The daily gazette., 1880-06-10
THE RADICAL CANDIDATE.
HIS CORRUPTION RECORD.

al udrneiu ib tne posse SSOr OF
Two homes -one on the corner of Thir-
teenth and | streets, in Washington,
ana The other In summer house on
Little Mountain, bold elevation in
Lake County which COD mands a view
OF thirty miles of rich farming country
stretched along the shore of Lake Erie,
with a farm lying on both sides of the
Lake Shore ard Michigan Southerh rail
road. Cleveland is only twenty-five
miles away and the pretty town of Panes-
Vile, named after Mr.. Henry B. Payne,
is but five miles distant.
General Garfield has five children liy-
ing. The two older boys, Harry and
James, are now at school in New Hamp-
shire. Mary is girl about twelve. Til.
Two younger boys are named Irwin and
Abram. The Generals mother Las long
been member of his family.
In person General Garfield is six feet
high, broad shouldeIed and strongly
built. He has large head that seems
TO he three-fourths forehead, light brown
hair and beard, large, light blue eyes, a
prominent nose and full cheeks. He
dresses plainly, is fond Of broad-brim-
med slouch hats and stout boots.
He was, like Blame and Colfax, bad
ly smirched by the Credit Mobilier in
vestigation. The Credit Mobiier was
joint-stock company founded in Paris,
November 18, 1852 under the lead of
the brothers Emite and Isaac Pereire
and on the principle of limited liability
for the trans action of general banking
business to facilitate the construction of
public works and to develope national
industry. On the modeJ of this com
pauy the title of "Credlt Mobilier of
America" was adopted by joint-stock
company organized in May, 1861, with
a capital of $2,500,000. In January, 1S-
81 the charter having been purchased by
a company organized for the construct
ion OF the Union Pacific Railroad, the
stock was increased to $3,750,00O, and
afterwards rose to a great value, paying
enormous dividends, In 1872, In the
course of legal proceedings in Pennsyl-
vania respecting the ownership Of stock
it appeared that several members of
Congress, INCLUDING James A. Garfield
as well as Vice President Colfax, were
avowed stock iolders.
This caused great political scandal
as it had often been held to be highly i'm
proper for member of Congress to be
pecuniarily interested in corporation
the profits of which might be largely and
directly affected by his vote on bills con.
cerning il. The fact that PRESIDENT al
canvass was in progress in which several
OF the persons implicated took an active
part added interest and excitement 10
the subject. The result was a Congress
sional investigation in the session ol
1928. In 1873 the House and the Sen.
ate committees mad rep rts. When thu
House Committee said in their report
that none Of the Congressman implicated
supposed "that he was guilty of any I'M
prOpriety or even indelicacy in becomin,
purchaser of the stock" the public real
tile excuipation with incredulity ant
amazement. The public " as astoLisheC
and confOunded when the cOmmitte,
went OF to say that "had it appeared tha
these gentlemen were aware of the
enormous dividends upon their stock, ,anC
| how they were earned, we could hoi
acquit th M" The evidence had showI
that gve or six members of Congress in
Guiding Garfield had owned Credit Mobil
er stock, that they had purchased 1t o.
Oakes Ames, had received enormou.
dividens OH it and had resorted 20 sub
teriuge to conce4l their transactions. As
Ames was judged guilty of bribery aud
thought to deserve expulsion for selling
| the stock in this manner to these Con
gressmen, the public could not under
stand how one of the parties to these
courrupt transactions could be guilty
| like Ames, and other parties, like Gar
fiji Id, innocent.
When Oakes Ames had been censureC
by the House February 27, 1873, Mr.
Fernando Wood offered the following
resolution:
ResolUed, That the House absolutely
| condemns the conduct of Samuel Hoope
and Henry l.. Dawes, OF Massachusetts
| William ID. Kelley, of Pennsylvania
Glenni w. Scoheld, Of Pennsylvania
James A. Garfield and John A. Bingham
of Ohio members of the House of Repre-
sentives, in as mt ch as they became in
terested in the Credit Moblier of America
a contracting company for the construc
| ton of the Union Pacific Railroad ant
| continued to be so interested at a time
when said corporation was dependent or
the legislation Of Congress for its man
tenance and support.
Mr.. Samuel J. Randall made the point
OF order that a resolution of cebsurt
should be confined TO one individual.
The Speaker sustained the point OF
order and stated The reasons for the
| ruling.
Subsequently the House mainly by a
party vote, refused to take any action
against Mr. Garfield.
The World on February 2S, 1878, COM
| menting OH this action editorially said.
The tenderness of this action editor
tally, said the House towards its offend.
! ing members is one of the most alarm
| ing signs of the times. 1t confirms the
prevalent impression that great railway
corporations and other moneyed corpor-
ations are omnipotent in controlling leg
| islatiye bodies, and that members OF
| Congress, like members of the State
legislatures, are the willing tools of great
| corporations which have money enough
to buy them. The most prostrating blow
ever struck at popular confidence in leg
isla,ive purity was dealt yesterday by
the action of the House in screening its
members from deserving punishment.
The great questson of the immediate
future is the emancipation of Congress
and the State legislatures from the cur
rupting Influence of great corporations "
Ever since that time General Garfield
has rested under this lmputation, and
no full defense to the charge has ever
been made.
He was also accused of being priva'e G
counsel for a contractor named DE