, 1873-02-15

/, FEBRUARY Is, 1873:
is all tno aatne. 11aving proceeded thus far hrr.
11arlhn appears In tho role Of tho "Artful
Dodgor." First. ho Boola to mako It appear that
tho contribution came from Mr.. Durant peraor-
ally, and not from tho treasury OF tho Company
anu, with d mooknoas and complaoenoy worthy
II Ii Ind boon made BY tho Company
through Mr.. Durant, then 1t would have
boon Ills duty to hayo restored 1t at
onco. Impressed with this belief, ho cousultc1
suoh authorittos aa Oakos Amos and John D.
Alloy, and was asBurod by thoao two voracloua
gentlomon that 1t couldn't havo been 40, where:
upon hr. Harlan WAS satisaod. But docs Mr..
Harlan suppose, or does ho imagine that any
ono auppoaos, that 1fessrs. AmcB and Alley
would have acknowledged TINT tho contribution
camo from tho Oompany7 Docs Mr.. Harlan
suppose or imagine that any ono suppoBoH that
Mr. Durant was personally Interested to euch a
acgroe in tho Iowa election aa to take S10, 900
out Of his pocket and give 1t to
Mr. uarlan It will take more
aatute special p1oador than Alr. Harlan to con-
vinco people that hlr. Durant, vico President OF
the Union Pacific Road, who Ind no private
axes to grind in tho Iowa election, would dolib-
eratoly give him 900 out Il bis own pocket,
without charging 1t to the Company, who had q
great many axes to grind In every State election
in 1865.
| Tt may b. assumed, rs general rule Of action,
| TINT mon, especially Vice Presidents and mau-
agora Of railroads, do not give away $4,000
without expecting BONO consideration for It,
any other assumption would involve dogreo
Of generosity too sublime for terrestrial conBid-
Grafton. Mr. Harlan aays when he received this
money ho WIS Secretary Of tho Interior. For
what purpose Was $40 1000 given by Mr. Durant
to tho Secretary OF the lntorior2 gnroly for an
equivalent. What was that equivalent Surely,
official aots as Secretary OF tho Interior. Any
other construction Of this business operation
would DO. q contradiction Of ono Of tho
first principles Of human nature. Mr.
Durant, az wo havo said, Ind no per-
aonal interest In tho Iowa election.
As Vice President Of tho Union Pacific, how
over, he did have an interest In tho Iowa cleo
tion, and worry lively interest In the Secretary Of
tho interior. Ho could bost express his interest,
tndeod, In the Iowa election, by taking $4,000
worth Of interest in tho Secretary, as tho latter
had already informed him how much he was in
tereatod In that election. Mr. Harlan indeed
scoms to have taken 1t for granted that tho
public might accept this viow Of tho transac-
tion, md seeks to break it's forco by do
claring that under the law, as fast as tho con-
tractors finished forty miles OF road, they ro-
ported to tho President, who sent out Commits
sioners to examine and accept It, whereupon
tho Company became entitled to the land-grants
and bonds. This is tho feoblest and lamoat plea
in dofence which has yet beon oHored by any
Of tho officials implicated in corruptions. It
is the truth, with . falsehood coiled snugly !
in tho centra Of 1t. hlr. Harlan we'll
knows that the Secretary Of the Interior
aota upon hie own motion in all matters pertain
ing to his own department, the same az the
other 8ecretariea in their respective depart
ments. He himself sends out the Commission
ers. They report to him, and he accepts for tho
President Tho President does not perform tho
work Of the Secretary Of tho Interior, and docs
not Interfere with 1t. Such ploa as this yirtn-
ally amounts to n concession OF guilt in tho
premises. II Mr. Harlan had no
other excuse to make than tint Mr.
Durant could not have expected any
consideration for his contribution, and that ho.
as Secretary Of tho Interior, could not have rem
dered him any equivalent for the money, he had
much better have kept his mouth closed entirely.
OF What possible value was 1t to bIr. Durant to
know that Mr. Harlan was Interested in tho Iowa
election, and pay him 10000 for tho informa-
ton, II h1r. Durant did not expect come consid-
GRAFTON from him as Secretary Of tho
interior, for tho benefit OF tho Pacific
Road The absurdlty Of hlr. Har1an's stato-
ment is only equallod by tho rankness Of the |
hypocrisy which is revealed through Its thin tex
turo. He must try again before he can clear
himself Of Mr. Durant'a tcn-thousand-dollar
doucour.