Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-03-05
THE CASE. PRECISELY.

In his speech in the House Of Represen-
tatises in defense of Cakes Ames, Gen.
Butler said:
"What Cakes Anes had exactly done
was this: BE had said to members: This
stock is valuable; l think we have arranged
it so hat it VIII be valuable if we are let
alone-if nobody is allowed to levy black
mail on us--and therefore I rant yOu to
hare such q little mOdicuDl of interest IN it
as that you a0ll prick up yOur ears trhea-
euer the Union Pacific Railroad Is men
toned" .--..... ..-
Now, let us see how the same though is
amplifed in speech by Mr. Stevenson, a
Republican member from Ohio. BE said:
"The lobby had been brought to bear,
members had been Interested, eX-mem-
bers and members elect had been interested,
until there seemed to be a common ap2re-
tension among the people that an auc4iOn
room had been made of this legislative hail,
and csItain it was that more property had
passed under yonder (the Speaker's) ham
mer Than had ever passed under the ham,
mer Of any auctioneer in all the world.
And how had this been carried out? Mainly
by the suppression OF inquiry by Congress.
sweeping from Maine to California, and it
had succeeded Tell me not that it was
failure. II was the granGest success ever
achieved by such Gemoniacal means among
men. He referred to the Congressional
Globe to show the action of the various
leadipgmembers of the House on questions
affecting the Union Pacific Railroad Com
pony"
The time allotted 10 Mr.. Stevenson ex-
PRED befose be had concluded his remarks,
and leaUe to print them tOas denied. This
shows that the suppression of inquiry by
Congress constituted one Of the essential
features of its crime. We have already
shown how this was done, and by whom.
Mr.. steyenson-and he is sound Republic
can aathority-pronounced the Credit Mo
bilier otae most mammoth fraud eUer prdc-
ticed on any gorer7lment on the face Of the
eayth';-a statement which she facts album
dainty warrant. The extent Of the fraud
was shown by Mr.. Stevenson TO be as fol-
lows:
stHe quoted the testimony of the Wilson
Committee 10 show the enormity of the
fraud perpetrated on the public, and said
that even this was but part OF "a great sys-
TEN of fraud, the out cropping and surface
indications Of g great system Of fraud, by
which there had eenturned into the pock-
els of private and official citizens of this
country the value o: two hundred million
acres of public land, and over sixty millions
Of cash. the value Of the land being stated
in railroad circulars 10 be not less than
billion of dollars"
Now, let us see who the persons were
that Mr.. Ames desired so to interest that
they would prick up their ears whenever
Union Pacific was mentioned; who did
become so interested; who suppressed in
curry in Congress, and who are thus re-
sponsibie for the Hmammoth fraud" Mr..
Stevenson said:
sit involved the Vice President elect, the
Vice President sitting, the Speaker of the
House, the chairman of all the important
committees of the House, the House it.
self It's very existence and organization.
He was not disposed to blame that COM
u1ittee when it caught all these great Levi
athans OF the great deep in its net, that it
was not quite able to haul them all into
their little tub"
From Mr.. Buffers statement Of what
Ames did, and from the facts as summed
up by Mr.. Stevenson, it is clear that out Of
Buffers own mouth is bis client condemn
ed, and with him the "very existence and
organization" of the House itself.