The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-08-22

then brushes it away in this style:
MIR. Poland is an able and learned man. There was
within his easy reach ample material for u vigorous,
judicial disposition Of the case, which
would have saved further labor. 1t lacks all those
qualities. 1t is feeble and pervaded with good- |
naurcd Indifference; or worse, an easy going lazi-
ness. In grasp, statement, and argument, cruel and
hurtful to n man whom he profoundly respected, and
for whom he has expressed the greatest admiration.
In other words, this is charge that the
committee in report which was to be ex-
amned and criticized by the whole world, |
tory of the country, was so careless and in
different about the good name and fame of one
of our most prominent public men that all the
facts of the case We're not closely scanned.
In this condemnation of Judge Poland all
the other members of the commttee-Na-
thaniel =. Banks, George w. McCrary, Will
liam T.. Niblack, and William NJ. Meriick-
are embraced, for they all signed the report.
Mr.. Riddle himself indorses them all as
"men ranking with the first of the body,
" and the two last among the ablest of the
" representative men of the Democracy"
And how can Mr.. Riddle reconcile his criti-
cism of the report which condemned Garfield
with what he says on another page of his
book that after patient and exhaustive
hearing, in which all known sources of in
" formation were used in all the known and
"unknown ways of Congressional investiga-
lions the committee having perfect jurisdic-
diction of the case, unanimously exoner-
lated Mr.. Garfield" The fact is that the
attempt TO explain away the Credit Mobilier
business was found to be task of exceeding
| difficulty by even so astute a lawyer as Mr..
Riddle.
But an attempt is made to show that it
was not until 1869 OF 1870 that Mr.. Garfield
was informed of the real use made of the
Credit Mobilier, and it is asserted that on
receiving that information he put an end to
all negotiations with Mr. Ames. Let us see
about this. Mr.. Garfield, in his sworn state
ment before the committee, said the first he
ever heard of Credit Mobiier was in 1866 or
1867, from George Francis Train. During the
long session of 1865 Mr.. Ames spoke to him
about it again, the two having previously
talked about it shortly after the conversation
with Train. Oakes Ames swore (and he is
uncontradicted except by Garfield himselD
that his agreement was made with Garfield
in December, 1867, or January, 1865. He
paid lin the :329 in June, 1865. To prove
that Mr.. Garfield could not have been aware
of the character and objects of the Credit
Moblicr in lSG7-'6s, Mr.. Riddle publishes
two letters, one from Judge Black and the
other from President Hinsdale, of Hiram Col
legc. Judge Black says it was in the winter
of lS69-'TO that lie had the conversation
with Mr.. Garfield. Mr.. Ilnsdale, whose let
ter is dated February IS, 1873, says it wa
three or four years before that he and Gar
field talked it over. That would bring tha
conversation also down to 1869 or 1870.
Now, let us see whether General CARTEL,
was aware of the character and objects of tn
Credit Moblier before that. In the discus
sion of the Poland report on February 2G
1878, il was stated in behalf of the member
implicated that at the time Ames was puttin
the stock "where it would do the most good
there was no proposition of Importance relat
ing TO the Union Pacific railroad before Con
gress. But it was shown in the debate, an
notably in the speech of Mr.. Job E.Stevenson
. of Ohio, Congressional Globe" Part 3
Third Session, Forty Congress, page
1870 and 1921 } that much legislation ha
been pending Itwas charged that while thes
bargains We're being made the managers {
y the road went to Congress in December, 1867
!, and asked authority to change the time an
: place of holding their meetings. On Marc
20, 1865, there was debate in the Hons
upon resolution to regulate the tariff {
fr-ights Of the company. Mr.. c. c. Wash
bnrn, of Wisconsin, made 4 speech in whic
he ventilated this whole business, beginnin
with the bill Of 1864, and exposing the opera
= tions of the Credit Mobilier by name. Nj
Stevenson quoted largely from that speech {
Washburn's, and added:
II has been said that some gentlemen involved di
. | not hear that speech Of Mr. WashbuIn, but fonn
the following members recorded as taking part Ia IL
proceedings of that day Messrs. bingham, Boutwei
n Wilson, of Iowa; soodeld, GARFIELD, Blaine, al
~, Mr. Dawes himself inierrupting Mr. Washburn.
cite this merely to show the presence OF these get
u men. This debate made a sensation. II was ~
4 done in corner. II was known of men,
] Remember that Mr.. Stevenson was Re-
Z publican and u colleague OF Mr.. Garfield,
but he brought ont the above facts to sho
that there could be no foundation for til
claim set up then, as il is set up now, tha
Garfield and others We're not fully aware
the nature, intents, and purposes OF til
Credit Mobiier Surely that claim OF ign'
rance will not be further insisted upon b.
fore an intelligent people.
General Garfield entered Congress in lsG;
!, He took u prominent part in legislation iroi
n the very start, lie never was a mel
1 "looker-on in Venice" lie had ambitio
Il aud he was worker. His biographers a
claim for him umceasing vigilance in all II
affairs OF State. lie studied ever
question. lie participated in the discu
: sion of every prominent subject. lie ha
been member Of the Ways aud MeaI
= Committee, the Military Committee, aud Il
Committee on Banking and Currency, an
yet We are asked to believe that he was il
attentive when so mighty subject as II
Pacific railroad was under consideration an
y. when frauds were charged in connection wit
C the Credit Mobilier. 1t won't do. The pc
ID pie are not TO be gulled by any such theorie
" They know that Garfield is man Of brain
IN and 1t is an insult to their common sense
ie tell them that he was Z" wise as serpent
10 in every other affair of state and blind as
M bat only when Credit Mobilier was concerned
4. and that he did not know what he wa
about when he swallowed the golden La
/ with which Oakes Ames went fishing.
n
l. GENERAL GARFIELD refuses point blank
j. define his position ON the temperance que
:. | L.. AlInI L L.. nlr.il Il G.,u.l.. Al