Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-07-14

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 mem Der q
of Congress-Senators and Representa-
| tives-had sold their votes for money or
stock; that they had accepted brides.
You remember that | was running for
Congress in this district at that time.
When that news came was away in the
Rocky Mountains. [ came home, and
the first day after my arrival at Washing.
ton, authorized to be published state
ment concerning of what | knew about
the Cakes Ames business. A great many
people suppose now and say, and it has
been repeated hundreds of times in this
district, and especially in this town dur.
ing the last two weeks, that Mr.. Garfield
hedged and denied any knowledge of the
Credit Mobilier business until finally the
investigation brought it out. [ repeat
that Immediately on nv arrival in Wash.
lngton, made statement to the CORE
spondent of the Cincinnati Gazette, of
which the following is a copy:
WAsHINGToN Sept. Is, 1872
- Cen. Garfield, who has just arrived here from
the Indian country, has to-day had the first OPP
portunity OF seeing the charges connecting his
name with receiving shares Of the Credit Mo-
bilier from Cakes Ames He authorizes the
statement that he never subscribed for q share Of
me STOCK, and that he never received or saw a
snare OF IL. When the company was first form
ed, George Francis Train, then active in it, came
to Was hngton and exhibited list of subscribers
OF leading capitalists, and some members Of Con-
gress, to the stock of the company. The sub
scriptions was described as popular one of
$1,000 cash: Train urged Gen. Garfield to SUBJ
scribe on two occasions, and each time he de-
that the list was nearly completed but that a
chance remained for him to subscribe, when he
again declined; and to this day, he has not SUBJ
scribed for or received any share OF stock or
bond OF the company.
Now, [ want my audience to under
stand that in the midst of that storm, and
tempest, and accusation, and only a little
while before the election, stated it and
let 1t go broadcast TO the daily press that
L did know something about the Credit
Mobllier; that had been invited to sub
scribe to it; that | hal on two occasions
discussed the matter; that | had taken it
into consideration, and that finally had
declined to subscribe; that never had
owned or held a share; had never seen q
certificate Of the stock. Now, | am not
asking you at this moment to discuss the
truth of this statement, but only to say
that [ stated it long before there was any
investigation talked of; that l never
lodged, orevsded, or denied having any
knowledge of the subject, but at the first
declared plainly and fully what l did
know about it.
When Congress met, Senator Blaine
and the rest OF US whose names were con-
Cerned in it at once, on the first morning
of the session, demanded committee of
investigation to go through with the
whole subject from beginning to end. I
want those gentlemen who talk about Mr..
Garfield being got after by committees of
investigation to know that no investiga.
ton into any public affair has been held
in the last three years in Washington that
have not helped to organize and bring
about. Applause
THE COMMITTEE OF INTERPOLATION.
Now, what was the investigation You
will remember that before the investiga-
ton had gone far feeling of alarm and
excitement swept over the wide country
that has hardly been paralleled in Ameri-
can history. Some men whose names
were connected with the charges of the
Credit Mobilier matter, shocked at the
terrible charge of bribery thrown at them,
in the hurry of the moment 50 far forgot
themselves as to give eQuivocal answers
as to whether they knew anything about
the matter or not, and the impression was
most of them had denied that they knew
anything about it. The fact was that the
country was settling down to the belief
that the whole thing was mere CAM
paign SANDER, and had no foundation In
fact. Looking at the subject from this
distance, l am inclined to believe that
the impression left upon the American
mind is that the faults of those who were
charged with buying stock was not that
they did anything wrong In reference to
the stock, but that afterwards they pre-
varicsted or lied about it. Now, without
discussing anything else, call you to
witness that stated at once what knew
about it, the first time that I knew the
talk was going the rounds of the news
papers. When the Committee of Investi-
cation came to make up their report, there
was one thing in that report to which I
personally took exceptions, and only one.
[ understand that a gentleman occupied
this room few nights ago who under.
took to make the impression upon his
audience that Mr.. Garfield was found
guilty of some improper relation with the
Credit Mobilier. Let me read you a
sentence or two from that report. The
committee says:
"Concerning the members to whom he has
sold, or offered 10 sell, the STOCK, the COmm1tlee
say that they do not find that Mr.. Ames, In his
negotiations with the persons above named, en-
tered into any details of the relations between
the Credit Mobilier Company and the Pacific
Company, or gave them any specific information
to the amount OF dividends they would be
likely to receive, further than has been already
stated-viz.: that in some cases he had guxran-
teed profit of 10 per cent. They do not ind
to the members OF the present House above
named that they were aware Of the object of Mr..
Ames, or that they had any other purpose In TAX
n IT,
ment - They have not been able to find
that any of these members OF Congress have been
affected in their official action in Consequence of
interest In the Credit Mobilier stock. y
They do not find that either Of the above named
gentlemen in contracting with Mr.. Ames had any
corrupt motives or purpose himself, or WAS aware
Mr.. Ames had any, did either of them sup
pose he was guilty of any improperly or indeli.
cacy In becoming a purchaser of this stock
And, finally, that the Committee find nothing in
the conduct or motives of either of these gentle-
men in taking this stock that calls for aay rec
ommendation by the Committee Of the House. "
[See pages 8, and TO-
In Mr.. Ames' first testimony he names
sixteen member of Congress to whom he
offered the stock, and says that eleven of