Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-06-23
General Garfield and Credit Mo-
bilier,

When Garfield was approached by
the agents of Credit Mobilier be acted
like wise man. He did not under
stand the nature of the enterprise,
and from time to time as occasion
presented itself he would talk about
it, and learned, in that way, concern
ing it, and when he received all the
information in regard to the objects
of the corporation he concluded that
1t Was not best for him to take stock
in it. That was acting like a wise
man. When a new enterprise is pro
posed to a man, and he knows moth
ing in regard to its purposes, he will
not thrust it from him until he knows
the character of the enterprise. In
telligent men do not act that way /;
they always give such things a pa
tient examination. And yet the Dem
ocracy condemn Garfield because he
did not drive the agent of Credit Mobi-
ier away when he came and wanted to
sell stock of the corporation When
Garfield said. I'll see about it, be
did Just what a prudent man should
do. When a man does not under
stand thing that is presented he
should persevere in seeing, aud see
ing till he does understand it, and
when he has seen through 1t he
should act accordingly; and that is
Just what Garfield did; he kept on
looking at the different phases OF
Credit Mobilier corporation, as it was
from time to time presented, until he
understood it, and then he deemed II
not proper to have anything to dc
with the stock. What wise man
could have done better7 Any Ounce
could have jumped up and said, NO,
sir, III have no stock" or Yes, sir,
Ill take the stock" but the man who
acts that way has not the proper bal
ance to reach proper conclusion
Sometimes it takes patient investiga-
ton to reach a proper conclusion,
and that was the case with the agents
of Credit Mobilier; their work was
done in such way that their pur
poses were not printed on a badge
that was worn on the lapel of the
coat, published on bulletin boards, OF
in newspapers; their work was secret
and it required a Congressman to be
wide awake to understand at first
when an offer was made to him to
engage in a stock company in which
money might be made, that the very
object of the offer to make money
was to secure the Congressman
against voting in opposition to such
legislation as the corporation might
propose. Lobby agents understand
how to decoy, or "stool pigeon a
green member into the net, but Gar
field was cautious; he looked, and
looked, and finally, when he under
stood the purpose OF the fatterlnG
offer of stock on easy terms, he SAID
No, sir. cannot take it. If the
agents of Credit Mobilier put Gar
fields name down on their list before
he declared for or against them, and
that is what they did, that was then
fault. and their blundering mistake
Judge Black, one of the most pene
trating Democratic lawyers of these
times. saws Garfeld's motives were
not improper motives, and that he
believes that he is entirely innocent
OF the charges brought against him
Read the letter of the Judge. Gar
field acted wisely in not committing
himself Immediately, and the Judge
displayed his usual legal dis"rimlna
tion in passing an opinion on the
charges against the General. Gar
fields acts are important; the opin-
ion of the Judge is important, but
above all is principle, and the Repub-
lican party will fight the campaign
ON the line of National principle.