Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-06-26

rnE oREpIT nEoRILIER.

Us CE6Qlk AOE lAOl ndN4AlS a PAOSAANAtG
toward personal attack and defense
as an element of political contro-
versy. Throughout the presidential
contest of 1856 materials were
constantly furnished US for this sort
of warfare on both sides; personal
charges were, throughout the pro-
ceedings, current on both sides
charges against Mr.. Tilden, charges
against Mr.. Hayes. We neither
attacked Mr.. Hayes or defended
Mr.. Ti!den. We simply ignored the
charges and commended for the great
principles that were at issue in the
contest. Our taste would lead us
to pursue the same course in the
present contest, were political con-
troversy matter of taste. Unhap-
PLY, it is not, and there are times
when the denuneiation of personal
guilt, in candidates for popular
suffrage, is duty from which the
faithful journalist cannot swerve,
however distasteful that duty may
be. Such we believe to be the case
at the present time, and we shall
not shrink from the duty any more
than, as a surgeon, we should de-
cline necessary operation, because
it brought us in contact with some
of the most loathesome objects in
nature.
AT the period of the last presiden-
tial election a decided reaction had
set in against the unparalleled cor
ruption of Grants eight years of
office. A large portion of the more
respectable elements in the republic
can party were preparing to slough
off from the organization altogether,
unless some abatement of the scan
dial was made F; so a civil service
reform plank was put into the plat
form. Hayes professions of amend
ment. hypocritical as they have
since been shown, were a concession
to the same spirit, and, for a little
while, outward decency at least
was observed. 1t did not prevent
a decided condemnation of the par
ty in power. Hayes was not elect
ed, but was indicted into his office
by an act of that very fraud which
he was denOuncing; and some of
the worst of the corruptionists failed
to maintain their position in public
life. Robson, Orr and Boutwell,
were remanded to private life,
Belknapp escaped impeachment by
resigning, BabcOck was dropped by
his old employer and ignored by
the new administration, and some
men believed that an era of pOliti-
cal purity was to be inaugurated.
Even the pretence of it did not last
long, and, during the last two years,
Robson, Orr and Boutwell, have
returned to the legislative halls, and
Hayes has surrendered at discretion
to the old dispensers Of political
"swag," and become their abject
tool for any iniquity they may re-
quire of him.
And now two of the most con-
spicuOus cOrruptionistS Of the Grant
days are nominated for the two
highest offices in the government,
and, unless it can be checked, the
polluted tide of the old corruption is
on the rise again, and threatens to
enguIf all that we have left of polit-
ical integrity. Popular constitu-
encies have short memories, and on
their brevity the stalwart republic
cans seem to be relying, so it be-
comes our duty to arouse the sleep
ing remembrance, to bring backlthe
days of sickening rOttenness, and
ask men aloud, do you desire re-
turn of these things?
Very well, there are other Occu-
pations that would be more con-
genial to our taste, but we have to
take things as they come. So we
this day reprint some of the story
of the Credit Mo6itier, with evil
dence on which it was convicted,
that men may judge whether they
desire one of the chief promoters of
that stupendOus fraud for their
president.
The Credit 1LO6iIier company at
first looked like 81 very innocent
thing. AS the name indicates, it
was originally a French idea. The
words mean H1OUdbLe or transferable
credit. 1t originated in mems per-
ception that the taking of govern
ment contracts was the most profit
able investment that could be made
of capital. 1t was a stock company
which differed from other such
companies i'm the indefinite charac-
ter of the work it might undertake
to do. Other comDanies were form
ed for the investment of capital in
some definite work, as building
bridges or railroads, buying of and
trading in staples of commerce, etc.
The popularity of this company
was that its capital was not destined
for any specific department of bust
ness, but its managers were author
lied to employ it in any transac-
tions which they might consider
profitable to the stockholders,
moving or transferring it to one or
another field of investment accord
ing TO their judgment.
The United States was evidently
highly favorable soil for such a
plant to grow in in the latter
days of the civil war, and in those
Immediately following it, for in
those days fat government con-
tracts, almost unlimited were WOO
ing capital to come forward and
grow rich upon them. Gold was
everywhere offered for shOddy, and |
he who could produce the most |
was the man to grow fabu-
leusly rich.
SO a Credit MObilier companV