Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-07-11
,GARFIELD'S RECORD.
Esvlew of His Connection with the
Cred Mobilier.


To the Editor of he Globe:
When man is put forward as candi-
date for Office, he in certain sense be-
comes public property, and his record, both
public and private, ought to be, and is sub
jected to close and searching scrutiny, to see
if he is better qualified, and by faith and
practice would be likely to make better
official than his rival. The record of Gen
eral Garfield is now being looked into and
brought to the full gaze of the people of the
United States, SO that they may know Just
what he is by profession and works.
There are at least three separate and dam
aging charges against Garfield, anS these
are of such magnitude and 30 clearly placed
and defined, that the Republican press is at
once put upon the defensive in trying to ex-
plain them away. The charges are his con-
nection With the Credit Mobilier, his re-
tainer in the street paving swindle in Wash
ington, under the scandalous and corrupt
''ring", rule of Boss Shepard, and his ad-
vocacy of the salary grab.
The Credit Mobilier was a construction
company 10, build the Union Pacific railroad.
It contained about the same men that were
directors of the road. AS directors they had
power to contract for the work, and then
they contracted with themselves as Credit
Mobilierists. They thus made one hand fill
the other. The largest stockholders in the
road and In the company were Cakes Ames
and Oliver Ames, his brother, of Massachu-
sets. The Credit Mobilier made a con-
tract to build 677 miles of the road for
$47, 00O 900, and to take pay in the stock of
the road, secured by the subsidies of the
government and by the treasury guaranty of
the interest of the mortgage bonds. This
made Credit Mobilier stock valuable. 1t was
kept anug from public view among the hold
ers. 1t was not marketed. 1t WIS worth
400 per cent. (see pages 6, Z and of Wilson's
Report, Credit Mobilier Investigation, Third
session # Forty second Congress.) At this
time Cakes Ames was member of Congress.
He 9oGS the Union Pacific railroad and the
Credit Mobilier company. He found his in
terests threatened by hostile legislation. So
he determined to place some shares where
they would do the most good, accordingly
he allotted ten shares each to leading Con-
gressmeH at par rates though every share
was worth four times par. None of the con-
gressmen paid over par. Most of them paid
nothing, bat let Mr.. Cakes Ames carry
tho stock for them, until its dividends
had paid for it, when he turned the stock
over to them, in fee simple, without having
paid cent for it, and with such money over
the par price as the dividends amounted to.
Among these whostook the stock as present,
paying nothing for it, and letting Mr.. Ames
hand it over to them when its dividends had
paid fer it, was the Republican nominee
James 4. Garfield.
All know that the job came out and that q
House committee was appointed to inyes-
tigate the matter. The committee were
Luke F. Poland, Vermont; N. P. Banks,
Massachusetts; George W. McCrary, Iowa,
Republicans, and VIM. E. Niblock, Indiana,
and William NJ. Merrick, Maryland. Demo
Gratis. Their report was unanimous. The