Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1880-06-19
JAMES A. GARFIELD,

en- to lead the Republican party in the
next campaign:
Gen. Garfield is mainly responsible for
the passage of the salary grab and back
pay steal, the history of which may be
recited: Gen. Butler reported a bill
from the Judiciar. Committee, February
Z, 1873, to double the pay Of the Presi-
dent and increase the salaries of the Vice
President, Cabinet, Sneaker, Justice of
the Supreme Court and members of Con-
grcss. This scheme had been thorough
ly canvassed, and only waited Il chance
to DO launched. Three days later Gen,
Butler moved to suspend the rules so as
to attach this bill as y rider to he mis-
cella.eous appropriation BILL then pend
ing. 1t was beaten by t-4irty-nine ma
jority, which included some OF the stro,g-
est friends of the proposed plumber. who
voted that way for effect. The first lire
was thus drawn, and Butler knew wheie
to plant his batteries.
The Legislative appropriation bill came
back to the House February "a, loaae,.
with one hundred amendments. The
natural course was to have had them
printed, so that members might examine
the new items. But there was a game
to play, and Garfield took the lead by
virtue Of his craftsmanship, he mrvch
that the House resolve itselve into a
Committee of the Whole on the special
order. Suspicion had been awakened,
and Adjournment had been voted dowr,
previ nS'y. Dawes was put in the chair,
and tho door was opened for the grab.
Garfield had assured members that the
bill would not be called up that night,
and the House was thin, except on the
stealing side, which was i'll the secret of
GartielI's trrachery.
A special vote was demanded on the
Butler amendment, now moved asa ri.
4 ~, {T }n },ii 2nr.nf-
ed by AZ majority, Butter himself voting
: against it. Bnt he Immediately moved
to reconsider aud adjourn. Nothing was
| now wanting to wet the vote but 10 re
fuse to adjourn and then to clinch it by
refusing to reconsider. The issue was
| clear. but rig 1t in the face of tie large
| minority Just recorded the Hodse ed
! jonrred by Il i'll larger majority, leav-
! ing the lcconsidelat ION alive and kick
| Ing. The next day Eutler's motion was
! fist in order and " hen Farnsw"rth NOV
| ell to lay it ON the table and finish the
| business, a majority OF so answered in
| the negative.
The next vote fixed Tic congressional
pay, and the biz, With this graft, was
I sent to the Senate, and thence 10 a con-
| mittee of conference. On the last day of
| the session Garfield reported the bill
back, doubling the Presidents s .lhty
from the 4,h OF March, instead of from
the end of the fiscal year, and raising the
| paw of Cong cssncn from S'.'oNp to TI"oo,
| retroactivcly for two years, with Il long
| catalamuc Of augmented salaries for pub
| lie officers. lie pretended that there WAS
| danger of an extra session unless the re
| mort was adopted and told the House:
i alt NAV he an unwiSe expenditure III
some respects, but in most cases the ~
! crease is proper ard ought to he made"
| IL was finally driven through by III jor-
! ty of SIX.
| In a separate article the Sun gives the
| world the following undeniable proof of
| GarfelJ's association with one OF the
most corrupt rings the world ever to!erl-
! ted, the Credit Mobillier:
The first disclosure of this corruption
was made in the Sun during the simmer
| of lS72. in plicat:ng many OF the ltepub-
| lican leaders. A Presidential election
was then pending, ard they all veie-
| mently denied any connection with the
| fraud. Garlields s,aiement was more
| expl cit and boller than that OF any of
| his conf deratcs in the rime. An lnVe3
| tiratinn was ordered by the House soon
after the meeting of Congress; the exam
ination of witnesses began on December
II. l-72 At first Cakes Ames was dis
inclined to make any eSp"s"le' p,'' Wnel
| the incrim,nated memlurs comhiued to
, swear down and free themsc YES by rank
| neriury, kis blood warmed quickly, ami
he determined to let the truth be known,
! though in the end there was much con-
ceaIed.
Garfield submitted to the committee n
! prepared statement on January la, 1915:
| Il never owned, received, or a%r ed to
receive any stock of the Credit Moblliier
or of the Uuon Pacific Railroad, for any
dividend or profits arising from either OF
| Them =, r-,
Ames was recalled January 23, 1o7S
| and testlties to the stock he had issued
to Garfield, the dividends allowed him,
| and the balance of money paid into his
hands, which Garfield pretended was Il
| Ioan.' He submitted n memorandum OF
| the account i'm detail. 1t came to the
| knowledge of the committee that CARRIED
had visited Ames with the object OF IN
! ducing him to retract or mouiIy MS les'i-
| mouv. and he was examined the -oth Oh
January. as follows:
| O. You NAV state whether, IN coLVcr-
sation with YOU Mr. Garfield claims, as
he clairned before us, that the only trans
| action between You was sou e.,
| A, No, sir; he did not claim that with
! me. l.
9. State all you know in reference to
| it. 49,, .
A. told him he knew very we'll that
| that was a dividend. l made out q state
| ment and showed it to him at the tune:
In orr conversation he admitted it, aud
said there was $1,000 due HIM in stocks
and bonds. He made - little memoran-
DUN of $1,000 and $140O, and said there
was $1,000 of Union Facilic Raiir"ad
stock, $1,000 of Credit Monlll'er stocS'
and 500 of stock or bonds.
| O. When was the memorandum made
A. 1t was made in my room. cannot
remember tie date. 1t was since the III
| yest;gation commenced.
@. Have you the memo.andum that
| Mr., Garfield made7