The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-02-15
TIE CREDIT MOBILER.

THE CREDIT MOBILEk.
Mr.. Cakes Ames appeared before the
Poland Committee on Tuesday last with
the little book which he processes to have
kept the private accounts Of 50 many Of
our leading Statesman in. But nothing
new appears to have been found in the
"little book" Ames reiterated all the
charges formerly made against Vice Presi-
dent Colfax, and Mr.. Colfax as persistently
denied them. Ames is a grand scamp and
not worthy of belief, but his story is so
we'll supported by circumstantial evidence;
by entries on his memorandum book and
by checks and bank entries, that it is hard
to discredit. The following, however, is
the Vice Presidents version Of the $1,000
bank deposit.
After my nomination. in May, 1868. !
had numberless appeals for contributions
for political expenses in various localities,
professions, bands, charity. religious, &c,
and had promised to contribute as prompt
" and as largely as possible to the legitl-
mate expenses of the canvass in my own
sharply contested State of Indiana. there
fore asked Mr.. Matthews to pay me his
Indebtedness as soon as he could raise it, to
assist me in meeting those demands Incl
dent to my new position. During the
month of June, 1868, and as nearly as
can fix the time about the middle of this
month, he paid me $500 in bills on account
and early the next month, he paid me
another installment, completing the whole
payment before Congress adjourned late in
July. l am very confident that this 5000
formed part of the $1,000 deposit, being
part of my cash accounts between the de-
posts of June l aud %.
About the time of this payment, and as
near as can fix the day, about the middle
of the month of June, and very soon after
the payment of Matthews, was opening
my letter mail at the breakfast table, III
accordance with my usual custom, and
found an envelope within another envelope,
post -marked New York. On opening the
inner envelope found it contained a letter
written by George F. Ncsbitt, congratulate
ing me cordially and warmly on my nomi-
nation for the Vice. Presidency and saying
that the writer desired to send me confiden-
TALLY the remittance enclosed to aid me in
the heavy expenses of the canvass, but
wished it kept secret, as neither his fam
know of it unless told them. Enclosed
in this letter was greenback bill of 81, 600.
1t was as gratifying as it was liberal, aud
holding up the letter and the bill, asked
the attention of all my family to 1t, and
then read them the letter. The fact of
sending so large bill by mail was COM
mented on, and the magnitude of the gift
was discussed, when Mr.. Matthews remark
ed that it came in GOOD time, either he or
I then referring specially to the appeal of
Mr.. Gamer, chairman of the Indiana Re
publican Committee, for money to aid in
arranging for the canvass already in active
progress there. Tho bill was then passed
around from hand to hand and examined.
and at leisure deposited it with the 5000
| had received from Mr.. Matthews, and
purchasing, on the very same day, as the
bank books show, draft for the exact
amount of the remittance, and in exact &C
cordance with the donors wish. and exact.
" as discussed at my table at the time.
and sent it at once to the chairman of
of the Republican Committee at Indian
apolis. Fortunately this does not rest on
my own testimony alone. Living witnesses
will tell the committee that they remember
the receipt of this bill and the contents of
the letter in which it is enclosed, and that
it was at Nesbitt's desire; aud the draft
presented and sworn to by the cashier of
the bank proves that the very day deposit
ed $1,000 in bills l bought and RENTED
out of my deposit draft for 81, 500 to the
chairman of the Indiana State Committee,
that draft, endorsed by Mr.. Conner, was
found in the bank here, and laid before the
committee the next day after the bank de-
posits was testified to, my council at the
~. ,e., 20 cxyi
dence My family at the time consisted of
Mr.. Matthews, and my half-sister, Mrs.
Hollister, whose residence is in distant
Territory, beyond the Rocky Mountains.
I said it was fortunate there were living
witnesses to this besides myself, for on a
thorough examination of the accounts and
papers of Mr.. Ncsbitt, made by his exccu-
tor, at my request, Mr.. Nesbitt having
died the next year, no trace of it is there
found. He had carried out exactly what
he wrote; that it was intended to be con-
tidential and unknown even to his own
family. There are living witnesses here to
prove that l received at that time this
$1,000 bill-one of them having made a
5000 mile midwinter journey alone to tell
this committee her recollection Of it.
In answer to questions of Judge Poland,
Mr. Colfax said he thought he received til e
$1,000 the day after he received the money
from Mr.. Matthews; he received the 81, 600
from Mr.. Nesbitt about the middle of the
month succeeding the nomination.
G. ". Matthews sworn.-Was step-fatl,-
er of Mr.. Colfax, and resided with him in
1867 and 1868; borrowed the money from
him in 1868, as related by Mr. Colfax; paid
him 5000 about the 10th Of June. and
another hundred about the first of July fol
lowing; witness corroborated the testimony
of Mr.. Colfax in relation to the receipt OF
$1,000 from Mr.. Nesbitt at the break fas,
table.
Mrs. Caroline Hollistir sworn.-Witnes:
resides in Utah. and is Il half sister to MIR
Colfax; resided with him in 1868: she cor
roborated Mr.. Colfax's evidence in regard
to the $1,000 note received from Mr. Mes
bitt.
This closed the evidence and the Com
mittee set about preparing their report
Admitting all that Mr.. Colfax states tt
be true aud that Ames is attempting tt
ruin the character ard reputation of the
Vice. President from malicious motives
the great fact stands before the countr,
that bribery on grand scale is resorted tt
by the great corporations of the country It
corrupt the legislatures Of the nation.-
That this Credit Mobilier stock was fo
sale on terms so easy that no sensible
man could believe it was the earning.
Of honest industry, is fact SO plain thai
the affair becomes matter of astonish
ment, when we find that it was offered By
Ames to members of Congress on sucl
terms as no business man ever heard of
The whole thing has an air SO unbusiness
like about it that on its very face the trans
actions assume the appearance of bribery
That our leading Statesmen can be SO cas-
lily tempered with as Cakes Ames seems te
have tempered with these Congressman is
q matter of the gravest apprehension te
every honorable minded man. Bribery anc
corruption run riot in the halls of legisla
ton, and municipal governments through ou
the land Two Senators from one State
Caldwell and Pomeroy of Kansas have boil
been found guilty of bribing the legisla.
ture of their own State in order to secure