New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-12-27
TOPICS OF THE TIME.
A GOVERNORS OPINION.

SSoy Lewis the newly installed Executive OF
alabama has curious notions concerning his duties
gisited by a reporter be was thus catechised:
Reporter" WIN you please state why you win not
esognise the body claims to be the General Assem-
SiS chat s now in the capitol buildingr
o,sim to be REPRESENTATIVES did not receive either
81 the SSSss sSs
ra the Secretary OF State issued certificates OF election
RoEuen who defeated by large msores, when the
Eertihcates should have been given to those thst did
fecelve the maorltlss In laot, the reLnrnhg D0aru
IN other words Gov Lewis refused 20 recognize
aegisature which had it than six men whom he
tnought entitled seats SO he went OF in rage
and recognized legal Legislature $50 ealled) made
np Of eight who claim 10 have been elected TO
the real Legislature ana of . great body of men who
never pretended have been elected 10 anything
at az. that not "strAinng at gate and swallowing
y savmil" would like TO know what 1t is. But The
Missouri Republican is immensely tiekled with the Gov
erpor's crushing reply and says
The people Of Missouri viii recall precisely similar
pguTpaton this, committed by Radical Secretary
hs.atc, Rodman, in 1868. he Issued certificates of
when toe certificates should have been gwen 10 those
who did receive the maj0rtes In fact the Missouri
secretsy of State undertook TO dsranchse thousands
of voters"
When Governors made judges OF the Qualifca-
tions OF cOntestiDg members of o LeGslaturei
MR. F. w. BIRD AND THE CREDIT MOBILIER.
In a letter to The TRIBUNE, Mr.. L. w. Bird
eAlQ In MASSACHUSETTS, cared ABOUT
fortunes regulations of the men whose names are
connected with the Credit Mobilier scandals but. ne
added they DO whether those who voted certain
concessions 70 the Union Pacific Railroad in
kerested that stock To this The Woreester Spy
marks:
1--WE, in Massachusetts," care very little indeed about
fhe transaotons Of corrupt men, save have them
posed and punished but understand that some
sb things must be cisssed this assumption that
p the most irreproachabe members OF Congress We're
briDed pass in to the building
pfs Pacific railroad In this case the demand on human
As for the Credit MoSiieT, we know little or nothing
shout it, managers have been guilty OF bribery
Ihe bribery accomplished Plainly was the act of
Congress passed IN 1854, which contained the Govern
AZ that time, there was no Ring" such as MI Bird
supPOses. ,,,, .uD,,n
began the work. but being unable 60 80 on with IT. broke
panyy hs and SS cSd BY w6S
kgts rapidly completed. These companies did not
se and the WoTk was Completed Without additional
legislation. Tue charges Of bribery for that purpose are
sInply preposterous
f course 1t was not the act OF 1854 which was bribed
Through Congress by the of Credit Mobier stock
Nobody pretends that it nor does anybody pre-
teRd thar the Union Pacific people not asking fs
gors of Congress while they distributing stock
Bur correspondent asked II the act Of 1854 passed
BY the use of amy ilegitimate meansp
tits weak evasion Of the whole subject to say that
the momentous legislation asked by the railroad
people out of the way before the Credit Mobier
business invented. Here CHARACTERISTIC extract
en the subject from The Albany EDeni1 Journal:
Mr F. W. Bird asserted, in a letter to TEE TRIBUNE,
that member OF the Credit Mober Investigating Com
nitee had been offered stock and honest man had
Sefused it, The member to whom was understood TO
keef is Gen. Banks who belongs 70 the same state with
Mr. Bird who like him, is LIBERAL and who Is init
6atey associated with him.
Mr Bird made the statement positively as OF ms own
knowledge. But now Gen Banks himself ana
Hectares that he was offered or approached,
hrecty OF indirectly by MIR. Ames, at any time, with
rsdt Mober stock and that the only incident which
EVEN resembed such q transaction was an enort OF
George Francis Train to induce him TO take some Credit
konoier stock Mr.. Bird will please explain himself
Good Heavensl Is Gen Banks the only honest man
On the Investigating Committed