The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1873-03-14
he public lands, and had considerable

the public lands, and had considerable
influence with his party aud the coun-
try. Here was man who could be
usual to the Credit Mobilier Com
pany. So check of $4,000 was
forthcoming TO secure his election to
the United States Senate. Harlan
tried TO explain that the money was
used for legitimate election expenses,
aud without his knowledge or con-
sent, but Mr.. Durant, President of
the Pacific Railroad Company, swore
that Harlan personally solicited the
money, aud that checks were sent
directly TO him for the express pur-
pose oil securing his election.
The Credit Mobilier scandals are
no secret. 1t has long been notori-
GUS that the gravest corruption exist
ed in the construction ii the Union
Pacific Railroad. But it was never
suspected that our leading public men
were implicated in them. But it Is
now manifest that these frauds would
never have been possible, ii the men
who lead Congress had been faithful
~ tiiGtl uut1s TIC NStG
received share of the plunder as an
equivalent for favorable legislation.
The shrewd Credit Mobilier mana
gers knew that they would receive a
substantial equivalent for the cost of
paying legislators from three TO seven
hundred per cent. for stock that cost
them nothing. And they were not
disappointed. They were enabled to
extort SIT 900 mile for road that
cost only $4,000 per mile. DR.. Du-
rant swears that thr road could have
been built for about half the actual
outlay. The builders grew rich and
divided the profits with the Congress
men.
And yet this wretched Credit Mo-
bilier affair is only portion of the
scandals now current respecting our
public men. IL is positively charged,
and proved 10 moral certainty, that
four, and probably great many
more, United States Senators, Oh
tanned their places by open and un-
blushng bribery. IL is well known
that it is not possible TO obtain any
legislation in the States of New Y Iork,
Pennsylvania and New Jersey, hostile
TO the interests OF certain railroad
corporations. The collection OF tax
of a million dollars due by the New
York Central Railroad is evaded, and
its payment is said 10 have been can.
celled by the Treasury Dempartment
at Washington for political or other
considerations.
All this may well excite alarm. II
seems as ii the old fashioned virtues
OF honesty and efficiency in oar pub
lie men and legislators have become
obsolete. In the old so-callcdl bar
barons times strong men built castles,
and railed from them on the helpless
population. This is changed. Now
The plunderers are called spectators
and politicians, and buy themselves
into State Legislatures and Congress.
and levy imposts and tolls with i'm.
punity. Of course all our public men
are not of this stripe. Fortunately,
we have sufficient number of honest
men left to effect sweeping reform,
when the public, plundered and out
ragged beyond endurance, turn upon
their unworthy servants. The gener-
al indignation at these exposures
shows that honor and honesty are still
extant. And it is scarcely too much
TO say that of all the men who have
been in any way implicated in the
scandulous municipal, State and Con-
gressional corruptions, not one of
them has political future before him.
They will all sink in n common in
fanny, aud their fate will long be re.
membered as wholesome warning
and example.