The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-06-19
GEN. GABFIELD'S GUILT.

nation OF Gen. Grant At chicago, ana had IN
been nominated stood pledged to support him
It's first expressions, after the Chicago nomi
nation was announced, were also favorable t
Gen. Garfield, but on the production in th
New York SIN of the charge Of the connection
of Schuyler Colfax and Garfield with the Cred
it Mobilc- disgrace, the Heroid was candle
enough to say;
Such a charge, If unfounded, should be Sc
at rest al once. 1t is species OF accusation
which the republican party has never beior
been called to meet in connection with any o
its candidates for the Presidency.
1t will not do to evade such grave charge
by vague dccamatio gainst a campaingn o
caumny. No former candidate of any party
has ever been accused of breaches ofpcCuniary
trust IN official relations This is not an &C
cusation to be ignored, but to be reiuted. Iii,
idle to depreCatc Il campaign of calumny unit
it Is shown by proper evidence that the charge
are destitute Of reasonable foundation. II THEY
ARE TRUE THEY ARE FATAL. We do not pro
Tess to know whether they are true or false
But If they are Fictitious and malicious thCil
talslty can be demonstrated, and when they
shall have been rciutcd it will be time TO cry
out against a campaign of culumny. No pre-
vious candidate tor the Presidency has ever
been assallcG on similar grounds, 1T Mr.. Gar
field is innocent, he above all other men, is
most interested IN having the exact truth
known. Our recent observation of the course
of the Sun does not justify any suspicion that
our energetic contemporary would make
charges which it does not believe there Is good
evidence to support In the particular case OF
Mr.. Garfield the charges are not trumpcd up
for the occasion. The SIN has been repeating
them, year in and year out, for a long period
when Mr. Garfield was of no consequence to
the country at large and was responsible only
to his immediate constituents in his Congress
si0nal district, whose vote for HIM is said tc
have fallen off about nine thousand after the
Congressional investigation OF the Credit Mo
biler job.
Being thus invited, the Sun goes to the rec
ord and produces the evidence, both that upon
which Schuyler Colfax was convicted and re
legated to political obscurity and disgrace, ant
disposed of Mr.. Coliaxs case, the Sun pro
Ceeds:
James A. Gariields case was even worse. TC
the evidence of his corruption and perjury wa;
added evidence of an attempt on his part tC
suborn perjury. His cash dividend paid tC
him June 10, 1868, by Cakes Ames, amounted
to 1920. After the investigation had begun
he went to Ames and besought him to let thi'
payment "go as a loan" and when Ames haC
refused to perjurc himself to save HIM, h'
made figures to show that Ames still OWED
him 81, 400 of the bride money
Cakes Ames testified as follows:
"Q-You may state whether, in converse
ton with you Mr. Garfield claims, AS Ii,
claimed before US, that the only transaction be
tween you was borrowing $500. A.-No sir
he did not claim that with me.
"Q.-State how he does claim it with you
what was saidS State all that occurred in con
versation between you. Al cannot remem
Der half of It, have had two or three inter
views with Mr.. Garfield. He wants to PIT 1,
on the basis Of a iodn.
Q.-What did you say TO him in reference
to that state of the CASEY Al stated to hin
that he never asked me to lend him any mon
ey; that never knew he wanted to borrow
any. did not know he was short. | made
statement to him showing the transaction anC
what there was due on it; that deductlng tn,
bond dividend and the cash dividend ther,
was $329 due him. for which had given hin
a check; that he had never asked me to loaI
"Q,-Atter you made that statement, wha
did he state in reply? ALE wanted to hac
ii 90 as q loan.
"Q.-Did he claim that it was in fact loan
A-No sir; do not think he did. No, he die
not.
"Q.-State all you know in reference to it
Al told him he knew very well it was /
dividend. | made out a statement and showed
It to him at the time. In one conversation h,
admitted It, and said, as near rs can remem
Der, there was $4,000 due in stock and bonds
He made little memorandum of s 900 anC
81 400, aud, rs recollec., said there was 81 00'
of Union Pacific stock, $1,000 of Credit Mo
bilier stock, and 800 Of stock or bonds, | dC
not recolect what.
"Q.-IIGve you the memorandum that Mr.
Garfield madcg Al have the figures tina
he made"
Paper In Mr. Garfeld's handwriting wa
shown to the committee containing figures a
rs follows:
$1,000
1iO0