New-York tribune., 1872-10-10
rur oREDJT MoBrLrER SCANDAL.

The operations of Oakes Ames in bribing
Members of Congress with his Credit Mobilier
stock have not yet been explained away. Nor
will they be, because the evidence against
him does not rest upon Tumor or upon any
body's statement. 1t is matter or recofd III
the proceedings of Congress and OF court Oh
law. All the denals, evasive or explicit, that
tho men who figure upon Amess hst may
choose TO make do not affect the case IN tho
least. The main features OF this disgraceful
business appear in no better light than at
first. Explanations and protestations cannot
alter the record. The facts remain unques-
toned They are in brief as follows:
1. In January, 1858, 0akes Ames, az shown
by his own letters, the authenticity of which
he Confesses, and by the letter Of Senator
Bayard who spurned the offered bribe,
was engaged in bnbing Members OF
Congress with shares of stock in the Credit
Mobiler, to secure their votes and influence
for whatever legislation the Union Paclnc
Railroad might desire. On the 18th OF that
month he wrote that he was placing the stock
"where it will protect u.s. and where 1t VIII
"do us most goodD On the Both of January
he wrote: al have placed this stock where 1t
"will produce most good to us. think"
9. The proceedings of Congress show that
about that time the Railroad Company wanted
protection. In the short session OF the mo-
vember previous, Mr.. G. G. Washburne mad IN
troduced a bin fixing a tariff of freight and
passenger rates for the road. On the 2Oth Oh
January he again brought it forward IN the
form of a resolution and tried to pass 1t. IL
was q matter of common report that Wash
burne and his brother, Elihu B. Washburne,
were in possession of facts highly damaging
to the management of the road. and meant to
make an attack upon the Company. This was
Washburne's mover which induced Ames to
I" go in for one bond dividend IN full"
3. The proceedings of Congress further show
that after the date when Ames says he had
nlaced bia stock he succeeded without much
trouble in gagging discussion, suppressln8 all
legislation adverse to the Railroad Compahys
interests, and in procuring the passage Oh
such measures as the Company desired. The
proposal to limit the Company's exoroltant
charges was killed the same session. In the
next session bill was passed to validate the
acts of the Ames management and to allow
the Company to remove its Offices TO Boston
to escape trouble in New-York Court In
1871 Congress directed the Treasury to pay
the Company for carrying mails ana troops,
instead of apprOpriating the amount toward
liqudating the interest on bonds for winch
the Company was defaulter to the Govern
ment The Attorney had decided tDas
the money belonged to the Government
Ames wanted it and got it.
4. Finally, the proceedings of Congress show
that the members whose names appear upon
Ames's list as having been bribed with bis
stock invariably voted. when they voted at all,
Just as Ames wanted them to. On one vote In
the House two or three of them were absent,
and on another, when it made no difference
whether they voted Yea or Nay, they divided.
These are the facts. If honest people draw
from them differences not pleasing to Senator
Wilson, Speaker Blaine Mr.. Sco6eld. and the
Others who is to blame 7