The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1880-06-11
CREDIT MOBILIER AND DE GOLYER
New York Sun. MAY s, 1880

. James A. Garfield is now serving his
ninth consecutive term as member of the
house Of representatives. AT the end of
his term he will succeed Mr.. Thurman in
the senate, as night succeeds day. Gifted
with fine natural parts, possessed OF some
literary ability, given to study, popular in
manners, and with pleasing style of
speech, few men have begun public life
with such advantages No public man has
sacrificed his opportunities more unworth-
lily.
Mr.. Garfield entered the army IN 1851 as
a colonel Of volunteers, and left it a major
general in 1868, with arecord which, though
not shining, was quite creditable. The Re-
publicans of the western reserve, who had
sent Joshua r. Giddings to congress until
he became recognized as the father of the
house, took up Garfield on his return from
the war, at 80 years of age, and have chung
to him since then, despite the most damn.
ing proofs of his venality and jobbery in
legislation Fidelity to party in its fierce
and intolerant spirit seems, like the mantle
OF charity, to have covered a multitude of
sins in his case.
Thrown into the midst OF the reckless
legislation for which the calamity of civil
war furnished an opportunity, he soon de-
veloped the traits of character which have
more recently made his name notorious
throughout the country. He became the
advocate and apologist Of the huge land
grants and subsidies by which millions Of
acres of the public domain and tens of
millions Of money were voted to great cor
porations and rings That may be called
the beginning of the organized corruption
which fourshed during Grants two terms.
Garfield voted for almost every job, and for
almost every iniquitous scheme of the lob
by that then controlled the leading COM
mittees.
The construction OF the Union Pacific
railroad furnished the opportunity for a
gigantic fraud. Congress voted money and
land enough to build it without any con-
siderable issue of bonds or stock by the
company. The directors were forbidden
by law from engaging in contracts or hold
ing other interests Of profit. Therefore
they could not become benefclaries by the
abuse Of their trust until that obstacle was
overcome. They soon found a way to it.
A company known as the Credit Mobilier,
organized upon the French plan, had pro-
cured charter from Pennsylvania, which
proved to be failure in its hands. This
charter was purchased. A ring of officers
and directors of the Union Pacific road OBJ
tanned control of its affairs. They contract.
ed with themselves under another name for
the construction at exorbitant prices.
They swindled the United States, the bond.
holders, and the stockholders for the
benefit of their own close corporation.
In 1867, Cakes Ames, James b. Alley,
and others, known US the Boston party"
got possession Of the Union Pacific and the
Credit Mobilier. AT that time Ames was q
member Of congress, and manufacturer of
reputed wealth. The great contracts pass
ed into his hands, and the dividends Of the
Credit Mobilier had already attracted at.
tention. Elihu B. Washburne introduced
a resolution in the house which alarmed
the jobbcrs tor their immense profits. Col.
fax, then speaker, and one of the creatures
Of the ring silenced this movement tor a
time by parliamentary tricks.
Still, the Credit Mobilier monopolists
were uneasy, and proposed to buy off pro.
position. In January, 1868, Ames wrote to
McComb, who afterward started the investi-
CATION from motives Of revenge, ~ have u.s.
signed as far as ! have gone" certain shares
to different states; "the so per cent. in.
crease ! want for distribution here, and