Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-02-13
The Cakes Ames List.

Last fall, when the Credit Mobilier scandal
was first devised to prop the failing fortunes of
the coalition, and to give an aggressive charac-
ter to movement alresdy lapsing into insig-
niticance, the assumed basis Of the affair was
certain list of Congressman who were al
legged to have been corrupted with Credit Mo-
bilier stock. This list had been produced in
evidence before Philadelphia court, and ran
as follows:
Blaine, of Maine. s 900
Patterson, of New Hampshire &, 900
Wilson, of Massachusetts, 1000
Schuyler Colfax, Speaker q 900
Scoheld and Kelley, of Pennsylvania each . 2, 900
Eliot, of Massachusetts, Observation-Disclosures 900
Dawes, OF Massachusetts. 1000
Fowler, of Tennessee 1900
boutwell,, OF Massachusetts. ................2,00 900
bingham and Garfield, of Ohio. 2, 600
We have now the means of judging conclu-
slvely OF the value and exact meaning of this
list. MIR. Ames, who is alleged to have die
tated it, McComb, who wrote it down, and eve
~ man mentioned in it, except three, concern
ing whom there is no question, have been ex-
ahmed and cross examined under oath as to
the transactions to which it claimed the
list related. What does It all amount to? To
this Mr.. Ames formed in his own mind, in
the latter part of 1867 the project of g inter
esting in the Credit Mobilier all the infiuen-
tial men he could, including members of Con-
gress. His motive, he says was not corrupt,
nor does it seem necessarily to have been So
He wished to induce members, when the af-
fairs of the Credit Moblier, or of the Union
Pacific railroad with which it was indissolu-
bly, connected, were likely to be affected by
legislation, to 'look into" them, and satisfy
themselves that there was snothinc wrong in
them. He believed the Congressman would
do this more thoroughly if they held stock in
the company; in fact. that they would not do
1t at all if they were not pecunarily interested
This is Mr.. Cakes Ames' story of what he in
tended, and how he expected to carry his in
tentions into effect.
He succeeded in interesting several Con-
gressmen, not mentioned in the list. and. curl
ously enough never mentioned in any of the
opposition attacks based on the Credit Mobilier
operations. Senator Crimes now dead Mr..
Alley, now out of the House. and Mr. Hooper
member of the present Congress. invested
considerable amounts. and took an active part
in the business of the company. OF those re-
counted in the list, and treated to the bitter
aspersions of the campaign the evidence dis
closes the following facts:
MIR. Blaine was offered the stock, but de-
clined it, not entertaining however any idea
that the proposal was directly or indirectly
corrupt one
Mr.. Patterson agreed conditionally, near the
close of 1867, to take So 900, par value, of stock
of Mr. Ames, on the assurance that it was a
proper stock for Congressman to hold and
that no legislation would be wanted. He failed
to take the stock, but believed he had perfect
right to hold it-as much Us he would have to
hold national bank stock
Senator Henry Wilson, on the suggestion of
Mr. Ames invested $4,000 of his wifes money
in Credit Mobilier stock, with the assurance
that the road would wan no legislation on
discovering that the company was in difficulty
he backed out of the bargain"
Nice-President Colfax agreed to take 50, 900
of the stock, on the assurance that no legisla-
ton was required he paid $500 on the amount;
learning that the company was involved in liti-
CATION. he Cancelled the agreement, and after
ward, when Mr.. Ames became financially en-
barrassed, Mr.. Colfax surrendered his clam on
him for the $500 advanced
Mr.. Scofeld, of Pennsylvania. gave Mr. Ames
one thousand dollars. in 1861 to pay for ten
shares of Credit Moblier stock. but subse-
quently chose to take another stock instead.
Mr.. Kelley, of Pennsylvania, agreed to take
some stock of Mr.. Ames but 90 the matter was
dropped :; he saw no more improperly in a
member of Congress buying that stock than in
buying flock Of sheep. and then voting on
the tariff on wooden goods"
Mr.. Eliot never had any of the stock
DIR. Dawes, of Massachusetts, gave Mr.. Ames
one thousand dollars early in December 1867
to pay for ten shares of Credit Moblier stock
received one dividend of thirty-five per cent;
learned the company was involved in a law suit
and returned the dividend, receiving from Mr.
Ames his original payment and interest on the
same.
Mr.. Fowler, of Tennessee, never had any
stock.
Mr.. Boutwell,, of Massachusetts, never had
any.
Mr. Bingham, of Ohio, gave Mr. Ames two
Thousand dollars in January, 1868, to pay for
shares of Credit MCbilier stock at par, Mr..
Ames returning receipt and agreeing to ac-
count for all dividends. At the same time Mr.
Bingham invested six hundred and fifty dol
lars in ten shares of another company of Mr.
Ames He settled the Credit Mobilier matter
in January 1870 and the other in the spring of
1872, and thinks he made about six thousand
i've hundred dollars on the two operations.
Mr.. Garfield was offered stock, but declined
it.
This concludes the list. 1t will be seen that
the only man of the number who made any
money out of the Credit Mobilier was Mr.
Blnhgam. We presume no one will question
the statement, nevertheless, that Mr. Bing-
ham established reputation as an honest man
and pure legislator is not likely to be affected
by that fact. Why? Because he was not one
OF the politicians whom it is considered profit
allie or pleasant to malign.
1t will be seen, also, that of those who re-
fused the stock. or who agreed to take it. and
subsequently declined it, none based their &C.
ton on any improperly in the transaction,
while several of them, and notably Nessrs
Patterson and Kelley, men of recognized char
aeter, distinctly assert its perfect propriety.
Concerning this point, and several others in
VOWED IN this matter We may have some views
to offer hereafter. At present we call atten-
ton to the facts as above succicntly stated
that our readers may have a clear and fnll idea
of what the evidence in the case actually is.
-Ne1o York Times.