The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-08-19
GarfieIdS Credit Mobilier Defense
Puts Him Deeper in the
Mire.
The WashbUnes Of Illinois and
Wisconsin in Evidence
Against Him.
The Garfield Defense, Used by His
Campaign BiOgraphers,
Flat Perjury,
The Vain Efforts of the Republican
Candidate TO Struggle Out of a
Sea of Guilt.


have striyen to break the force Of the
testimony against him in the Credit Mo-
bilier affair by pretending that he was
wholly ignorant of the objects of that
corporation, and of its connection with
the Pacific Railroad Company. We quote
from the report of the Poland Commit
tee, page 1870:
"BY Mr.. McCRARY-Q If l under
stand you, you did not know that the
Credit Mobiier had any connection
with the Union Pacific Railroad Com
nanyP Al understood from the state
ments of Mr.. Train that its objects were
connected with the lands of the Union
Pacific Railroad Company and the de.
velopment of settlements along that
road; but that it had any relation to the
Union Pacific Railroad, other than that,
I did not know.
20 You did not know that the object
was to build the Union Pacific Railroad
A.-No, sir; | did not
These extracts from his testimony are
confirmed by statements in his defen-
sive pamphlet of May 8, 1873, issued af-
ter the expiration of the Forty second
Congress, which had investigated the
Credit Mobilier, and after the death Of
Oakes Ames. He says, on page 7:
ut has been said that it is absurd to
suppose that intelligent men, familiar
with public affairs, did not understand
all about the relation of the Credit Mo
bilier Company to the Pacific Railroad
Company, 1t is a sufficient answer to say
that until the present winter (l872 79)
few men either in or out of Congress ev-
er understood it, and it was for the in
terest of those in the management oil
that arrangement, to prevent these facts
from being known"
Again, on page s.:
an the winter of 1850 20 I received
the first iatimation that l eUer had of the
connection between the Credit Mobilier
Company and the Pacific Railroad Com
pany, in private conversation with the
Hor. J. s. Black of Pennsylvania"
The recor !s of the House of Repre-
sentatives show this testimony aud these
sta ements to be utterly false. They
were invented to mislead the public. To
cover Garfeld's venalty, one perjury
was piled on another. Here are the con.
elusive proofs,
Mr.. Window of Minnesota offered a
resolution on January 20, 1868, consti-
tuting the Secretary of War, the Secre.
tary of the Interior, and the Attorney
General, a Board of Commissioners
whose duty it should be on the frs. day
Of July in each year to establish a tariff
for freight and passengers over the
Union Ptcifc and Central Pacific Rail
roads, and their branches, which should
not exceed double the average rates
charged on the different railroads be.
tween the Mississippi river and the At.
lantic. Mr., Window tried to press the
resolution to vote. But the ring was
too powerful, and it went over under the
rules to come up again March -, 1868,
with the following incidents:
"Mr. Garfield move to refer it to
the Committee on Postoffices and Post
Roads, and call the previous question.
"Mr Washburne of Illinois-I hope
the House will not second the previous
question Let us have a square vote and
see who is in favor of this resolution.
"Mr. Dawes-We had a square vote
the other day.
"Mr, Washburne-And the gentlemen
was with the monopolists.
"Mr. Allison-Let the joint resolution
be reported in full,
"The Speaker-The Clerk not expect.
ing this business to be reached to-day,
the joint resolution is not here.
"Mr, Garfield think it is very prop.
er, therefore, to have it referred.
"Mr. Washburne of Illinois demand.
ed the previous question.
"The vote stood-Ysas So, nays 70, not
voting Sc.
"The Speaker-Tne morning hour has
expired, and the bill goes to the Speak.
er's table,"
On the 2Oth Of March, 1868, the reso.
luton was again in order, and Mr..
Washburne of Wisconsin, addressed the
House, showing "there was great exag.
geraiion about the difficulties attending
the building of the Pacific railroads"
We quote his language:
"The stockholders in the Pacific road
are few in number. Instead Of contract
ing for the construction of the road as all
other roads have besn built, what do
they do? A, B. G. and D, are the stock
holders Of the company A. B. G. and D.
under charter from the State OF Penn.
sylvania, organized themselves into
company called the Credit Mobilier of
America A. B G. and D., stockholders,
enter into contract with the Credit Mo.
bilier to build this road at fabulous pri.
ces, and the Credit Mobilier let out the
contract at the lowest figure at which
the road can be built, making clear
profit of the difference between the
price at which the contract is taken and
the price actually paid to those who do
the work, sum am assured, that will
not fall short of many, many millions of
dollars, Il will readily be seen from this
that the company practically contracts
with itself to build the road, and that
the enormous figures they exhibit as
representing the cost of the read are alb.
solutely fictitious"
The resolution was discussed again
March % and 26, 1868, and finally re.
ferred to the Pacific Railroad Commit.
tee to be stabbed to death. On the 12.h
Of May, 1868, the committee reported
a substitute, providing that the condi-
tions Of the resolutions should not take
effect until the road was completed, and
providing, further, that the charges then