The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-01-21
Mllbolrburp 8tglsttr.
TUESDAY. JANUARY III. 1873.
The credit Mobilier Scandal.

4
lands Committee. The public suspicion
was early aroused that it was dirty at
fair, but very few OF the people, if any,
really believed we should ever get at the
truth of the matter Through the red
tape of official investigation and the dis
inclination Of legislators to probe so deep
ly as to bring any scandal upon party
friends however guilty, and the conciIia-
tory policy of the politicians who usual y
find their way into places of public trust,
it was supposed that the public would
never have anything more than such a
suspicion-though perhaps so confirmed
as to become u belief But sometimes
we find honest and thorough men in office J;
and sometimes time and circumstances
work their own revenges. After this in
vestigation was commenced, and the
doors of the Committee room were opened
to the public, there was 10 whitewash
thick enough to cover the blackness Of
the transactions which thrust themselves
upon view. From the revelations thus
far, Mr.. Amos guilt is clear enough to
call down upon his head the maledictions
of friends as well as focs-friends because
by his detection in his rdiscretions he has
brought them into disrepute, or at least
put them upon the defensive. But the
fair fame Of one other member is nearly
as much soiled as that of Mr.. Ames. Mr.
James Brooks Of New York, when first
named in connection with corruption,
was indignant and fatty denied ever hav
ing any relations to the Credit Mobiler.
But it finally comes out, on the evidence
of his son-ln-law, Mr. Nelson, that he was
quite deeply implicated. Stocks had
been transferred to the latter by Mr.
Brooks direction, and he had received
dividends 1t also appeared that one of
the original entries was made to Mr..
Brooks himself, and that his name had
been erased, and Mr.. Nelson's put in its
place.
The connection Of other members has
not been so directly traced, but quite a
number of them have, at one time
or another had some connection with the
infamous transactions Of Mr.. Ames in the
Credit Mobilier affair. And though it
does not appear that they are morally
reprehensible in the least, still they have
been handling pitch and have become be.
smeared. In spite Of protestations, in
spite Of evidence even, many people will
believe that those who have had anything
to do with the infamous matter, have been
corruptly SO. And in some cases it may
be true, The danger is that while we
are unable to distinguish who are the
guilty parties, that we may do injustice
to innocent victims Of unfortunate circum-
stances.
Whether legislation was actually in
fuenced by the placing Of these stocks
among the members, we may never know
with sufficient certainty to make the al
frmation. Each person can take the ev-
idence and decide for himself. But that
the scheme was laid 20 so affect it is al
ready apparent, and we can hardly avoid
the conclusion that it was not entirely
without success, even among those whom
we cannot now charge with moral turpi-
tude in the matter. With regard to the
feeling now existing among the members
whose names are mixed up in the scandal
it is said that as the investigation pro-
crosses, the feeling against Mr.. Ames
increases both among members OF Con-
gress the people of Washington. 1t
appears that Ames has been acting a
double part with his friends in and out of
the Credit Mobilier ring \ correspond
ent has telegraphcd the following to an
Eastern paper, and claims that every
statement made is well founded:
A prominent Massachusetts Rcprcsen-
tative, not Butler said to-day, that if it
were legal, the House in its present tenn
per, would hang Cakes Ames. This feel
ing seems to be sure to result in his eX-
pulsion, in which Mr.. Brooks will proba-
bly, follow suit. The chief argument
against Mr.. Ames is that he speciousy
used in the common belief of members in
his honesty and business sagacity to in-
duce them to invest in the Mobiler stock
while assuring them that no legislation
could be wanted by any human probabih-
ty, while at the same time he is writing
to his contederates that he had "placed
the stock where it would be of service
Then, his letter Of denial last summer is
urged against him. So bitter is the grow
ing feeling that it seems likely to amount
almost to panic. Gen. Garield's story
was, that some time in 1866 or 1867,
George +. Train offered hm ten shares,
worth at par one thousand dollars, in
Credit Mobilier, which he said was a COM
pany formed for the purpose of dealing in
town sites and erecting buildings along
the line Of the Union Pacific road He
submitted as evidence Of the value of the
investment, long list Of ockhoiders, in
which the name of Oakes Ames appeared.
The same day Mr.. Garfield inquired of
Ames about the company, and was tod
that it was good one and would surely
pay large dividends. Mr.. Garfield did
nothing about it and heard nothing more
OF the matter for more than year, when
Cakes Ames told him the Credit Mobil-
Ter was doing good business, paying
large dividends, aud that he could still
have ten shares, Mr.. Garfield asked for
time to examine the charter, which Ames
granted saying that he would carry the
stock until he was ready to pay for 1.-THE
dividends due being then three times the
par value. Mr., Garfield Investigated the
matter, and found that Ames' right to
dispose of the stock was disputed, and re-
solved to have nothing to do with the
Credit Mobilier stock He denied in the
most explicit terms that Ames ever gave
or offered to give him any Credit Mobil-
Ter stock, The only business transaction
which ever occurred between him and
Ames was loan of three hundred dollars
which he made from Ames and subse-
quently repaid.
Our Country's Future.