Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-06-24
LET GEN. GARFIELD EXPLAIN.


mistake if he shall affect to ignore the
serious charges which meet him at the
very outset of his campaign for the
Presidency. They are not the whis-
perings of anonymous slanderers, nor
the rank growth of partisan calumny
which may spring up in night at the
feet of the purest man in public life
so soon as he receives a nomination
for the Presidency. Every Presiden-
tial candidate from Washington down
has had to trample upon that sort of
thing, and not one of them was the
worse for it in the end. But now for
the first time in the history of this
country does great party present as
its candidate one whose personal and
official integrity has been impeached
by the result of Congressional inves-
tigation. If General Garfeld's friends
suppose that candidacy so beclouded
will receive the approval or toleration
Of the American people when the facts
are understood they are sadly mis-
taken and in the spirit of kindness he
and they should be undeceived at
once.
The Credit Mobilier scandal is still
fresh in the memory of all. Eight
years ago it was exposed to public
view, and it is unnecessary to tell the
story over again. Suffice it to say
that the disclosures made by Con-
gressional committee of investigation
were death to many fair reputation.
Some of the Congressman implicated
found it expedient to retire from pub
lie life and have never since ventured
to ask any trust at the hands of the
people. Others were saved as by fire |;
the verdict against them was simply,
Not proven; )" they were allowed to
keep their seats in Congress, but did
not escape condemnation. Among
these fortunate ones was James 4.
Garfield, of Ohio. When the charge
was made through the newspapers that
his name was on the list of Senators
and Representatives involved by the
revelation of Oakes Ames he was
quick to repel the charge. In explicit
words, through an Associate Press dis
patch, he authorized q comprehensive
denial. He had never subscribed for
nor received nor seen any share of
that stock on the contrary, he had
twice declined to have anything to do
with it. When the affair came before
n Congressional committee, however,
and he was put upon oath and con-
tronted by Oakes Ames, he explained
that he did take certain amount of
stock and left it in the hands of Mr..
Ames until the accruing dividends
thereon should pay the principal of
the purchase money. A check drawn
by Mr.. Ames in Garfeld's favor was,
the latter explained, only loan from
Mr.. Ames to him. Mr.. Ames, on his
part, reluctantly denied the loan and
settled the question by producing the
check of the Credit Mobilier Company,
which had been passed to Mr.. Gar.
fields account. The committee came
to this conclusion:
The facts in regard to Mr.. Garfield
are as follows Mr.. Garfield agreed with
Mr.. Ames to take ten shares of Credit
Mobilier stock, but did not pay for the
same. Mr.. Ames received the so per
cent. dividend in bonds, and sold the
bonds for 81 per cent, and also received
the 60 per cent. cash dividend, which
together paid the price of the stock and
interest and left balance of 1929. This
sum was paid over to Mr.. Garfield bv
check on the Sergeantat-arms, and Mr..
Garfield then understood this sum was
the balance of dividends after paying
for the stock.
The committee, however, charitably
failed to emphasize certain minor dis
crepancies in Mr.. Garfeld's statement
which gave his friends great pain.
One of these was that he explained his
need of a loan by saying that trip to
Europe had somewhat impoverished
him, whereas it appeared by other tes-
timony that the trip in question did
not occur until after the Credit Mobi-
lier transactions. 1t was several ugly
things like this that led that able Re-
publican journal, the New York Times,
TO declare that Mr.. Garfield presented
"a most distressing figure" while the
New York Tribune thought he was
fortunate to escape expulsion by Re
publican House. Other victims had
been selected, however, and the House
by a ruling of the Speaker, evaded a
vote on Mr. Woods resolution, which
absolutely condemned Garfield and
Others for becoming pecuniarily inter-
ested in q corporation dependent upon
Congress for its maintenance and sup
port.
We have stated the case mildly and
dispassionately solely for the purpose
of calling the attention of General
Garfield and his friends to the gravity
of the matter and the manifest nro-