The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-07

at Last-The Power OF tho Herald,
A great moral victory has been achieved for
the independent press through the success
of the HERALD in forcing open the doors Of
the Congressional Committee inquiring into
the doings of the Credit Mobilier. From the
hour when that committee voluntarily cast o
suspicion upon itself and the member who
appointed it, by closing its doors upon the
public and conducting its proceedings in Sc
crecy, the HERALD has demanded that this mo-
mentous matter should be treated in the full
| light of day and under the scrutiny OF the
| public eye 1t seemed, indeed, at one time
as if the palpable endeavor to smother tho
scandal would succeed Witnesses were
examined in private, and the committee ap-
peared to take no heed of our demand. IL
looked, too, as if fear of the revelations that
might ensue had gagged the utterance OF those
who should. from their interested and ohal-
leneed position, have been the first to ask an
omen, fearless and full investigation. Here,
then, was a case in which the independent
press alone could stretch forth its mighty arm
and tear down tho barriers that intercepted
the vision of public justice. resume
of the evidence of Colonel McComb
suddenly appeared in the HERALD, to the dis
may of the conspirators. They felt their
Insecurity at once, but still the committee
kept the doors closed, or rather they shut
them tighter, as if to stop the leak A men,
Der of the House from this city, Mr.. Brooks,
however, found reason in the HERALD 8
resume for denial on his part of having held
the stock 1t was only his son-in-law.
But the leak had not been stopped. The
startling table of stockholders of the Credit
Mobilier, with the enormous dividends they
had received, next appeared in the HERALD
The ront of the ''ring' was complete.
The Congressional recess followed and gave
the committee time to think over the error
they had committed in closing the doors.
Revelation after revelation followed in the
HERALD, and, with the reassembling Of Con-
gress yesterday, the committee discovered that
the edifce of concealment they had built was
hurled to the ground. With child-like
naivetf they declared their sessions henceforth
to be open.
Now that the HERALD has accomplished this
task for the public good, we insist on having
this sink of jobbery searched until those who
have guilty fattened in it are held up to the
scorn OF the world. We need not here repeat
what we have already said in reference to the
I plan on which this systematic plumber was
carried on with all its compensatory balances
like delicate machine. The control which it
| obtained over the Union Pacific Railroad, the
manner in which the shareholders of that COM
pany and the government were victmized
are known through the HERALD and will be
ventilated still further until its full niquity is
known: The portion of the inquiry at
present more directly before the. country is
that which relates e the connection Of MEM
bers of Congress with the scheme When 1t
is remembered that any member interested in
this company had the power of directly in
Auencing by his vote the spending of public
money in its aid, or the sitting Of inquiry
| on the sinister doings Of the Ring,
the enormity attempted will be manifest The
testimony of Cakes Ames, a member of Con-
gress during the greater part of the scheme
manipulation and its prime plotter, will be
gacity which led him to approach men of in
fuence on public opinion" naturally selected
his fellow members as appropriate subjects for
his Establishments. He put the bait into
swallowable form by making it purchase and
not an out-and-out gift, with also the easy
condition that it could be sold back at
any time. 1t may, perhaps, be some
tribute TO Congressional self-respect to
say that these precautions were adopted,
just as Rochefoucauld defines all
| hypocrisy to be tribute to virtue. Are we,
however, called on to believe that the keen
eyed members who ''bt'' were the gudgeons
which an ignorance of something beyond what
"a bona J6de transaction would implyp The
case of Vice President elect Wilson is one
which we would not willingly misrepresent
The story of his connection with the Credit
Mobiier, as told in the testimony, will explain
itself. 1t forces, unfortunately, conclusions
of curious nature On the occasion Of
his "silver wedding a purse of two thousand
dollars was presented to his wife, This
was invested in twenty shares Of Credit
Mobilier. On the breaking out of the Nc
Comb lawsuit in Philadelphia Mr. Wilson
caused the stock to be returned. The possess
sion of the stock may not be criminal in itself;
it is in the bearing which that possession may
have had upon legislation the harm lies. Mr.
Coifax paid for some stock it was never
transferred to him. Why? Mr.. Ames may
not remember having paid over dividends
to Mr.. Colfax; but were they paid
Does the stock still stand in his interest?
Has the payment of money for stock
by him influenced legislation in any way
Senator Patterson paid for thirty shares, but
never had them transferred to him. Why /?
He received dividends. Is it o sin against
piety of exterior to ask, Did he always vote