The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-07-01
GARFIELD AND THE CR REDlT
ff-fi,r{. a dMOBILIER. y5I iryaf
what tho Leading Republican Pa
pers said OF 1t nj the Time.


pers said OF IL at the Time. q
While the Republican papers and
politicians are charging the Democra.
cy with raking up from the dead past
the scandal of Garfeld's connection
with the Credit Mobilier affair and
pronouncing the charges to be baseless
fabrications, it may not be amiss to re-
publish q few extracts from the lead
ing Republican press of the country
showing how they viewed the matter
at the Tune the Investigating Commit
tee, which was composed of three Re-
publicans and two Democrats. made
their report. Here they arc: ii f.ir.,
New York Tribune, Feb. 49, 1873.
Let US gather. up the ends of all this
snarl of testimony and see, if possible,
just where we stand. Read Ethe eyi-
dence. With varying degrees of guilt
or guilty knowledge, every man of
them, with one exception Mr.. Blainel
has been obliged to confess that at
sone time he had held this stock, and
at some time-under stress of con-
science, let US hope, though that is not
fully prOven-got rid of it. Now let
US go slowly oyer the list; James A..
Garfield of Ohio had ten share he
never paid a dollar; leceived $329,
which after the investigation began he
was anxious to have considered IS q
loan from Oakes Ames to himself.
These men betrayed the trust of the
people, deceived their constituents,
and by their evasions and falsehoods
confessed the transactions TO be dis
graceful. Pass no resolution. Drop
it where it is. Remand the whole
business to the people. aII fsDii
New York Times, Feb. 10, 1879
OF the members referred to Messrs
Kelley and Garfield present the most
distressing figure. Their participa-
ton in the Credit Mobilier affair is
complicated by the most unfortunate
contradictions OF testimony which the
committee do not undertake to unrav
Ell. The only possible comment ION
their cases is that had they taken a
perfectly upright course in the matter
and refused to have anything TO do
with the stock no occasion for contra
diction would have arisen. .
/ /
N. Y. Evening Post, Feb. l9, 1873. e
u This defense implies degree of yer.
dancy in persons selected as chairmen
of the leading committees OF the
House that would render them utterly
unfit for that distinction. We are told
that they are not a. great knaves As
they are thought to be because they
were greater simpletons than any enc
had supposed. ...r...rs. .,i 4s.,. .,..< q
i Albany Evening Journal Feb. %,
1873. -. :. ....,,,, ...Ir,.........
There can be no doubt that under all
the circumstances the Credit Mobilier
stock was an improper stock. for q
Congressman to hold, though it is a
great deal easier TO see this now after
all the facts are known, than it was
fYe years ago. This criticism, what
ever it is, obviously applies to ALL, It
SCENE evident that those who paid for
for their stock like Dawes stand much
better than those who waited. like
Kelley aud Garfield, for the dividends
to pay for it. Those who told the
truth cannot be criticised like those
whe "ieauivscated,' and, here again
there is . contrast between Dawes on
one side and two or three others.
2 u - D. n
Albany Evening Journal, Feb. 80, '73
Mr.. Dawes emerges with complete
We think Mr.. Kelley,
Mr.. Garfield and some of the others
10 not stand quite SO well. !
What is the nature of their offenses |
Their wrong was that they did not
frankly and fully tell the tstfth-that |
hey concealed and preUGricdted and |
Tins is the whole of
t. We do not undertake to shield 1
hem from this charge of deception. (
Fhey resortea 70 ii and they must rsuf-
er the consequences. .l,,.4...l.,i.,o
And the following from the Cincin.
'ati Commercial of March 3lst, 1873,
would ssem 10 show that. the opin-
on expressed by Murats Halstead
n regard to the record Of. Garfield in I
lis paper on the ard of June last, was
me not hastily formed. Speaking of
action when under the fire
# the COMMITTEES, the Commercial
ays:
Sand Garfeld's noble soul was sad.
y perturbed. lie looked upon the
Genes with grave apprehensions and
egarded this unseemly persecution of
he righteous with such horror
hat his soul was sick within
Inn. lie came near making a fatal
lunder once. After Ames had testi.
ed the second time as to the guilt of i
firing it upon him clearly
nd Enthusiastically, the General at once
gifted them that be would come be.
Dre them and refute the Dile sIanders
hat the mendacious man from Massa-
husetts had poured out against him.
he day and the hour came, but stimuli
aneously came not Garfield. He had