The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-02-26

punish the men who made the contriY
snce, and let the men whe contrlyed tn
iniquity be taken up and expelled, !
there were such in the House, instead o
expelling one man because he sold tn
stock, and another because he bough
lit. After passing eulogies on tn
character Of Ames and Brooks. He re
marked that 1t had been said that slandel
leaves q shining mark. It was 80 In thii
case. Men who had been Chairmen o
Committees Of the House, who had beer
regarded as leaders Of the House, anc
whom he had always believed and Still
believed to-day to be among the best mer
of the House had been singled out in thi!
case. He had had,manya a bout with somt
Of these men, had had many sharp en-
counters with them in debates but sharp
words which had been uttered on eithel
side had been forgotten and forgiven. III
was not as he was about to leave the hal
going to throw stones at those men. i
was most deplorable that such men shoulC
be singled out for these shafts. he re-
minded the House that some men com
pound for sins they are inclined TO, BY
damning:: those they have no mind TO, aut
so. vicious peopls, men not half so good
as those they condemn, would compound
for sins ten times worse and would justify
in their conscience, sins they commit
II they could but drag down to
their own level q bright and
shining mark. This question, after all
resolved itself into q single question
whether the stock Of the Credit Mobilier
was contraband property, and was 1t IN
and OF itself iniquitouS, 80 as TO corrupt Q
man who held it. The committee did
not anywhere pretend to the affirmative
Of that proposition. On the contrary
Ames was one OF the largest stockholders
oil the Credit Mobilier stock, and yet It
was not proposed to punish him because
Of that fact. The House was permitted to
take it for granted that property did not
corrupt or tsint holder, and they were
then driven to examine the conclusions ol
the committee, to'wit: whether there
was bribery in question. BE would say
no more. After q few further remarks
the hammer Iell, and Mr.. MerTick, one
OF the members Of the Democratic Select
Committee, took the floor.
MIR, NIerrick commenced his remarks
in so low tone as hardly audible at the
reporters desk. He expressed his regret
at finding himself in the painful position
Of defending the report ol the Commit
tee, particularly that part OF 1t in which
the Committee was supposed TO have
white-Washed other members who had
received Credit MObilier stock. He who
so read that report totally misunderstood
its scope and purpose. The Committee
had not in language referred TO tho at
tempted exculpation Of these gentlemen.
On the contrary, the Committee had
pointed out, as q lesson for them, the
course OF Senator Bayard, OF Delewars,
in refusing TO touch that stock.
1t had been tho object of the Committee,
so far as 1t could do so, within the
limits OF its power to strike blow
and cast ccnsure on all of them. II these
members knew it, there was no evidence
Of fact before the Committee; il they had
been aware OF tho enormous dividends
that were to grow out OF the contract
which they made with Ames, the Com.
mittee could not have acquitted them,
but there was no evidence that they did
not know it. -sa r...l
Mr.. Eldridgc remarked that they must
have known 1t when they received large
dividends. vgrr4--.rgr r.
MI. MCrrick asked whether the gentle.
man from Wisconsin has read the testimo
ny at; all, and if so, did he not
know well that the contracts with each
of those men was made In the months OF
December and January, and that the div.
iends spoken Of were not made till the
18th Of June following. How then could
they know that which did not take place
till six months after. He declared 1t 10
be one OF the proudest considerations ot
his life that every member Of the Com.
mittee felt that it was his solemn duty to
find verdict Of not guilty with reference
TO those whose guilt had not been estab,
lished as 1t was to render the painful
verdict of guilty in reference to
those whose guilt was proven be.
yond the possibility OF reasonable
doubt the acts and conduct OF Oakes
Ames. With reference to those members
not included in the condemnatory action
oil the committee in investigating those
gentlemen into the unfortunate position in
which they were placed, could be regard
ed and charac acterized and understood what
he was doing. BE knew and understood
what the relations Of the Credit hobllter
were to the Union Pacific Railroad Co.
He knew and understood what would
grow out Of the predicament in which he
was placing them. After replying ia
several other questions from the
members on his own side. MIR. Merrick
said he would now come to consider the
questions affecting the gentlemen as to
whom the committee had made specific
report. He was panied to mention the
name of James Brooks, who had been
honored in the country and in the
party Of which he (Merrick) was mem
Der. In respect to his case the commit
tee could not shut It's eyes to the TACT that
he must have known from the beginning
all the relations between these two cor
porations. SBrools has claimed aninter-
est IN the Credit Mobilier stock, and when
his claim was conceded, not as right.
Then, said Mr.. Merrick, he reveals his
guilty knowledge, which is too patent tor
any eve to fail 10 see, II the very moment
Of its concession to the bill, he says
that he being q Government Director
cannot take IL in his own name.
Mr.. Shellabarger, abiding to the state.
ment that Oakes Ames had contrived
this thing with satanic skill and kept
back from the parties with whom hG
dealt information which would have re-
PEELED them iflhey knew what ho did
asked whether tho committee had had
any proof of the statement before 1t tC
show that that contained in Oakes Ames
letter Of January 25, 1868, was not true
namely, that part Of the purchasers here
are moor and want their bonds 10 sell to
enable them to meet their payment on the