The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-04-04

matter OF veraclty.
Mr.. Colfax's speech was vast cumu
lation of words. In his two hours
harangue he said nothing new-but
foundered heavily through continual
repetitions. The point he tried TO i'm,
press upon his hearers was that there
had been gigantic national conspiracy
to destroy him, and that despite this
conspiracy he had come home to them
in as honorable plight as ever and he
claimed the sympathy due to martyr for
truths sake. Complaining, he said,
of had been confessed and wicked
criminal l could not have been pursued
with more malignity by q portion of the
American press and their Washington
correspondents. Assuming this to be
true, which it is not, Mr.. Colfax over
looks the reason why the American
press (the portion which sides with him
is too small to be discovered with any
thing but O microscopy has lost faith
in any statements made by him. During
the summer Of 1872, there were pub-
lished in all the papers of the country
the now famous letters of Cakes Ames
to McComb, with the list Of persons
with whom Ames said he had placed
Credit Mobilier stock. In that list ap-
peared the name of IS Colfax, Speaker"
We can call to mind no paper that did
not publish this implication OF Mr.. Col
fax with regret, but it was not possible
to omit his name while publishing the
Oilers. The statement of Ames was
bold and emphatic, and repeated in two
letters. The press naturally expected
disclaimer or denial, by the persons
named, of Ames' statement. It was not
made. Mr.. Blaine denied it in the first
week in September. It was not until
Sept. 25 that Mr.. Colfax was heard
from, in his speech of that day at South
Bend. In his speech he was particularly
careful to avoid a challenge to Cakes
Ames, was rather complimentary to the
great shovel-maker, but was as particu-
lar to denounce the newspaper press for
having published Ames' letter with his
name i'll the list. At that time the only
allegation against Mr.. Colfax was that
contained in the Ames letters, and this
was, that he, Cakes Ames, had in the
of Credit Mobilier shares
among Senators and Representatives in
Congress, placed $1,000 thereof in the
hands of Schuyler Colfax, Speaker. That
was the whole allegation.
Mr.. Colfax, at South Bend, began his
speech by saying:
LET me detain you few moments, nv
towosrlen, while touch fabric Of falsehood
With the spear Of truth. exposing the so-called
Credit Mobilier scandal. that you may see out
Of what worthless stuff campaign charges are
He then told of his long and active
support of the Pacific railroad. of his
speeches and lectures; declaring that it
was not necessary to have offered him
= br' De to secure his support, and then
added:
"Do need to add that neither Cakes Ames
nor 81 other person ever gave, or offered to
give, me one share, or twenty shares, or two
thousand shares in the Credit Mobilier, or any
other railroad stock and that, unfortunately,
have never received the value of Q farthing
out of the 27O per cent dividends, nor the 500
per cent. dividends in cash. stock and bonds
Tou have read about every day for the past
month, nor 100 per cent, nor per cent. nor
he tenth Of per cent? / have said that il
wenty shares of it could be purchased at par,
without buying into . prospective lawsuit, it |
aluable stock as represented. ! have said |
hat would like to buy twenty shares at par,
attainable in the Studebakcr Wagon Com |
ANY, or the Birdsell Clover Separator Com |
sny here. l challengeseither one Of the two |
ast companies to give me such an opportunity |
low or hereafter: but never having been
laintif or defendant in a court of Justice, 1 /
rant no stock of any kind, at any price, with
lawsuit on top Of it, not even with the pros
ective dividends Of S22, 900, which, am free
0 maintain, neither these good eyes Of mine
or this pocket-book have ever seen the first
ollar OF, although it il 80 positively asserted
hat have been entitled to this handsome
mount ever since four years ago."
Accepting that as fair, square denial
+ Cakes Ames allegation, precisely as
Ir. Blaine's was accepted, the news
aper press generally, and especially
ne Republican press, acquitted Mr..
'olfax. Could any person who read
hat speech then, have the least thought
hat Mr.. Colfax had received 50, 900 of
'redit Efobilier stock 4; that at the time
receiving it there were credits on it
l the why of dividends, amounting to
l 458 that Mr.. Colfax had paid Mr..
mes the difference of $542, or there
bouts, in cash? Yet Mr.. Colfax, at
in January, 1873, did, on
ath, state that he had made this con-
act with Ames, and had paid Ames the
loney. The newspaper press, which
lr. COlfax says now pursue him, are
he same papers that, in September last |
,cepted his South Bend speech as a
old and manly denial of having ever
I'D any dealings with Cakes Ames in
redit Mobilier stock-that being the
.lsehood which he was supposed to
ave touched with the spear Of truth.
hen the newspaper press, and the I
'llntry generally, were told by Mr.. {
plfax, in January, that he had never {
tended in his South Bend speech to ,
my having purchased Credi. Mobilier
ock from Cakes Ames that all he in
nded was to deny that such stock was I
given" him, the press, and the conn I