Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-03-30
SlLEN0ING AN EDITOR.
A Possible Scandal Quoted.

a Party Organs Blind Zeal against
Senator Observation-Disclosures
Senators EndeavOr 90 have the Mas
ter Hushed-They Fail and tine
President Succeeds.
Correspondence of the New York Tribune.
WASHINGTON, March 26.-If one-terth
of the rumors that have been prevalent in
Washington during the past few days are
true, the Senate and the country have bare
ly escaped another Credit Mobilier scandal,
the publication of which was nearly pre-
cipitated by the bind zeal of the National
Republican newspaper of this city, in the
pursuit of q political opponent. 1t will be
remembered that the Wilson Credit Mo-
bilier Committee learned almost nothing Of
the history or management of the Central
Pacific Railroad. Fortunately for that cor
poration, all of its books and papers, and
nearly all Of It's officers were on the other
side of the continent, where they could
not be reached before the expiration
Of the forty-seeend Congress. Mr.. Hunting
ton, the Vice-Presi6ent of the company,
and its chief manager, with the exception
of its Washington lobbyist, who for sal
AIRY of 20,000 a year watches the interests
Of the company here, was the only import
ALI WlbHtSS WIZ Was CAallluCOs HC Dull
ators and Representatives who are be-
lieved to be in the employment of this
company, or of that other great monopoly
of the Pacific coast, the Bank of California,
were In no way publicly connected With the
few Developments that were made, and
they are supposed to have breathed freely
for the first time since the committee was
raised. when Congress adj burned on March
~ 1 L, = Nl.s, Il, H.
tiondi Republican, which has been smsrting
all winter under the scandals that have
brought reproach upon the Administration
party, aud which it has been bound TO de-
fend with more or less zeal, opened furi-
ously Oh Senator CasseTly, of California,
accusing him of having been elected TO the
Senate by the aid Of the Bank of California,
which i5 is said paid the large sum OF
$175,000 for that purpose. 1t named the
man who was said TO have managed the
business as well az several important wit
nesses, aud suggested that MIR. Casserly
ought to ask for an investigation at once.
Without stopping to inquire in regard to
the truth or falsity of these charges, it will
BE- seen how natural it would be for the Ad-
ministTation party 10 seize upon this oppor-
tunity to divide the odium of corruption
which it has had to bear this winter almost
alone. The only circumstance that would
stand in the way of an investigation in this
case would be the knowledge that Admin
istration Senators would be involved if TIE
relations of the Bank of California and the
Central Pacific railroad with members Of
Congress were published. Whether such
knowledge existed may be coDjectured
from the action of some Of the Pacific coast
Senators Immediately after the
publication referred to. TIE ink on the
paper " hich contained the first article about
Mr.. Casserly's election was hardly dry before
the editor ia reported TO have received
visit from Senators Stewart and SARGENT,
who urged him to drop the subject at once.
What Arguments they used is not known,
but they were not sufficiently strong to con.
vince the editor that it would be unwis3 to
make political capital out of the casea for
having failed to get from him promise to
print nothing more about the mat
ter, they went to the Navy Depart
ment for achievements. 1t will be
remembered that during the investigation
in 1872 into Secretary Robeson's official
conduct, Mr.. Sargent was much of the
time acting chairman of the Special Com
mittee, and indefatigable in his efforts to
clear the Secretary. For these services the
Secretary ought to be grateful, and it was
not, therefore, surprising that he should
soon alter call upon the editor on the same
business that had brought Senators Sargent
! and Stewart to the office.
Mr.. Robson, so the report goes, was no
| more successful than the Senators had been,
and on the next morning the paper appear
| ed with another attack on Mr.. Casserly,
fiercer than before, and in which was copied
an article from California journal giving
additional names of witnesses and making
the charges still more direct. The time
had come for heroic treatment. If this ed
itor was allowed to 60 he would have a new
investigation on foot before the Caldwell
case could be disposed of and the
Senate adjourn. The Morton Com
mittee had shown its skill in find
ing out; something had to be done. The
Senate and Cabinet were unable to stop
this attack upon political opponent; but
there is a power that is greater than either
with party organs, and that is the Chief
Executive. This power must have been
invoked, for the proprietor of the RepubH-
can having been invited to the White
House no reference has since appeared.
As to the accusations made, no opinion
is expressed for want of knowledge. But
the efforts of Messrs. Sargent and Stewart
can hardly be explained by the simple de-
sire to save political opponent from dis
grace.