The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-28
what Arc You Going To do About 1t

|
Gentlemen-members of Judge Luke Po-
lands investigating committee. Senators and
Representatives in Congress-the inquiry into
the Credit Mobilier transactions is about to
close, the testimony Is said to be nearly all be-
fore you, the confessions of your unfortunate
associates have been made. the great Hoax
Ames has cleansed his foul bosom of as muck
of that perilous stuff with which it is sur.
charged'as he deems it proper to get rid Of
andnow, "What are you going to do about it,"
This is question which all the country is in
| terested in asking, and upon the reply you
make will depend the verdict of the people Of
the United States upon your own title to pub
lie confidence. The air is filed with rumors
not altogether fattering to your reputation for
| integrity 1t is confidently asserted by those
who profess to have access behind the
scenes that it is the intention of
Judge Poland's committee to make a simple
report of facts as they appear in the testimony
to submit the contradictory statements of the
various witnesses to bring into prominence
the natural denial by all of any corrupt
intentions. in the buying and selling
of the stock, and TO refrain from
making any comments or recommendations
leaving Congress to form its own judgment
upon the case and to justify or expel the
tainted members as it may see fit. 1t is said
that Congress is prepared to accept this
gospel of ST. Luke as bringing glad tidings
to the majority party to maintain that the
lustre of their own shining political lights is
undimmed by the breath of corruption, but
| to offer up two victims on the altar of public
opinion-the democratic James Brooks and
the 'peaching Ames. The former, says the
report is to be censured for his family specu-
lations, which are to be declared inconsistent
with his duties rs government Director of
the Union Pacific Railroad, while the latter,
the great Hoax himself, is to be rebuked,
not for his transactions with Senators and
Representatives, but for his letters TO Colonel
McComb, rejecting on the official integrity of
his associates, which are to be pronounced q
breach of the high privileges of Congress.
If the venerable Judge Poland and his asso-
ciates imagine that the Investigating Committee
can thus grossly disregard their obligation
and not stand condemned as the convenient
tools of the corruptionists, or if the Congress
sional majority believe that any subterfuge to
which they may resort will deceive the world
as to the truth of this tale of infamy, they
misunderstood popular sentiment. The people
care nothing about the disgraceful details of
the miserable affair. They are Indifferent
whether in the process of mud-throwing the
character of James Brooks or McComb, of
Cakes Ames or Colfax, may receive the fouler
stain. They pay no heed to the bubbles and
evasions of the witnesses or the specious pleas
of partisan organs 1t is enough for them
| that the light of day has been let into the dark
recesses of a corruption more infamous and
more dangerous than the bold robberies of the
Tammany plunderers; that members of Con-
gress, who are entrusted with the law
making power, have been found to be set of
bartering hucksters, ready to place themselves
under pecuniary obligations to corporations
notorious for their grasping and pestilent
character that statesmen who have assumed
especial honesty, who have constituted them
selves leaders in morality and reform, who
have been honored with the public confidence
| and some Of whom have been raised to the
second Office in the gift of the people, are con-
victed of acts which must brand them forever
as unfaithful public servants. No white wash
| ing reports can obliterate these facts no sub
terfuges and no distortion of evidence can
blind the people to the real character of
the transactions in which these tainted Con-
| gressmen are involved. 1t is as useless to
argue that Wilson, Colfax, Kelley, Patterson,
Brooks and their fellows did not know the
nature of the corrupt bargain they were making
with Cakes Ames when they took his stock and
! covered tup under the names Of relatives and
trustees, as it would be to pretend that a
burglar does not understand the character of
the jimmy and the skeleton keys which
he hides under his coat. Every man
Of common sense knows that these official
spectators would have held the stock in their
own names if they had been engaged in an
honest business transaction of which they
were not ashamed. Every man of common
sense knows that they would not have run
like frightened sheep to Cakes Ames upon the
first hint of exposure to have the transaction
cancelled, if they had not felt guilty in their
souls. Every man of common sense knows
that they would not have uttered the bold
falsehoods to which they descended during
the Presidential campaign if they had not
known that the confession of the truth would
have blasted their characters and their pros
poets. How idle, then, to hope that nom
committal report from St Lukes convenient
committee or furry of virtuous Indignation
in the House Of Representatives will hoodwink
the people into the belief that the corrupted
Conpressmen are not one and all guilty and