The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-08-11
The Credit mobilier-- what Was It.
This question is answered BY the Nez

! Yne Creu1I moDIner-- WAT was II
| This question is answered by the New
York Sun, in a very clear and compre
hensive manner. A few years ago, til,
/ United States endowed magnifcently
with its lands and bonds, and many
valuable privileges, company organ
lied to build the Union Pacific Railway
| When certain shrewd managers of thi:
concern came to count up the cost o.
the work and to cast up the assets to be
applied to it, they found an enormou:
balance on the right side of the book.
In order TO absorb this balance and
transfer it TO their pockets, they imme
diately proceeded TO form an inside Ring
to build the road. They bought an old
Pennsylvania charter called the Credit
Mobilier, which was admirably adapted
for the swindle in view, and under that
charter name began the execution OF
one Of the most remarkable and sue
cessful frauds in history. is officers OF
the Union Pacific, the members of the
Credit Mobilier contracted with them
selves for the construction of the line.
and fixed their own figures for the work.
They thus stripped the Union Pacific OF
everything of value belonging to it, and
set it over to the Credit Mobilier. With
one hand they robbed the treasury CT
the railway company, and with the other
they stuffed the plumber into the treas
ury Of the construction Ring, whence it
was distributed to the individual conspi-
rators in the form Of dividends Of cash
bonds and stocks. To secure its loans,
the United States had taken first
mortgage on the property. This was
inconyenient to the Ring Having alb
sorbed everything else, they now de-
sired to put q first mortgage on the road
and take the bonds Of that also. But
that could be done only by getting rid
Of the first mortgage of the United
States F.; that, again, could be effected
only by act Of Congress. To effect this
object, it was necessary to buy up mem
bers Of Congress, which they did by dis
tributing certain amount Of stock Of
the Credit Mobilier Company, among
them, thus placing it, as Cakes Ames,
the head Of the concern said, ''where
it would do the most good" He was a
member Of Congress, and was, not I'M
justly, supposed to know exactly how
to employ it in order to corrupt the
sources Of legislation. With this cor
ruption fund he bought the N'ice-Presi-
dent, several Senators, and the Chair
men of the leading Committees of the
House. Then, by the votes and infu-
ence Of these men the desired legislation
was had, and new field Of pillage was
laid open to the Ring, in which the Gov
eminent and the stockholders of the
Union Pacific were equal sufferers. In
time, the members Of the Ring quarrel
ed among themselves, Its transactions
leaked out. A Congressional investi=
CATION followed. Among who were
detected in the crime, was James A.
Garfield. He swore that he had not
been bribed but was nevertheless con-
victed of bribery and perjury, by the
testimony of AMEs, and by documentary
evidence of conclusive character; and
the Committee, composed Of members
Of his own party, reported him as a
brihe-taker and Il perjurer. Immedi-
ately after the investigation, the New
York Times, the leading Republican
journal in the United States, said
''NIc- srs Kelly and Garfield present most
distressing figure. Their participation in the
Credit Mobilier affair is complicated by the
most unfortunate contradictions of testimony
The character of the Credit Mobilier was
secret. The source of its profits very
well known at the time congressman bought
it. Though OaKes Ames may have succeeded
in cOnceallng his own motive, which to
bride congressman, their acceptance Of the
stock was not on that account innocent. The
dishonor of the act, ii participation in an
obvious fraud, still remains.
Some of them have INDUCED in testimony
with reference to the matter, which has been
cOntradicted. The committee distinctly REJECTS
inc teSttNOHH % SEteFdt q tHt HtHtCeFS- 4 ats
can only be dom on the ground thot Il is untrue
But untrue testimony gireR lhder oath IS morally
u not isgdiiy, perjury,
at is the clear duty of congress to visit with
punishment all who took Credit Mobilier stock
from Cakes Ames.'
About the same time the n. Y. Tribune (Repub-
lican) said
James y Garfield of Ohio had ten shares !;
never paid dollar; received 1899, which, af-
ter the investigation began, he was anxious to
have considered as a loan from Mr.. Cakes
Ames to himself.
We'll the wickedness Of all of it is that
these men betrayed ,Ae t.lst of the people
deceived their constituents and ny e4asiopz
nd falsehoods confessed the transaction to be
disgraceful
Mr.. Ames establishes very clearly the
point that he was not alone in this offence II
he is 10 be expelled for bribery, the rho scsre
6ribed should 90 1cith him