The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-02-14

ter to movement alresdy lapsing into insig-
niicance, the assumed basis of the affair Was
a certain list of Congressman who we're al
legged to have been corrupted with Credit Mo-
biier stock. This list had been produced in
evidence before Philadelphia court, and ran
a. follows:
Patterson Of New Hampshire .................3 5000
wilson, of Massachusetts ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 1000
schuyler ColfaN speaker Observation-Disclosures. ,Oou
scoheld and Kelley, of Pennsylvania each ,OOu
Eliot, Of Massachusetts,. 3,OO0
dawes, OF Massachusetts. OOo
foWler, OF Tennessee. ,Oot
boutwell,, of Massachusetts,. 900
bingham and Garfield, of Ohio ..............2,OoO
We have now the means OF Judging conclu-
slyely of the value and exact meaning of this
list. Mr.. Ames, who is alleged to have die
lated 1t, McComb, who wrote il down, and eve
ry man mentioned in it. except three, concern
ing whom there IL no question, have been eX-
alnlned and cross-examined under oath as to
the transactions to which il was claimed the
list related What does il all amount TO! To
this Mr. Ames formed ils his own mind, IN
the latter part Of 1867, the project of " inter
esting in the Credit Mobilier all the intluen-
tial men he could, including members of Con-
gress His motive, he rays, was not corrupt,
nor does il seem necessarily to have been so.
lie wished to induce members when the al
fairs of the Credit Mobilier, or of the Union
Pacific railroad, with which il was indissolu-
bly, connected, were likely to be affected by
legislation, to "look into" them, and satisfy
themselves that there was nothing wrong III
them He believed the Congressman would
do this more thoroughly if they held stock III
the company in fact. that they would not do
1t at all if they were not pecuniarly Interested.
This is Mr.. Cakes Ames' story of what he iIl-
tended, and how he expected TO carry his III
tentions into effect.
He succeeded in interesting several Con-
gressmen. not mentioned in the list. and curl
ously enough, never mentioned III any of the
opposition attacks based on the Credit Moblliei
operations. Senator Crimes now dead, Mr.
Alley. now out Of the House. and Mr.. Hooper,
member of the present Congress, invested
4 considerable amounts, and took an active part
in the business of the company. OF those re-
counted i'll the list, and treated to the bitter
aspersons of the campaign the evidence dis
closes the following facts:
Mr. Blaine was offered the stock, but de-
clined it, not entertaining however, any idea
that the proposal was directly or indirectly q
corrupt one.
Mr. Patterson agreed conditonally near the
close of 1867 to take 80, 000 par value of stocl
of Mr.. Ames on the assurance that it was Z
proper stock for q Congressman to hold ano
that no legislation would be wanted. He failed
TO take the stock, but believed he had perfect
right to hold t-as much as he would have tC
hold national bank stock.
Senator Henry Wilson, on the suggestion OF
/.
in Credit Mobilier stock, with the assurance
that the road would want no legislation; OF
discovering that the company was III difficult,
he backed out of the bargain
Yice-Presdent ColfaX agreed to take S2.OOC
OF the stock, ON the assurance that no legisla
ton was required; he paid $500 on the amount
learning that the company was involved i'll liti
CATION. he Cancelled the agreement, and after
ward when Mr. Ames became financially EN-
barrassed, Mr.. Colfax surrendered his clam OF
him for the $500 advanced.
Mr.. Scofield, of Pennsylvania, gave Mr. Anne
one thousand dollars, i'll 1868, to pay for ter
shares of Credit Mobier stock. but subse
Quently chose to take another stock instead.
Mr.. Kelley of Pennsylvania, agreed 10 taxi
some stock OF Mr.. Ames, but " the matter wa
dropped :" lie saw no more improperly III
member of Congress buying that stock than II
buying flock of sheep. and then voting OF
the tariff on WOODEN goods
Mr.. Eliot never had any of the stock.
Mr.. Dawes, of Massachusetts,, gave Mr.. Anne
one thousand dollars early in December, 1867
to pay for ten shares of Credit Mobiier stock
received one dividend of thlty-iive per cent.
learned the company was involved in law suit
and returned the dividend, receiving from Nj
Ames his original payment and interest on tn
same.
Mr.. Fowler, of Tennessee, never had al
stock.
Mr. Boutwell,, of Massachutetts, never ha
any.
Mr. Bingham, Of Ohio gave Mr.. Ames tw
Thousand dollars in January, 1868. to pay 70
shares of Credit Mobilier stock at par. Nj
Ames returning receipt and agreeing to &c
count for all dividends At the same time Nh
Bingham invested six hundred and fifty do
lars in ten shares Of another company OF Nj
Ames. He settled the Credit Mobilier matte
in January, 1870 and the other in the spring o
1872. and thinks he made about six thOusan
five hundred dollars on the two operations.
Mr.. Garfield was offered stock, but decile
it.
This concludes the list. 1t will be seen tina
the only man Of the number who made an
money out of the Credit Mobilier was Nj
Binhgam. We presume no one will questio
the statement nevertheless that Mr.. Bling
hams established reputation as all honest ma
and a pure legislator is not likely to be affccte
by that fact Why? Because lie was not on
OF the politicians whom it il considered profit
able or pleasant TO malign.
II will be seen, also that of those who re
fused the stock, or who agreed TO take it, an
subsequently declined it, none based their az
ton on any improperly i'll the transaction
while several of them, and notably Messrs
Patterson and Kelley, men of recognized char
acter distinctly assert it's perfect proprietl
Concerning this point, and several others il
voyed in this matter, we may have some view
to offer hereafter. At present call after
that our readers may have clear and fnll Idle
of what the evidence i'll the case actually i,
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