The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-07-02
Wait q Minute, NV Friend.
From the Grand Rapids Eagle.l

IRON the urunu itnllus Eagle.I
Mr.. Democrat, YOU who are so terri
bly, grieved because, rs you say, Gen.
Garfield. was somehow "mixed up with
that credit mobilier business" just wait
a minute. How do you know that?
"The newspaper said SOP" What news
paper? Oh, your Democratic paper.
Well, sir, do you know what tie credit
mobilier was? No? Then what are you
howling about? OF course you think it
was something terrible. A rattlesnakc
perhaps. Perhaps n torpedo. May be
an Internal machine, to blow all our ma
w out of water. Possibly kettle of hot
potash to drown young babies in. Now
wait, will you not, till you know twhat
the terrible monster with the terrible
name was, and perhaps you will not feel
so bad about Garfield.
Wait minute. Can You tell who con-
trived that credit mobilier? Who was
the principal attorney that drew up the
papers, or advised the chief conspirators
as to how to do it, and the morality of
such business rs that of the credit mo-
bilier? Do you know? Hark! 1t was
one Samuel j. Tilden. That was fully
shown years ago. Did it prevent You
from voting for Tilden i'll 1876? Did
you think it hurt him? If not, what is
it that SO excites your horror of Garfield?
Now wait minute and just look here:
When the credit mobilier was investi-
gated the fact was shown by the testi-
mony of Messrs. Bushnell, Alley, Ames
and General Butler that Samuel j. Til
den was from their organization acting
as an attorney for the Union Pacific and
the credit mObilier corporation-that he
was consulted as to the legality of the
latter company and it's business-as to
the legality of the credit mobilicr con-
tracts-and that he advised the COM
panies that they were legal and proper,
and that he was paid for professional
services something like $25, 900. Wait
minute and look at this little extract
from the testimony:
Question by Mr.. Hoar TO Cakes Ames-Werc
you not informed by the counsel who drew the
contract that tins was violation of law?
Ames--We we're informed by counsel whom
VIC consulted that the issuing of this stock Ito
the credit mObilicr) as payment upon the con-
tract for building the road was in entire COM
pliance with the law.
YOU that advice?
Answer-Mr. Samuel J. Tilden, Mr.. Charles
Tracy and Judge Allen.
Oucstion--All of New York?
knswer--AI of New York. They were the
parties who were consulted in the matter.
Now just wait minute will you, and
before YOU open your mouth again in
denunciation of Garfield, who was not
connected with the credit mobilier, who
was offered and urged to take some
stock in it. but declined to take it until
he could learn more about it, and abso-
lutely refused to take when he did find
out what it was, consider whether You
are not in commnn decency estoppcd
from that by your own act in voting for
Tilden who advised that the business
was legal and right II it was right and
proper, Garfield had rs good right to
purchase stock in it as he would have to
invest in furniture factory. If
it was wrong, then you Endorsed
the wrong when you voted for Tilden.
And whether it was right or wrong, Mr..
Garfield refused to share in it, while the
man to whom your party gave bigger
and more unanimous vote than 1t ever
gave to any other received large fee
from the company. What business have
YOU, after voting for Tilden, to howl
against Garfield on account of the credit
mObilier?