The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-08-18
Fortunes in Congress.

One of the most striking facts con-
nected with the history of legislation
during the last fourteen years of
Republican rule in Congress, is the
great number of fortunes acquired
by numbers Of the Senate and
House of Rep resentatives. who went
TO Washington poor, glad to receive
the pay as q means of subsistence.
Most OF them were merely profession
al politicians, and had no other busi-
ness to improve their material con-
dition.
There is but one possible explana-
tion this sudden acquisition of
wealth, and it is to be found in the
enormous grants OF public land to
railroad corporations immense sub
sidies Of money in various forms !;
special legislation for the creation
of huge monopolies the passage of
fraudulent claims; great appropria-
tions for correiIt Rings; Credit Mo-
bilier Jobbery; Pacific Mail stock
pools. and other methods, by which
the Treasury WAS robbed and the
people were crushed down with ruin
Gus taxation.
Chairmanships and places on the
leading committees Which control
the tariff. banking and currency,
public lands. judiciary, appropria-
tions. Pacific railroads. Post Office,
army, navy, claims, patents, District
of Columbia. and others of less inn
portance, but still available for ven
al uses, were not sought for the
honor they conferred. but almost
solely on account Of the profits to be
derived from an abuse of these
trusts.
They became objects of bargain
and sale, of partisan arrangements
and of cactus spoils. Presidents
and directors. and stockholders of
banks, railroads, and other corpora
tions, not only shaped the legisla-
tion affecting their own interests,
through the committees over which
they presided and held in hand Usu-
ally by majority of three-fourths,
but they openly advocated and vo-
ted for these schemes. in defiance of
all parliamentary morality and de-
cency.
The Credit Mobilier investigation
revealed the system of rascality
which prevailed in Congress. As
founding as it was, by exposing the
shameless venality of the most &C
cepted Republican leaders. who
preached piety and lectnred on NOR
ality while in the very act of steal
ing. it deserves TO rank as a mere
trifle compared with the wholesale
spoliations in other directions which
as yet have only been partially
brought TO light.
According to the Springfield Repub-
iican, ex Speaker Blaine appears as
the third highest on the list of tax
payers in Augusta, Maine. to the ex-
tent of s ,Q85, in city where taxa
tioB and assessments are low. He
is also very large. property holder
in Pennsylvania, and owns a fine
house in Washington, which is kept
| up on costly scale. While he swore
vigorously before the Credit Mobiler
committee TO having no interest in
that particular job, Mr.. Blaine admit
ted that he had $4,000 invested in
the Sioux City road, which was real
ly branch of the great concern, and
managed by some Of the same men,
and with the same seven principles.
Mr.. Blaine went to Congress twelve
years ago, poor. like most of his as
sociates. He has received no inher-
itance and been engaged in no busi-
ness outside of politics.. Yet in this
short period of time he has grown 10
wealth, lives like prince of the
blood. and aspires to be President.
He illustrates the system at one end
of the Capitol which John Sherman
does at the other. who has become a
millionaire by pulling the wires of
legislation. No wonder they all
looked sad and felt badly when the
people revolted last year and left
them out in the cold. z3e1
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