TUE Sun has been for a long time charging Ban.
CROFT DAVIS with swindling sixty thousand dollars.
in the shape Of bribe, ou' Of the Erie Railroad
company, and has appealed to Mr. GREELEY to
know Whether he endorsed Mr.. DAVIS in his alleged
crime GREELEY says trere Is no evidence That he
sacquain,ed with TO prove that DAVIS Is guilty, at
eV nts 10 the full extent set down. But perhaps
I've did not swlndle quite 20 much as sixty Thousand
dollars Int let the company oil Tor nifty thousand,
which also IL good round figure, We are tired of
al tits Il MIR DAVIS be a man Of dish0nor an
f. aud, why was he not prosecuted as tcon in the
Grst inst,ncei and how Is 1t possible that ne
could ever, lei such stain OF quit upon him, be
uodsi Why not end 1t all at once aud bring the man
TO tr1.f GREELEY eNiden " slirkS the question al
present ahousl lie viii do IiRht ~ the eat aud 60
IN or DAWES punishment II he be found guilty."
There is a mistake in this statement.
DAvIs's bride of sixty thousand dollars was
not obtained from the Ere Railway Com
paay hut from the Boston, Hartford and
Erie, another corporation established in
Massachusetts,
Our contemporary inquiries why, if DAVIS
g lie q man of dishonor and fraud, he was
not prosecuted as a felon in tho first in.
stanceT The author of this inquiry is
apparently not aware that DAvIs's fraudu-
lent transactions, though committed three
years since, were not known until the 9th
Of March last, when the evidence proving
them was published by the Legislature Of
| Massachusetts. That Log stature had oc-
| cas- on to investigate the affairs of the Bos
ton Hartford and Erie Company. The
| Investigation was conducted by the Joint Com.
mittec on Railroads of the two Houses. In
examining the account books of that Com.
pany they found an entry of sixty thousand
| dollars paid to ], c, b. DAVIS JOIN $,
| ELDRIpGE, President of the Company was
| put under oath and Intercepted in regard 10
| this payment, and he testified that it was
made in order to induce DAVIS, who
was Director of the Erie Company, to
| carry through certain contracts with that
| Company, which contracts ELDRIDGE had
previously cndcavorel in vain to get carried
through, The proof that DAVIS received the
bride of sixty thousand dollars was thus
brought out incidentally, and not upon any
d rect investigation into his doings, Besides,
the bride, though enjoyed in New York. was
paid by corporation of Massachusetts, 30
that it might be nice question whether the
original criminal act was committed in one
State or the other. Moreover, the proper
party 10 prosecute DAVIS would be the Erie
Railway Company, or some of it's stockhold
ers, who might sue him to compel the pay
ment of the damage which his fraudulent
conduct has caused to that corporation. Al
yet, however, no one has taken such action
against him; but 1t la by no means mpossi
bic that it may yet be done.
The man, however, who ought instantly
to act upon these revelations concerning
DAvIs, IL the President of the United States
Before the fact of tho bride was known, h,
had appointed DAVIS TO office rs Assisan
Socrctory Of State and now that the brbcr,
las been proved, it il his duty to dismiss hnl
from that important place of honor an'
} power But Prcsidom GRAST does nothin,