Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-01-16


cessful, although he made favorable i'm
preston. Brooks mieht have had half a
million in Credit Mobilier in 1866 if he
wanted it.
How IOWA Harlan got Elected.
Question by Mr.. Niblack-State whether
the Union Pacific or men connected wit
| that enterprise were not called upon to as
sist in the Senatorial election in 1865 and
! 1868 in Iowa?
Answer-I DO not recollect, l did not
assist myself. L had large interest in
Iowa myself and during the canvass L as
sisted!
Ouestion-It has been stated to me that
you gave g check for $4,000 to assist in
thai election.
Answer-I did not. gave two checks
for S., 900 each.
Question-Can you explain the history
of these checks andsfor what purpose were
| they given?
Auswer-For the purpose of securing the
election.
QueStion-Whose election?
Answer -Harl&n's; for the purpose Of se-
curing the influence of some newspapers.
don't know it was applied. Harlan was
an old personal friend. Witness thought
be would take care of the interests o. the
road. Moses b. Grinnell, believe, sub
scribed $1,000 to the General Republican
Committee to secure the election of Grant.
1t seemed to have rather gone past and l
paid i.
H. Bushnell testified that when the
Credit Mo5ilier got ashore, Ames went to
his friends in Congress and out of Congress
10 get ttem to take stock. Witness had
letter from a prominent banker where the
Credit Mobilier was thrown cut as the bank
would have nothing to do with it, because
they thought there was fraud and corrup-
ton. He thought there was
A Want of Moral Courage
on tie part of certain men who did agree to
take the stock but now would not stand up
and say they agreed to take it. Never
heard Ames mention having offered stock
to either ColfGx, Blaine, Kelley, Schofeld,
Garfield, Bingham, or Senator Wilson.
Witness never offered to any member of
Congress.
By McCrary-Witness thought mem
bpr Of Congress having stock in the Credit
Mobiier had perfect right to vote on Pa
cifc Railroad matters. Saw no more i'm
propriety in it than one voting owning Ma
tlOnal Bank stock.
By Bland. Itwas the understanding that
Ames got large amount of stock to enable
him fulfill engagements which he had en-
tered into previously. He felt, as Ames had
| expressed it in one OF his letters, that if
they went back on Congressman after the
stock had gone Up, when it had been pro-
| missed them when it was down,
Congress wOuId go back on them.
Gaughser.) The committee adjourned IN
| til tomorrow.
The Wilson committee to-day examined
| II. c. Crane, who testified to the correct
ness of document shown him which con-
| tanned the names of stockholders and the
amount Of dividends in the Mobilier and
] Pacific Railroad. The book of Ames' trus-
| tees would show all about the purchases OF
! the first mortgage bonds of the Union Pa
cifc. The dividends on Ames' contract
! aggregated
545 Per Cent.
Recess till afternoon.
! Committee resumed the examination Of
Crane: On the 26.h January, 1867, the
capilal stock of the Credis MO5ilieT was in
creased 50 per cent, the il creased stock being
distributed to parties already interested. a
dividend Of twelve per cent for two years
was declared Dec. %, 1868, and this divi-
dend was on the increased capital of 3d.
10000.
Question By Swan.-What pressing ne
cessity was there for increase of stock?
Answer.-To raise money TO construct
the road and not to declare dividends. lie
said be did not know for whom Cakes Ames
held in trust 243 share Of Credit Mobilier
stocks. Par and six months interest were
paid for them, The stock was transferred
to Ames by Dillon, who receiVed-it from
| Dursut. The transfers were made on the
SBh and Goth January, 1868.
Cornelius S. Bushnell, Of New Haven,
! being sworn gave an account of his connec-
ton with the Union Pacific Railroad, hav-
ing procured first two millions dollars for
building the road, and also a corcise his
tory of the road from its commencement TO
its completion. In answer to question by
the chairman witness said the \ OTthern and
Southern Peciic Railroad wanted to inter
fere with the business Of the Union Pacific,
| but the last named would make up in min
eral and other developments OF the country
what it would lose by competing
| roads. Never heard Of any money being
| used to influence members of Congress.
He had a recollection Of where a meu Der
of Congress came in to give counsel, but it
was lot at the instance of either the Pacific
Road Company or the Credit Mobilier, nor
Gid he know that any such member re-
I ceiyed fee. His impression was that In
the year 1867 Alley brought in member
! of Congress as his counsel. McComb at
the same time brought in Judge Black.
The counsel of Alley was now in Congress,
Gen. Butler, but witness thought that this
was a year before Butler was elected to the
House of Representatives, Witness did not
! know of any money being given directly or
| indirectly, or Of any land grants or accep-
| tances to Senator Harlan. DR.. Durant To-
! formed witness that he was going TO assist
! Senator Harlan in being elected Senator by
! sustaining enc or two newspapers in bis in
| terest. This was prior to 1870. My i'm
preston was that Harlan was at that time
Secretary of the Interior.
Witness was asked whether any Senator
or Representative had been elected With
aid of funds from the Union Pacific or
Credit Mobilier company, TO which he re-
piled, SIS to himself he had always literally
subscribed for general political purposes,
and his impression was that in one instance
| he contributed $1,000 TO Senator Thayer,
which money was drawn by a draft on him.
He thought this was in the Nebraska State
| election of 1870 when Thayer was candi-
date for reelection. Thayer was a friend of
witness, and in giving the money he thought
| it might aid in securing his (Thayers) re-
election. Witness did not rember ever
| having made any other contribution for
anybody for similar purposes; did lot
! think he had ever made such large con-
tIibution before. He generally gave $1,000
or $500 for elecioneering purposes, just
as he would pay taxes. Every man must
DO Something TO Save tfe Country
| (Laughter.) Witness never head of any Of
the trustees having given money or bonds
to influence the election of members of Con-
gress. fthis had been so, he was in posi-
tion TO know the fact. He signed paper
authorizing Oakes Ames to deliver hund-
led and odd shares of Credit Mobilier stock
to certain members of Congress. Ames had
informed him that he had disposed of that