The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-08-22

Garfi.la q ! witness.

A MODEL REPUBLICAN,. i
Garfiela - ! witness.
New York Sum-
John Sherman has had summoned
as witnesses in his behalf several of the
visiting statesmen who served with
him ut New Orleans as abettors in the
conspiracy which he chiefly directed.
At the head Of the list is James A.
Garfield, who proved himself an ex-
pert at swearing before the Credit
Mobilier investigation. He swore
positively and with solemn emphasis
that he never had any shares or inter.
est in that corporation; that he never
received any dividends or profits from
it; and that he was utterly free from
connection with It 10 any manner or
form. The testimony, In the payments,
and the diary of Oakes Ames proved
the falsity Of these statements 90 con-
clusivelY that the whitewashing COM
mittee were forced to say SO in their
report. 8r;r sigaa.,f f.gedz ii
But this is not ell, by any means. 1t
was shown that after Garfield had
made his sworn statement, aud while
the investigation was still going on.
he called on Ames and made q de-
mand for larger diyldend in theCred-
it Mobilier than he had already re.
ceivedl Ames produced before the
committee the actual figures of this
claim in Garfield's own hand, as he
had written them at his table, and
they stand in the record as proofs OF
fagrant perjury, such as we are told
is not regarded % . sin by advanced
thinkers in the Beecher echool OF
morals.
Last year Mr.. Garfield appeared be-
fore the "Real Estate Pool Commit
tee," Of which Mr.. Glover was Chair
man. The testimony has not yet been
printed, bat it exlsts and is accessible.
In 1872, when the Washington Ring
was spreading out it's operations, and
had large designs on the Treasury,
Garfield was Chairman of the Com.
mittee on Appropriations. They want
ed to capture him in their interest, and
the task was not difficult. To do this
cham was contrived, which worked
to charm. De Golyer and McLel.
Ian were bidders for . large contract
Of wood pavement, which aggregated
nearly three quarters Of million dol
lars. One Chittenden went to Wash.
ington In their interest, and made his
connections with the Ring. r. e.
Parsons, of Cleveland, was at that
time United States Marshal of the Su-
preme Court. and converted his Office
into sort of lobby agency for the
multitude of jobs then pending and
pressed before Congress-. He was
known to be an intimate friend OF
Garfield, and was familiar with most
Of the other jobbers in Congress. In
order to reach and secure Garfield,
Chittenden engaged Parsons to pro-
mote the contract of De Golyer and
Mcclellan under the fictitious name
of counsel, promising him fee of$l5.-
600 in the event Of success.
When this arrangement was COM
pleted, Chittsndcn wrote exultingly to
his employers that he had got the
man who "held the purse strings OF
the nation," and that success was now
assured beyond all dispute. Pareons
went home and left the sscase" In Gar
fields hands. In order to be perfect
ly impartial, we give Garfield the ben.
eft of his sworn statement before Mr..
Glover's Committee, made March l,
1877:
A day or two before the adjourn
ment of the Congress, which adjourn.
ed in the latter part of June, 1872
Richard q. Parsons. who was . prac.
ticing lawyer in Cleveland, but was
then the Marshal Of the Supreme
Court and an old acquaintance ofmine
came to my house and said that he
was called away summarily by i'm.
portant business that he was retain
ed in case on which he had spent .
great deal of time, aud that there was
but oae thing remaining to be done
to make brief of the relative merits
of number of wooden pavements. =
x - He said he should lose hii
fee unless the brief on the merits ol
these pavements was made, and thai
he was suddenly and necessarily call
ed away home, and he asked me tc
prepare the brief. = -
went over the whole ground careful
ly aud thoroughly, and prepared
brief ON the relative merits of these
pavements for the consideration of tht
! Board of Public Works.
I prepared the brief aud went home
Subsequently, Mr.. Parsons sent me
portion of his own fee.
Q-What was the amount that Mr.
Parsons did pay you of his fee2
A.-$5,OOa When
had made the argument I went home
to Ohio, and some time in the month
of July, think, or perhaps month
afterward, Mr.. Parsons deposited il
bank to my credit $1,000.
| Q.--Your brief was made and fiedl
A.-CertainIy. 1 labored over The
case . good many days. s3a =
These extracts give the gist of Gar
field's cunningly concocted story, af
ter three years reflection. and with al
the incidental circumstances he couli
gather in TO make il seem plausible
He did not appear before the joint in
| uoaA;naf;on of 1874 fhonuh hla NAM