The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-12-24
Cakes Amesism.

None will rejoice more heartily than we if
The parties implicated by the testimony of Nc
Comb, Ames and other witnesses before the
Credit Mobilier investigating committee sue
ceed in fully clearing themselves. We already
have great occasion for thankfulness in the
andeniable fact that no representative of
Maine in either house is longer an OBJ
iect of even suspicion. But if Mr.. Ames il
correctly report ID we object to he's method of
exculpating himself and his associates and
victims WITH all the earnesiness of which we
are capable. He is said to take the ground
that mo harm has been done-Congressm
haze right to inuest in stocks as freely as
Others" even when the value of such stocks
will be affected by legislation to be made by
these same Congressman. Herein lies the
great danger of this terrible Credit Mobilier
business. 1t would be bad enough to have
the popular confidence in some of our most
respected and trusted public men so newhat
impaired for months. 1t is sadder still to ap-
prehend that on few of them-heaven grant
they may be rery fep-a cloud of richly merit
Ell obloquy is setting down, never to be re-
made by Mr.. Ames, his victims and their
friends to debauch public morals and to bring
the tone of pub ic opinion down to such low
point as to Justify their offenscs-in short, to
bring the national conscience down to the
Oakes Amss level, the well-beng of the coun-
try is seriously endangered. We trust that
The sternness with which the ad ption of the
Credit Mobilier dogma is resisted by the press,
pulpit and people will discourage these wick
ed apostles of the new gospel of thieves. 9th
erwise the apostasy of the American peorle
will be only comparable with that of the Israe-
lites when they deliberately made
golden calf and Frustrated themselves
hafnra it. Let us rejoice in a
| spirit over every man who
d innocent, but let us call every
o is found guilty by his true name
.obber. He has deliberately betrayed
-iiis trust as a representative of the people,
he has taken bride, none the less culpab'e
because indirect as an inducement to plum
Ter them and as his part of the proceeds of
The enterprise. He is infinitely more infa-
nous than Tweed, or Connolly, or Hall, or
Sweeney or any of the New York scum
whose thieying has beeh of that gross, vulgar
kind which il consonant with their we'll
Hnown character. Theft became attractive
ID no one but their brother roughs because
~ practical it. Rascality acquired no |
8 'becanse they followed its promptings
But 4 hat will be the effect on public opin-
lar iiieady too indllgent to financial irregu-
iat ty, If the first men in the nation are
81 anted the privilege not only of stealing but
Of retaining public respect and confidence as
well as their unlawful gainsq Who af,er
that, wou,2 wonder if the confidential clorl
plundered his employer? if the cashier am
bezzled the money with which he is entrust-
ed? if the officers of life insurance compau;os
made away with their funds? if pension
ager Is, revenue collectors and other subordi-
nate government officers initiated the exam
pie Of their superiors? If the country would
AVOID such general tide of corruption and
fraud as will make the American name infam-
Gus wherever it is mentioned, if our people
70 not wish to be thought to occupv the
same place on the moral scale as italian han
tittl, Cakes Amesism must be mt down
with strong, prompt hand Otherwise we
mall come in few years to count the rebel
ION among minor evils