Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-06-17
Schuyler COlfax and James A. Garfield.


Schuyler Colfax and James A. Garfield.
From the New York Sun, June Il.
In the summer Of 1872, when the Sun
first made public the testimony OF Col.
Henry s. McComb in the Credit Mobil-
ier suit, Schuyler Colfax and James A.
Garfield were both conspicuous leaders
of the Republican party. Mr.. Colfax
was Vice President OF the United States;
General Garfield was chairman of the
House Committee on Appropriations
Writing to Colonel McComb in 1865
in regard to Credit Mobilier stock set
apart for the purbose of corrupting leg
islators, O4kes Ames had said ~
have used this where it will produce
most good TO us, | think" Pencilled
on the back of the same letter was
Cakes Ames' memorandum list OF Sena.
tors and Congressman bribed. There
were thirteen names in all. Here are
two of them -
). Colfax, Speaker. ............".....-...S2,0O 900
Garfield, Ohio. 1900
Most of the persons affected by this
preliminary revelation hastened to deny
their guilt. The denials OF Schuyler
Colfax and James A. Garfield were
alike explicit and impressive. Colfax
went from his desk in the Senate
Chamber before a committee of the
House of Representatives, and, having
sworn in the name of God to tell the
truth the whole truth and nothing but
the truth, made this statement
state, explicitly, that no one ever gave
or offered to give me any shares Of stock
in the Credit Mobilicr or the Union Pa
cifc Railroad. / have never received nor
had rendered to me any dividend in cash,
stock or bonds accruing upon any stock in
either of said organizations. / never re-
ceived a dollar in bonds, stock OF dividends.
In the Senate Chamber again Colfax
shed tears while protesting his limo.
cence, and appealed to the Eternal
Tribunal of Justice to establish the
truth OF his words.
General James A. Garfield also sworn
in the name OF God to tell the truth,
the whole truth, aud nothing but the
truth, and having taken that solemn
oath he said -
Mr.. Ames never gave nor offered to
give me any stock or other valuable
thing "a gift. | once asked and obtained
from him, and afterward repaid to him a
loan of $500; that amount is the only
valuable thing ever received from or de-
lvered TO him. | never owned, received,
or agreed to receive any stock of the Cred
il Mobilier or of the Union Pacific Rail-
road, nor any dividends or profits arising
from either OF them.
q. Were any dividends ever rendered
TO you on the stock of the Credit Mobilier
upon the supposition that you we're to be
a subscriber A. No, sir.
q. The loan you have repaid, II under
stood you correctly n Yes, sir.
Both Colfax's and Garfeld's sworn
denials were made under the pressure
of the emergency, and before IL was
known or supposed that Cakes Ames
would ever be q witness TO the truth.
Circumstances which il is not now ne.
cessary to recall brought Oaks Ames to
the stand, with his memorandum book.
General Garfeld's account in the
same memorandum book was as fol.
lows:-
Garfield, ten shares Credit Mobilier,
81 600; seven months and ten days inter-
est, SAB 36-E043 SO so per cent. bond
dividend at 81, S776-$267 80 interest,
June 80, $3 "a; balance, $27i. Ten
shares Credit Mobiiier stock, ten shares
Union Pacific stock.
And in another place general state.
ment:-
J. A. @. Dr
1SeSTo ten shares Credit Mobilier Of A..si 0Gn 90
interest a. 90
Jane ~ TO 80 40
Total 376 90
Cr
1Ses-By dividend bonds Union Pacific
kailroad, 5000. It per cent
less per Tcent....................... SIG 90
June H.-By dividend collected for yonr
5000 90
James A. Garfeld's case was even
worse. To the evidence of his corrup-
ton and perjury was added evidence of
an attempt on his part 70 suborn per.
jury. His cash dividend, paid 10 him
June 10, 1868, by oakes Ames, amount.
ed TO 1929. After the investigation had
kau... H.. sva..A a. -. =. II L---t =