Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-01-16
THE RUTLAND HERALD.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 1878
The Great Scandal.

We have carefully wadei through the
testimony given before the Credit Mobi-
lier investigation committee. We have
laid before our readers full abstracts of
the testimony We have impartially
considered all the disclosures, as care
fully and impartially as we would exam
in' the testimony presented to us in Il
case for our adjudication We have
donr SO that we might, if possible, ar
rive at the truth Of the whole matter
We desired to ascertain whether or not
our politics and legislation had become
SO corrupt, that any and all measures
colM be controlled by bribery, either di-
rect or indirect. 1t was a matter of in
terest-avo. more than interest, of vast.
Unspeakabln import-to us and to all
American citizens to know the fact. if
fact it was, that those public men, whom
we and they looked upon as among our
wiSeSt, ablest and purest statesmen,
W.rc anything but pure, were not only
corrupt scoundrels, but the corrupters
of others. Were Henry Wilson. James
q. Blaine, Schuyler ColfaX and others.
the greatest of hypocrites, selling them
selves their constituents and their votes
for a few paltry dollars. If they were,
it is time the people knew and un-
derstood it, We must confess that we
entered upon the examination, with the
hope that the picture would not be found
as bad as it had been painted We be-
lievrd, before the investigation was en-
tered upon, that the whole story, or scan
dal as it is called, was one of the foul
outgrowths of the campaign, and would
lie with its close This probably would
have been the result, but for the action
of Speaker Blaine. Had it died here,
however, it might have been revived and
made To- do service at other times and in
future political contests. The commit
tee was appointed, and commenced their
investigations with closed doors. Not
withstandihg this secresy, scraps of
what purported to be testimony leaked
out The unconnected unexplained re-
ports or rumors had bad look and ten
ded to cast suspicion upon certain mem
hers of Congress. Of course every one
could believe as much or as little as they
pleased. But human nature, it is a sad
fact, but it must be acknowledged is
prone to believe evil reports against their
neighbors, and particularly concerning
public men, while their charity is re-
served for the dead, to whom it can do
no good. Here the matter rested until
the reassembling of Congress, Monday.
when the veil was removed, and the
whole story is before the public. Now
we submit that the whole matter. as
disclosed by the testimony, so far as
any corruption or bribery, or any at
tempt or intent of bribery or corruption
of or by member of Congress is con-
cerned is mere scandal and libel 1t had
its birth as campaign scandal andin an
attempt to blackmal. The whole charge
was founded upon the statement Of one
McCOmb, and what does he say under
oath? Simply that he knows nothing
about it of his own knowledge, and only
gathered it from what he heard Oakes
Ames say; that he had offered to aban-
don, disclaim and deny the charges, if
Ames would surrender or give to him
certain shares of the stock At the
most, it is but hearsay testimony, and,
upon his own confession, the charges
were made to intimidate. Would such
testimony, even if given upon pretended
actual knowledge, be entitled to consiG-
Grafton or weight? On the other hand.
Ames' testimony is direct, positive, and
of his knowledge. He, as we'll as Mr.
Alley contradict McCOmb point blank
The testimony further shows that mem
bers of Congress were not approached
by Ames, but they, that is such of them
as had even temporary connection with
the affair, sought Ames for a good in
yestment, and he recommended this
stock. Furthermore, that they held the
stock but temporarily and that there
was no legislation expected or probable
by Congress for the benefit of the Union
Pacific railroad or the Credit Moblier.
There is another fact, of some impOr-
tance, bearing on this question Of bri-
berry, or intended bribery, and that is
that all the members of Congress referred
to had been, from the commencement,
and even before the charter, warm
friends OF the enterprise, and aided it
by voice and letter. Mr. Colfax and Mr..
Blaine substantially corroborate Ames
and Alley, and show themselves, as we
have always believed them to be, incor-
ruptible public servants Here the mat
ter rest now, what further developments,
if any there are, remains to be seen.