Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1873-03-20

charEed hlsSfhciai duties by closing his
eyes TO the Consequences Of a contrac; into
which he might enter. and the committee
say the duty ef each and every man IL no.
10 enter into contract without. seeing
when he DOES enter into it that he Is en-.
tering into one which shall by no possibil-
ity affect his public conduct.
IL was the object Of this committee as
far as they could consistently 10 SO within
the limits Of the power which was deleCa-
ted TO them. to strike blow aud to east
censure upon all who we're SO indiscreet
and blind and so grossly negligent as will
fully to place themselves in the line of
temptation. The committee were well
aware that practices had been INDUCED
in and that scandals had come upon the
Legislatures of this nation, both national
and State. By men crowding into places Of
high trust filed to overfiewing with self
interest which biindci-and warped their
Judgments and was prejudicial to the na-
tional Interests, because under its indu
n'cnts they were randerirg to tlcir own
private purposes and >gains and utterly
disregarting the public good. am vii
ling and anxious that this report so un-
derstood shall 90 forth before this coun-
try ; and then when it is conceived and
interpreted in Che spirit in which it was
written, men will cease to say that iLis is
a embarrassing report. n
We see scandals before ia greater per-
haps, and more enormous, Mr.. Speaker,
than tie scandal which we arr called on
to pass Judgment upon here. We Sc, in
the Halls Of Congress. ard in the Falls Of
the various State legislatures, men rush
Ing into them. men WHO go there for the
express purpose of subscribing their own
personal interest. mon seeking to he placed
upon committees where they shall Iraye
an opportunity OF crushing out anl pre-
venting action npon those things in regard
to which they have tho liveIies- and deep
est personal interest to prevent legislation
The object of the committee in the re-
marks ;hcy made in that direction is to
bring back the public mind 10 sound and
whdlSome estimate Of WHIST are public NOR
ais AID the duties of public legislators -
That was what We had in view 10 NH soon
ncr'i'n This. was the spirit AMI , a pose
of the committee.
Further than that. Mr.. Speaker, We
have been accused Of making scapc- goats
of two individuals. Had we possessed iu-
risdiction over other men whose names
were presented to the committee. anu with
regard to whom testimony was taken, per-
haps the result would lave been that there
would not have been an exact balance be-
tween poiiiica! parties in the judgment
which was pronounced BY thc committee
But We had not jurisdiction over all the
men with regard to whom, incidentally,
it became our duty to made inquiries =
And il it be so that it has happened that
there is one Of one great political party
and another Of another great political par
.y. may be allowed to say that partisan
considerations did no. cross The threshold
Of that committce-room. We had grave
judicial duty 10 perform. II was as solemn
an obligation upon us to acquit those men.
with regard to whom tho evidence did not
satisfy US of guilt in respec, to the matter
which was charged. as it was to find
judgment Of guilty against those with ref
ence to whom the proof in our judgment
was complete. And i. is one of the proud
est circumstances of my life TO believe that
each and every member oe that committee
felt that it was as solemn duty to fnd
verdict of not guilty with respect to those
whose guilt was not established IS it was
to render the painful verdict Of guilty with
regard to those whose gull; vas proved to
US beyond the possibility Of reasonable
doubt.
Men have jumped. Nr, Speaker. to has
ty conclusions with reference tsihese men
by not bearing in mind the fact that the
transactions out of which these complica-
tons grew, and of which We and all the
world now possess Il knowledge. were not
known at the time Of the occurrence Of
these transactions as they are now known
to all sen to-day. Aud therefore it was
that the committee said in that sentence.
Of which | have made criticism, that had
it appeared ths. these gentlemen were
aware of the enormous dividends upon
this stock and how they were earned we
could not have acquitted them. Ia re-
quires. Mr., Speaker. those who have been
accustomed to compare and analyze evil
dence. to consider aud weigh questions Of
guilt aud innocence. 10 discriminate be-
tween the facts as of the present TING and
the facts which are shown 10 have been
in existence aud within the knowledge Of
the parties at the time the acts Of suil,are
imputed to them. Now-sir. there was
% esidence. | challenge any Candid uau
to look through tha; record and say there
was any satisfactory evidence upon which
this cousai,tcc could set. upon which it
could cou,e to any csucluswn. showing
thai those menbers, of this House with
regard TO whom we have IA, brough, in
any condemnatory resolution were aware
AZ all a, tho time they made The contracts
in question Of the existing state Of facts
which we're but too well known TO those
who deal, with them.
Mr.. Speaker, the acts and conduct of
Oakes Ames in invels,iag these gentle
men into the unfortunate rredicament in
which they were placed can be character
lied only as acts Of satanic skill. lie
knew and understood vha, we're the rela-
tons IF the C=edit MoLilier to. the Caiou
Pacific raiiEoSsi; be knew aud understood
what complications would grow on, of the
/ ffedieauert insv1ich ke asplseinSS Asse
msn with references 10 fleir saosequen,
conduct There. is no evidence before the
coa'missec that they knew anything about
il NJ the time. lfthey bad known VIA,
enOrnoss dividends we're 10 grow ca, ol