Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-08-19

Years Ago!
We could fill the JOURNAL with ex-
tracts from Republican and Independent
papers published in 1873, denouncing CON-
gress for its failure to visit any punish
ment or even censure on the men who |
had accepted Credit Mobilier stock,
and then testified falsely concerning it.
Even such papers as the Philadelphia
Ledger, usually timid about expressing |
opinion, openly laughed to scorn the ridic-
ulous pretenee that Cakes Ames was guilty |
of bribing Congressman and yet that no
Congressman was guilty of accepting a
bride, and it declared that there was
not one of the men who made a
public denial of his connection with Credit |
Mobilier ''who did mot fslsify the real
facts by prevarication or by suppressing
essential truth, or by false suggestion,
"or by direct falsehood-proved to be
"falsehood by the recorded evidence" In |
subsequent discussion of these same men |
the Ledger referred to their mean. tricky,
false denials," while tho Eoeni1g 1'ele-
graph, the Press, The Inquirer aud North |
American GALL Republican papers, joined
in denouncinR these men and declaring
that the action of Congress in refusing to
censurs them would not relieve them from
the consequences of the just wrath of the
people.
Now there is no doubt that these utter
ences were prompted by a simple desire
for justice and public morality. There
was nothing at stake especially, and no
reason on the part of even party news
papers for joining Congress in attempting
to whitewash the men who had betrayed
their trust aud then attempted to lie out
of it. The Republican party knew that it
had been hurt by their acts and the feel
ing among even the strongest party news
papers was that the men who had injured
their party in such fashion ought to be
drummed out of its ranks, fo- the party's
sake quite as much as for the sake of jus.
tice or the country. They said so, plainly,
auu sho inuoPouuout Papeis Joiheu iooiJ
in the demand.
Now, at that time, there was no ques-
ton that Gen. James A. Garfield, mem
Der of Congress from Ohio, WAS as badly
smutched by these revelations IS any
among those denounced. He had negoti-
sted for possession of the stock, stock had
been assigned him, he had received sum
representing the exact amount distributed
among the other stockholders who had
bought on the same conditions. He had
denied ever having owned any of the
stock and the testimony convinced the
Investigating Committee aud the country
that his denial was false and evasive.
1t came within the description
above quoted from the Ledger, and, at
that time, with ali the facts fresh, the
Ledger would not have dreamed Of saying
that General Garfield was not one OF the
Congressman to whom it referred in terms
of severity unusual with 1t. Since that
time the Republican party has asked the
American people to choose this very same
General James A. Garfield as President
> of the United States 1t is seriout
:. question for the people 70 consider
:. and for the press and all other agencies
=. and moulders of publi9 opinion to discuss
- If there ever was "a tins whsu it is tn,
most manifest duty ofndependent papers
. such as the Ledger, to state tine facts abou
this mans career, now is the time. But
= now absolutely silent. The Rspuolicai
party papers, W1itk denounced him il
1873 are eulogi4lng h.g as
man who has always maintained
reputation of pnsuleG purity, and tn
Democratic papers and tblse few indie
pendent papers which are recalling th
once universally admitted facts concern
: ing his public conduct are denounced wit
= bitterness and acrid hatred for abusiv,
-. ness and mud throwing. Is this not .
+ ridiculous that even LtGest partisans ca
y, not fail TO see it
We can understand how az honei
- Republican can, through the influence
prejudice and feeling, consider that pc
=, ton of the American people which col
- stitutes the Democratic party so evil in it
tendencies that almost anything els
:, would be better than its snccsss We ca
~ understand how an hoaest Republican
:, feeling thus, should say thong
General Garfield had oace fallen in
temptation and weakly tried
=, escape the consequences OF his fall
-, resort to falsehood. nevertheless lie is Il
:. at heart bad man, and his interests
well as bis pride, would cause him to u
HIS unquestioned abilities 10 the best a
vantage in the Off SO of President, but ,
cannot understand how really senst
and wellinformed man can pretend to /
lieve the interested deelaratio
-. Of party papers, now, concer
- ing General Garheld's copnect
w. ~ with Credit Mobilier, and to disbelieve
utterances of the very same papers fl
- 80 years ago when the facts were fresh in t
w. minds Of everybody and there was
motive whatever for singing out this IN
for attack or misrepresentation, one "
or the other The heat of party passi
res may possibly Oriug the minds of exc
Il a able people into condition VIII
at enables them to honestly believe Il
ent the very papers now eulogizi
in General Garfield wl4su IL is to their int
y Of est TO DO 80. were slandering him SO,
om- years ago when thsy were entirely dis
,uld terestedi but, we must say that
! on process which develops in any mind
anna capacity for honestly holding such be
and is utterly destructive of that min
with capacity for Just and rational judgme
tees or for the perception of the truth throl
laws the most ordinary and simple weighing
ears evidence and probabilities.
con- .5.. -
the There appears to be no doubt that H
the Galusha A. Grow is the favorte candid
prizes fer United States Senator among
eing masses of tha Pennsylvania Republic
sent in the event that they nave majority
the next Legislature, which will be ca
'ama on either to re-elect Senator Wallace O
non L, ~