Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-07-15

better men live than at least large mum.
Der OF the gentlemen to whom it was
offered. Some OF them took il at once
Some men are cautious about making an
investment; others are quick to deter
mine. To none of these men was any
explanation made that this Credit Mo-
bllier Company was in any way connected
with ring of seven men who owned the
principal portion of the stock, and who
had contract with the directors Of the
Union Pacific road for building 600 or
700 miles at an extravagaut price-largely
above what the stock was worth. mat
was q secret held ollv by those seven men
who owned the principal portion of the
stock Ii Is now understood that MIR.
Cakes Ames, who WAS the center of that
company of seven men, sought to gain
the friendship of fifteen or twenty promi-
nent Cong essmen, with the view of pro
tecting himself aud the Pacific railroad
against any investigation which might ee
made; but II was necessary part of his
plan not to divulge that purpose, or in
any way intimate to them that he might
draw upon them for favors
Long before any such purpose was real.
allied, long before any pressure came
upon Mr.. Ames, most of the men who mad
been Invited TO purchase that stock had
either declined to purchase or had pur-
chased and realized, or had purchss ID
and sold out. But, in 1872, In the midst
OF the Presidential campaign, az article
was published in the public journals
charging that sixteen prominent members
OF ongress-Senators and Representa-
tives-had sold their votes for money or
stock; that they had accepted bribes
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
tina. Immediately on my arrival in Wash
lngton, | made statement to the CORE
spondent OF the Cincinnati Gazette, of
which the following is copy:
WASHINGTON, sept. Is, 1872.
the Indian country, has ')-day had the frat 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 share of
the stock, and that he ne ser received or saw a
share OF II. When the company first form
ed, George Francis Train, then active in It, ,me
to Washington and exhibited q list OF subscribers
OF leading capitalists, and some members OF Con-
gress, to the stock OF the company. The sub
scrlPtions was described as a popular one Of
liz Geu rna tn n
scribe on two occasions, ana each time he de-
clined. subsequently he WAS again informed
that The list was nearly completed, bat that
chance remained for him TO subscribe, when he
again declined; and to this day, he has not sub
scribed Tor or received any share OF stock or
tond OF the company.
Now, | want my audience to under
stand that in the midst of tn At storm, and
tie npest, and accusation, and only little
while before the election, | stated it and
let ii go broadcast to the daily press that
ola know SSa sonssahaIbs Been nhh nrged to T sub
scribe to it; that | hal on two occasions
discussed the matter; that had taken it
into consideration, end that finally | had
declined to subscribe, that never had
owned or held a share; had never seen a
certificate OF the stock Now, | aln 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 | never
lodged, or evaded, or denied having any
knowledge OF the subject, but at the first
declared plainly and fully what | 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 60 through with the
whole subject from beginning to end. |
want those gentlemen who talk about Mr.
Garfield being got after by committees OF
investigation TO know that no lnvesuga.
ton into any public affair has been held
in the last three years IN W ashing IN that
have not helped to organize and bring
about Applause
THE COMMITTEE OF INvEsTIGAT
Now, what was the investigation You
will remember that before the investIgs.
ton had gone far feeling of alarm and
excitement swept over the wide country
that has hardly Deen parslleled in Amerl-
can history. Some men whose names
were connected with the charges OF the
Credit MObiller 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, aLd the impression was
made throughout the country that the
most of them had denied that they knew
anything about it. The fact was that the
country was settling down to the bsliet
that the whole thing was a mere cam.
paign Islander, and had no foundation In
fact. looking at the subject from this
distance, | am inclined TO believe thst
the impression left upon the American