Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-09-23
WORCESTER.
MONDAY. SEPT. 90, 1879.
A Calumnintor Corrected.

Hon. Cakes Ames stated, in the card to his
constituents, that the last act of congress in aid
of the Union Pacific railroad, was passed in
1864. The New York World says this is false,
as an act in aid of the road was passed in 1871.
But the statement of Mr.. Ames is correct The
act of congress, in 1871, added nothing to the
legislation of 1864. 1t was merely reafirma-
ton of one of the conditions of the original con-
tract made with the men who built the road.
This condition was expressed in the fifth section
of the act of 1864, as follows:
"0nly one-half of the compensation for SER
vices rendered for the government, by said com
panies, shall be required 10 be applied TO the
payment of the bonds issued by the government
IN aid of the construction of said roads"
This enactment seems plain enough; but there
was an attempt to override it, and apply the
whole to the bonds, Immediately, without wait
ing, as the contract intended, to receive addi-
tional payments on the bonds when The business
of the road should become fully and prosperous
ly established. The question thus raised against
this part Of the agreement was discussed in and
out of congress. Finally, it was put to rest in
congress by an amendment to the army appro-
priation, as follows:
'In accordance with the fifth section of the act
approved July 2, 1864, etc, the secretary of the
treasury is hereby directed TO pay over, in
money, to the Pacific railroad companies men
toned in said act and performing services for
the United States, one half of the compensa-
ton, at rates provided by law, for such services
heretofore or hereafter rendered.
Provided, that this section shall not be con-
strued to affect the legal rights of the govern
ment or the obligations of the companies, eX
cept as herein specified and provided"
10 rs 41,o /
cured by the national government 1t was
Justly regarded by the whole country as mat
ter of great national interest; but it was an
enterprise which no private parties could
reasonably venture to undertake without gov
eminent aid. The parties who first attempted
it under the contract with the government ar
ranged in 1864, failed Then Mr.. Ames and
others took it in hand, without asking or desir-
ing change of the contract, and the road was
built. This success was due more to Cakes
Ames than to any other man, and no other
mans private fortune was more completely in
volved in the hazardous enterprise. There was
no additional legislation after he became con.
nected with the undertaking. The terms of the
contract were already fixed, and they have never
been changed.
According to these terms, the government en-
gagged to issue bonds in aid of the construction
of the road, as thework advanced, and grant the
company portion of the public lands along its
line. The road was 10 be completed within
twelve years from the year 1864; and, when it
should begin to do business, the contract re-
quired that it should do any transportation re-
quired by the government, and that one.half of
the compensation for such service should be
used to make payments on the bonds. OF
course, no one imagined that the road would be
in a condition TO do much business, previous to
1876; and it was supposed that the government
would not have its payments of interest on the
bonds refunded to much extent, by the provis-
ion concerning "half the compensation" for
government work during the first twelve years,
and that years would pass, after 1876, before
the road would do much more than develope its
business and provide for its own bonds. But
Mr.. Ames put forces in motion which built the
road with marvellous rapidly, whereby the gov
eminent has saved millions on the cost of trans
portation. Meanwhile, the government has
neither done nor been asked 10 do anything
more in aid of the work, than was provided in
the legislation of 1864. If the character OF Mr.
Ames could allow him 10 attempt corrupting
men with brides, ne would have found no use
for brides, in this case. IT. as the satanic calum-
niators say, he bribed Boutwell, Dawes, Eliot,
Garfield, Bingham, Wilson, and the rest what
did he bride them TO do? He and his associates
built the road without a thought of asking con-
gress to do anything more to aid them. What,
we ask again, could he bride these men to do?
This charge of bribery made against Mr..
Ames, which attempts to befoul the names of
some of the best men in the country, is one of
the Vilest and falsest calumnies that besotted
scoUndrelism ever invented; but it is even more
impotent than base. 1t came from the New
York Sun, whose assistant in the work is a
worthless fellow named McComb. It has been
circulated by journals which, in ordinary times
would have disdaned TO touch the foul thing
Mr. Ames and his associates, who built the
Union Pacific railroad, ought to be regarded
as public benelactors. They undertook haz-
ardons enterprise, and made it successful. They
scrupulously fulfilled all the terms of their con-
tract with the government, and neither sought
nor received from it anything more than it had
promised their predecessors. 1t is well known
that Mr.. Ames imperilled his private fortune by
his connection with this work. and it is known
also that he is as incapable Of dealing in brides as
the men named IN connection are incapable Of
being brlbed. We can understand that those
who are trying to make Mr.. Greeley president,
feel unscrupulous; but there are some things at
which, for their own sakes, they ought to hes-
tate.