Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-03-07
The Credit MOblller Debate



Judge Poland, of Vermont, opened the
case fors the prosecution in a speech recit-
| ing the facts. and justifying the report of
the select committee of which he is chair
man. Alter showing by the testimony that
at the time Of the transactions the stock of
the Credit MObllier was worth from 200 to
800 per cent, he asked whether Ames was
50 utterly insensible to the profit which he
could have derived from that stock. had he
chosen TO sell it, that he preferred to let
members Of Congress have it without any
profit to himself. How came his charitable
disposition all at once to be so extended in
favor Ofmembers of Congress? His ostensi-
bic business in Washington, that winter,
was his position as member of the House,
but his actual business was the peddling of
ten shares of stock apiece to members of
Congress.
Was there any possible doubt about the
motive of Ames? He had desired to get
this stock into the hands of members, not
merely to rely on the feeling of gratitude,
because he had given them something worth
two or three OF four times as much as they
paid for it, but he relied on something
stronger than that. Ames had lived long
enough in the world to know that a man
sometimes fOrgets kindnesses, that man 5
gratitude for a kindly act does not last
always. lie had read enough of Scripture
to know that where Il mans treasure Is,
there will be his heart also" (Murmurs of
applause Ames had ayowed his whole
philosophy on that subject. lie had said
that ''the difficulty Is that You cannot get 4
man TO give attention to a thing unless he
has an interest to do So" He had therefore
to coutriye some means or other by which he
could make the interest Of these leading
men in Congress identical with his own,
50 that they should be as watchful in rela-
ton to this matter a he himself Ames
knew that himself and his friends had
started on voyage which sooner or
later would be exposed. lie knew that
the nation had been, by their perior-
mauces, delrauded Of millions. and he un-
derstood that it would be a good thing,
when that time came. that he should have,
if possible. some strong hackers, and he had
intended by his course of conduct to provide
himself with them. lie had done 80 for the
very purpose, and with the intent to inilu-
cncc their action as members Of Congress
on matters 90 come before them That was
an act Of bribery in Ames, for which he
might have been sent 70 the penltentiary
even although every member had received
stock from him i'm entire innocence. The
law did not require the intent to De known
by the person % whom the present was
made. Ii was the in~idiOus attempt to un-
dertake TO bind a man over hy gratitude,
that constituted the bribery. IL would not
do for Ames to plead ignorance of the law
That plea was not permitted 20 the most
deba~cd and ignorant criminal. Was the
House toliheralze that rule of law for the
benefit Of millionaire. and Of tcn-year
member Of Congress? Was that man TO
stand mp i'm such presence, or anybody for
him. and say that be did not know what the
law was. and did not know that lie wa,
violating it? lfa mans moral sense saw
no wrong 10 that which their predecessors
had declared % pcuitentiary offence, and
which ~hoaid forever disqualiiy man from
holding the mclncSt office, was such a man
iit % -it here a~ one Of the lawmakers Of the
nation? Mr.. Poland submitted whether.
even in the most charitable view Of Mr.
Amc-'- conduct, that man was one who
ough; tl De tolerated a~ member OF the
Iau-'.