Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-02-12
Largest Circulation in the District
Reading Matter on Every Page.
WASHINGTON CITY:
W EDNESDAY... IL, 1879.
The Credit Mosilier Investigation


MIR. Cakes Ames has appeared with his mem
oranduin books and given the latest products of
his refreshed memory; Mr.. Colfax has put in his
counter statement; and the committee after a
prOtracted and apparently impartial inyestiga-
ton have closed their sittings for the receipt of
evidence. They viii now sit to review the evil
dence and make up their report. What that
report will be cannot be surmised, as the men,
bers are judicislly and properly reticent, but
the Off-hsnd verdict of the people is about this:
That the charge of bribery is not sustained by
any evidence, and that the members who had
credit mObilier dealings with Mr.. Ames were
innocent enough of any improper purpose, but
that their whole trouble arose from the haste
with which, at what was supposed to be a criti-
cal point IN the political campaign, they, or
some OF them, sought to clear their personal and
party skirts Of any charge OF the kind. As the
result shows, it would have been better for them
TO have explained fully at the time just the ma
ture OF their transactions with mes, which would
have showed that having innocently enough
entered upon what seemed to be legitimate
business operation and investment they with
drew from ii when the transaction seemed like
~ to compromise them or involve them in litiga-
ton Up TO that point there was no good reason
why they should not own credit mobiiier stock
OF Pacific railroad stock, Just as other members
OF Congress own railroa stocks in their several
states or the District OF Columbia. or as they
own national bank stock, coal and iron mining
stock, manufacturing stock, or stocks in many
other interests upon which they are likely to be
called upon to legislate any day. All the cir
cumstances of the case tend 20 show the inno-
cence of the parties of improper intent. The
amounts were too trivial 10 make them a temp
tatiOn in the way of bride. Nobody can sup
pose that men of the standing and with the flu
hafar he, Of Do@@
Wilson, Garfield, and the rest, were
likely to be willing to compromise them
selves or barter their influence in this
Psltry way. They are, for the most part
scholarly men, unsophistieated i'm stock opera
lions or the dark WAYS of lobby financiering,
and just the persons to confide in the represent
atons of fellow members they supposed to be
qualified to advise them as to the judicious invest
ment of their small savings. Probably not one
of these men, after his long service i'm public
life, has made or saved enough money to keep
him a year without work. The men who do
make money in public life know better how to
cover their tracks None of these were caught
ia the credit mObilier business. Not they. Had
Cakes Ames or any other lobbyist approached
one Of them with his seductive stock, he would
have been promptly rebuffed but would the
transaction have ended there? Not at all
third party, the friend or striker of the wary
member, would have appeared on the scene
and the arrangement would have been made
through him. II is barely possible that close
analysis of the entries upon Mr.. Ames' famous
memorandum-bOokw would show the names of
some OF these next friends of members who do
work OF this kind. IL l. certain that Mr.. Ames
has not vet accounted for the amount of stock
he took TO distribute where il would do the
most good" Either he kept il himself OF all
the secrets of his famous memorandum book
have not been divulged.
The closing scenes OF the investigation have
served to show that where there are contradic-
tons between the testimony of Mr.. Ames and
the implicated members, the benefit of the doubt
may not improperly be given to the latter. As
for instance, Mr.. COlfax il able to show pretty
cOnclusively, we think, that he got from other
sources the Al 300 deposit which was thought to
sustain Mr.. Ames' evidence that he paid Mr.
ColfsS that particular amount by check on the
Sergeant-at-ATms. Mr. Dillon, clerk in the
Once of Sergeant-at-Arms, testifes his impress
sion that he paid that check to MIR. Ames him
self, and he says that Mr.. Ames has recently
admitted to him that he thought il likely that
he tAmes) drew the money. IL will be remem-
bered, further, that Mr.. Ames has been unable
TO show any receipt whatever from Mr.. COlfax
Tor the sums he alleges he paid him, OF to show
any endorsement by Mr.. Colfax upon any check
Altogether, and in view of Mr.. Ames' admission
concerning the treacherous nature of his memo
~. il would seem but justice to believe that Mr.
COlfsx tells the truth in saying that he has no
recollection, whatever, of having received these
sums from Mr.. Ames. And if Mr.. Ames Is mis-
taken in all or part of his testimony in regard to
MIR COifax. he may he regard m others