The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-01-06

formal enumeration is not needed. The
Credit Mobilier investigation which
took up the entire session of Con-
gress until the grab supplemented its
corrupt revelations worked great change in
parties. The confession OF Cakes Ames, and
the Leading Republican Congressman began
the work of disintegration, the full meaning
Of which was exhibited in the fall elections.
Meantime, while the dominant party was
shattering itself into fragments by its ex-
posures Of past criminalties and present
base ness new organizations were springing
up all over the West. The hardy workers
of the agricultural regions, impressed with
the hollow mockery of partisan struggles, of
party pledges, had been for sea-
son quietly banding together and
finally the strength of the move
ment began to be felt. Formed at first for
self defense against home monopoly, the far
mers' organization came in time to stand for
an opponent of the banded partisan power
which, in the course of a few years. has sue
ceeded in robbing the farm of its profits and
the farmer of all but his mere subsist-
ence. In March the Congress ad-
journed, with whirlwind of pub
lie execration beating upon it. The record
from the first day of the session to the last
had been a shameless parody on law max
ing. The atrocious hwlessness of the
Louisiana outrage, alternated with the de-
velopments which each day put some
leading Republican PROSTATE in the
mire of robbery and chicane. Will
son, Colfax, Kelley, Dawes, Gar
field, Bingham, Logan, Carpenter and
the rest were in turn incuIpated of taking
Cakes Ames' brides and the tribunal of their
fellows after full proof of their guilt dismiss
ed the scandal with censure on two of the
guilty. The heat of public indignation
cleared the atmosphere, however, somewhat
and gave a chance for clear vision when
The October elections came on. Mean
time the natural sequence of Boutwell's
came to pass. He had drained
the treasury of all the available gold to put
in the New York market during the cam
paign to make the specious pretense of pay
ing the public debt, and instead of holding
the gold and retiring so much currency. A
crash was the consequence. The
government bankers, Jay Cooke * Co., went
to the wall with a crash, and the government
was a great many millions the loser, directly
and indirectly. With this crash came the
panic, from the results of which we are still
suffering. But the crash brought something
more than the panic. 1t enabled the couC-
try to get a glimpse at the misman-
agement and ignorance prevalent at the
national capital. 1t revealed depth of pee
ulation and incompetency in all the great
offices, for which the opponents of the adj
ministration we're not prepared, and it gave
an opportunity for such houest elements as
as still remain in the Republican party, to
set to work with the knife to cut
out abuses. This is the rapid epitome
that the historian would give to the past
year in this country, the mere events of
striking interest to attract public attention.
The Modoc massacre and murder of General
Candy; the campaign in the lava beds; the
fierce contest with the monopolists in Cali
fornia and the unexpected triumph of the
Independents. The Cuban excitement and
the attempted repeal efthe salary. These
are events which do not necessari-
ly leave permanent results. The others will
extend their influences in many years and
re-sppear in new forms in other and later
of dying years.