Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-07-23

ule feel about II very much as the ushWOWah
at Billingsgate market felt when Sidney Smith,
the rreat English humOrst, Oame along and
began 90 talk with her. She answered back
in 4 very saucy way, and he finally began to
cali her mathematioal names He called her a
paralleogram, a hypOthenuse, paralellopip.
edon, and such other terms, and she stood
back Rghast and said she never heard such
n nasty-talkng man in her life-never was
abused so before. Now, people think tney
have said an enormous thing when they say
that somebody had something To do with the
Credit Mobier. l ask your attention, Just FOR
few moments, TO what that thing IS, ana,
inthe next place, to understand precisely what
il ls that lam supposed to have had to do
"The Credit Mobilier was a corporation char
tered i'm 1859 by the Stateo Of Pennsylvania, and |
authorized to build houses, buy lands, loan /
money, etc. Nothing of consequence was |
when number of men bought up whatever /
stock there was in II, and commenced To do .
very large business. In the Wlnler OF loot, /
Mr.. Train came to me and showed me list OF |
names and subscribers to the stock OF the !
Credit Mohilier Company, and asked me 70 |
subscribe Sl,OOO. ] should say there were nj |
teen or twenty Members Of Congress on the |
list, aud many more prominent business men, |
nc sald that the COMPANY any Bco B eIR 10 9uy ~
places where they thought there would cities |
and villages grow up and develop, and he had
no doubt that the growth OF the country would
make that investment double itself In very
short time. . go
MOhiier Company had undertaken-a thing
that II there Is any gentleman in Warren who
would feel any hesitancy in buying II would be
because he did not believe in the growth Of the
country where the business was to be done.
The stock was offered TO me as plain business
proposition, with no intimation whatever that
Il was offered because the subscribers were
members Of Congress, for II was Onered 10
many other people, and no better men llNe
than at least Il large number Of the gentlemen
TO whom II was offered. Some of them took it
at once Some men are cautious about making
an investment, othefs are quick TO determine.
To none Of these men was any eXplhnatlOn
made that this Credit Mobilier Com
pany was i'm any way connected
with a ring of seven men who owned the prin-
cipal portion of the stock, and who hud n con-
tract with the Directors Of the Union Pacific
Road for building GOV or 7OOmiles at an eXtraY-
aRant price-larRely above what the stock was
worth. That WIS secret held only by those
seven men who owned the principal portion OF
the stock. It is now understood mat MT.
pany Of seven men, sought 10 gain the TREND
ship Of fifteen or twenty prominent Congress,
men, with tho view OF protecting himself ana
the Pacific Railroad against any investigation
which might be made; but II was necessary
part of his plan not TO divulge that purpose or
in any way intimate TO them that he might
draw upon them for favorB.
Long before any such purpose was realized,
long before any pressure came upon Mt;
Ames, most Of the men who had been invited
20 purchase that stock had either declined 70
purchase or had purchased and realized, or
had purchased and sold out. But, In 1872, In
the midst Of the Presidential campaign, an
article was published in the public journals
charging that sixteen prominent members OF
Congress-Senators and Representatiyes-hnd
sold their votes for money or stock; that they
had accepted bribes. You remember that
district at that time. When that news
came was away I'm the Rocky Mountains
came home, and the first day after my arrival
at Washington authorized to be published q
statement concerning what knew about thC
Oakes Ames business. A great many people
suppose now and say, and Il has been repeated
hundreds Of times In this district, ana ospeclul
ly In this town during the last two weeks
that Mr. Garfield hedged and denied any
knOWledRe of the Credit MObiller business un
I'll finally the investigation brought II out:
repeat that, Immediately on my arrival ~
Washington, made a statement 10 the cor
respondent OF the Cincinnati Gdzette, Of which
the following Is copy:
"WAsHINGrON, September Is, 1872.
"General GARFIELD, who hus just arrived herr
from the Indian country, has to-day had th'
first opportunity OF seeing the charges con
neotInR his name with receiving shares of thI
Credit Mobilier from Onkes Ames. He author
lzes the statement that he never subscrlbe'
for share of the stock, and that he never re
ceived saw a share Of II. When the OOm
pany was first formed, George Francis Train
then active in II, came to Washington ANA OK
hibited list of subscribers: Of leading oap
talists and some members of Congress, to Tn
stock of the company. The subscription wa
described us a popular one OF Sl,OOO cash
Train urged General Garfield To subscribe O
two occasions, aud each time he declined
Subsequently he WIS agnin Informed thnt IN
list was nearly completed, but that a ch9nG
remained for him TO subscribe, when he ngal
deClined; and to this day he has not receive
any share of stock or bond Of the Company
in the midst Of that stormi aud tempest, pn
accusation, and only a little while before IN
election, stated il and left It go broadcast :
the daily press that / did know somethln
about the Credit Mober; that had boen IL
vitcd to subscribe 90 IL; that had on two ot
Chsons discussed the matter; that had take
II into consideration; and that finally | ha
declined 10 subscribe; thut never hal Owne
or held share; had never seen aoortlhoate
the stock. Now, | am not asking you ut I'M
moment 10 discuss the truth of that state
ment but only to say that stated lt long D,
fore there was any Investigation talked OF
that never dOdgod, or evadod, OF denied hay
ing any knowledge Of the subject but at tn
first declared plainly and fully what dI
When Congress met Speaker Blaine and tn
rest Of us whose names were concerned IN
at once on the first morning OF the session
demanded a Committee of Investigation to 3
through with the whole subject from begil
ming 70 end, want those gentlemen VINO thl
about Mr.. Garfield being got after by comml
tees of lnyestigntlon TO know that no invest
CATION into any public affair has been held
the iist three Years IN MusShIgtun t tntt N
not helped 70 organize and bring about "a
plause'l ..,.- A.. ,,,,.,.,,,,o,,,,,g vo,, az,
remember that before tho investigation Ia
gone far feeling Of alarm and exoitemel
swept over the whole country that has hard
been parnllelcd In American history. Som
men whose names were connected with N
chnrges Ofthe Credit Mobiler matter, shopkG
at the terrible charge Of bribery thrown I
them, la the hurry OF the moment so far 10
got themselves as TO give equlyOcal answer
IA tu whether they know anything about n
matter or not, aud the impression was ~ mac mac
throughout the country that the most Of the
had denied that they knew anything about
The fact was that tho country was settuu
down to the belief that the whole thing was
mere campaign slander, and had no tou
dation In fact. Looking at tho subject FRO
this distance, am inclined 10 believe that q
impression loft upon the American mind II tn
thefaults of those who wore charged Wlthbuy
ing stock was not that they did anythiL
wrong In reference 70 the stock but that Ri
erWards they prevRrloated or lied about
Now, without discussing anybody else, Gu
you TO witness that l stated ut once what
knew about e. the hrst time that | knew u
( When the Committee OF Investigation came
make up their report there was one thing
hat report to which personally took exec
ms, and only one. Understand that &c
man occupied this room u few nights aG
Vufdert0nk TO make tho Impression upC
Iudioneo that Mr. Garfield was found gull
enc impfUpor relation with the Cred
f|cf. Let me read you sentence or tN
that report, The committee says;
Inonsning lhd members TO whom he HI
1r offered 10 sgIl, tho stock, the comm
that they I'D not md that Mr.. Am,
negotiations With the persons abo
n esiter6d into any details of the rel
heiWodn fhn Credit MObier Compai
ao PaoHc qpmpany or gave them A. A.
vIU Information ~ 10 the amount OF dl'
Nthoy would he lkely TO receive, turth
NJ hoen nlrtady stated-viA that
ga no had guaranteed a profit OF Z
Thty u0 not lind rs 10 the me
present House above nam
Wfe aware of tho object of
Ni they had any other purpQ
stock than 10 make prohtHl
Ntt They have not be On al
NOf these membora Of Cungrt
rted In their Otioa action
They do not ind N
lnove named gentlemen In a.
Mr. Ames had any corrupt n
N himself, or was nwtro
tnor did either OF thom 81
lily OF any mproprety or
coming purchaser OF Z
nnly, thnt the committee d
conduct or motive OF either