The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-09-02

me to utter infamy. The alternative Of
civil war deserves the credit OF being the
only thing at hand and if it has failed 1t
has failed only because the Republican
rings might as we'll try to pull down the
heavens or to lift the earth to the sky as
to start another civil war. They see chat
to make war on the South is the only way
10 stop the stampede in favor OF Hancock.
The Garfield papers first attempted TO say
that the American people owed nothing
to Hancock for his great services and one
them said he was no better than Lee and
that his army was Lees old army. But
this reused such storm among the al
ready terrified Office holders that the an.
tithesis was dropped like live coal,
scorching only the hands Of the authors.
So, from Maine to the Mexican line and
from San Francisco to the Susquehanna
the word has been sent, war to the knife
upon the South, upon the rebel brigadiers
and upon Hancock as a Democrat. 1t
was risk but it was the last plank and
time was pressing. Then came in another
danger. The ghost of DeGolyer and
Credit Mobiier would not down, Gar
field was either doubly unfortunate or
doubly guilty. Senator Simmons, of
Rhode Island, a most conscientious and
worthy Republican and an able one with
al, was forced to resign his seat in the
Senate in August of 1852 for an ottense
not comparable to the falsehood Of Gar
field in regard to the bribe he took from
Oakes Ames and then denied it. Timothy
Ives, of Pennsylvania, was retired from
the Democratic State ticket in 1866 on
half proved allegation upon his character.
John B. Foyd, BuChanan's Secretary of
War, was censured for transaction tri'
fling in comparison to this one act of Gar.
field. But the trouble in reference to
the candidate of the Republicans is that
it is not only the Credit Mobilier that
haunts the souls of our fearful adversa-
ries. There is another and more fatal
charge against their candidate-the De-
Golyer job. 1t is important that the his
tory of the two transactions should now
be recalled.
[Colonel Forney here gives the we'll
known facts relative to the organization
and design Of the Credit Mobilier, and
proceeds
Cakes Ames, a member of the House
from Massachusetts, was intrusted with
the delicate Office of "placing" the stock
"Where," as he expressed it, "it would
do the most good for us" He offered
shares in the Credit Mobilier, in limited
amounts, to members and at the same
time gave them the most growing, tho
not exaggerated, picture of the dividends
they would derive from the stock. The
company needed more friends in Con.
gress" to counteract the hostile move.
ments of 1.-The Washburnes." "Many of
the members are poor" and he had
agreed to "carry their stock" for them
until the dividends should pay for it.
Shares were 500. Mr.. Garfield was Of
fered ten and, being unable to pay, Mr..
Ames agreed TO hold them for him. At
the end of six months the dividends ex.
ceeded the par value of the stock by
1929 which Mr.. A res swears that he paid
Mr.. Garfield in June, 1863 He exhibit.
ed to the com mittee his books, Contem-
porary with the events, in which the ac-
count with Mr.. Garfield is stated, in
commercial style, charging him with
81 900 for the ten shares, and S47 for in.
terest to date of settlement, when, after
crediting him with two dividends Of S776
and $780, the balance of 1929 is stated to
be due Mr.. Garfield and that sum was
paid him by check on the sergeant.at-
arms, or by the cash drawn by Ames on
that check and paid to Mr.. Garfield,
This, in brief, is Ames's statement on
oath. He was willing to admit, he said,
in compliance with Mr. Garfeld's impor
tunate appeals, that the sum paid him
was loan, but his books showed that his
memory was not at fault in his original
statement.
Mr.. Garfield, early in the investigation
and before Mr., Ames had produced his
books, sOlemnly swore that he had never
held or agreed to take any stock in the
Credit Mobiier Company. H , admitted
that he had borrowed $500 of Mr.. Amas
about the date Of Mr.. Ames's charge ofthe |
stock against him December, 1857, but
insisted that he had repaid him. Hs ad
mitted, also, that he had, from some
time during the session of lS67-6S until
the latter part of 1869, had the PROPOSE
ton of taking stock in the Credit Mobi.
lier under consideration and that when
he borrowed the $500 it was agreed by
Mr.. Ames that the money need not be |
repaid until the dividends on the stock
should come in, when Mr.. Garfield might
cancel the debt by accepting the stock, |
or refuse the stock and refund the loan |
of $500.
This admission of Mr.. Garfield on the
cross.examination of the committee con.
Cedes the fact that he was not repelled |
from subscribing for the stock by what |
all the world except himself knew to be |
it's true nature-a bribe intended to make |
him the fast friend of the Union Pacific
Railroad He denies that he knew the |
true nature and object of this parasite
company believed-on the representa-
ton of George Francis train, made to him |
two or three years before-that the Credit |
Mobilier was to realize it's enormous prof |
its from the purchase of lands and the |
construction Of houses along the line Of |
the road. Mr., Garfield sWears that he
persisted in his Childlike faith in the |
Statement of Mr.. Train until the winter |
of l869-70, when Judge Black gave him
the first intimation he ever had "of the |
real nature of the connection between
the Credit Mobilier Company and the
Pacific Railroad Company. By this time
the Credit Mobilier had made little for.
tunes for the poor members " of Con.
gress who had subscribed for its stock
all by building the Pacific Railroad and |
none at all by buying lands and building |
houses Mr.. Garfield, though one Of |
the most intelligent and best informed |
men in America, who, had for two or
three years debated with himself and |
Mr. Ames upon the savisability of taking
stock IN the company, had, never heard |
from what source the dividends were de-
rived.r ar...s, ..,.' - aho
Mr. Ames, on the other hand, explained |
to all others with whom, he ,pr1bosed to
place the stock its true nature and the
~ D.