The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-07-10
HON. MATT. H. CARPENTER ON
sr The BACK PAY BILL.

aw THE BACK PAY BILL. Is
# g a8
On Thursday evening, June Goth, Sena
tor Carpenter made speech at GAINESVILLE
at the request of many citizens of thai
place on the Back Pay Bill. He com
mences by saying: W gE6sMf
"The forty-second Congress passed an
act incl easing :he salary of the President,
Members of the Cabinet, Judges of the
Supreme Cortland Members of Congress;
and the act provided that the forty-sec-
ond Congress should receive the same pay
as subsequent Congresses. | gave this act
not only my vote, but my cordial and con-
sclentious support" Before coming to
the precise point he intends to discuss
Mr.. Carpenter refers to what he calls the
abnormal condition of things existing in
Washington and The country last winter
and expresses the opinion that the Credit
Mobilier Investigation "has caused the
uproar which is courteously styled, The
back pay STEAL" which he compares to
the Bull Run panic. After some disquisi
tiOn on the BullRun panic in particular
and panics in general he proceeds to de.
fend the Credit Mobilier and the Pacific
Railroad Companies. After speaking of
the necessity Of the speedy construction
of the Pacific Railroad he refers to the
laws of Congress Of 1862 and 1864 au-
thorizing its constructions, and says that
the Railroad Companies constructed the
road In accordance with Law and in fulfil
ment Of their contract with the Govern.
ment. And the contract being sub let by
the Union Pacific Railroad Com parry 80
the Credit Mobilicr as subcontractor made
no difference, The railroad being con-
structed according I'd contract with the
Government. AS to whether the Credit
Mobilier cheated the Railroad Company
Mr. Carpenter says 81 don't know and !
don't care. If the railroad company has
any cause Of complaint against the Credit
Mobilier let it make its complaint anG
seek its remedy. The government has nc
cause of complaint against the Credit
Mobllier, because the government never
had anytnlng to do with that corporatlon."
He entirely ignores the fact that the
Credit Mobjlier was ring within ring
"a corporation within a corporation
and composed largely of officers and stock
holders of the Union Pacific Railroad
Company, and that by the contract OBJ
tanned second. hand under which the
Credit Mobilier contracted the road il
was paid by the Railroad Company and
received an excessive price for construct.
ing the road thereby rendering the Union
Pacific Railroad Company unable to meet
its obligations to the Government.
AS to the Government being cheated
by the Pacific Railroad Company and, g,
he expresses i, bringing "suit in the name
of the government to settle matters be.
tween this railroad company ana the
Credit MobiJier, both of these companies
agreeing that there is nothing between
them requiring settlement" Mr.. Carpenter
says: 'eThe fact believe to be this; thai
when the Uni6n Pacific Railroad Com
pany contracted with the Credit Mob lier
or made the contract under which tht
Credit Mobilier finally constructed ths
road, all parties. we're laboring under
misapprehenso as to the cost of build
ing the road. 1t was supposed it woulc
be very expensive to construct roac
over the Rocky Mountains and the con
tract was made in this belief. But i
turned cut that the Rocky Mountain