The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-06-17
CREDIT MOBELIER.
GARFIELD As 4 BEIBE-TAKER AND 4
PFRJCEER.

3 q
/ PERJURER.
! WASHINGTON, June 10-it IS believed
that James A. Garfield can now be driven
from the head Of the ticket, where blind
/ panic among = LOT of crazy delegates has
/ placed him. a calm, unprejudiced
( glance over the official records shows
that Mr.. Garfield stands convicted as q
{ periurer and 4 bride taker. In the Credit
/ 3Iobilier case he swore positively that he
never received dollar Of the stock or
dividends OF the Credit Mobelier COM
/ pany. The committee investigating him
found unanimously that this was per
irry. The committee was composed Of
Judge Poland. Of Vermont; Judge Nib
lack, Of Indiana; Judge Merrick, Of
Maryland; Judge McCarry, of Iowa, and
+ y. 2. Banks of Massachusetts. General
/ Garfield said the money had been paid
( 70 him by Cakes Ames, IS a loan, and
+ since repaid, and after he had made that
/ sworn statement 10 the committee he in
I closed the money III an envelope, with
+ out any letter, and sent Il back 10 Cakes
Ames. This Is what lawyers call comics
sion Of judgment. Old members who
were here during the Credit Mobelier
/ days call TO mind how unmanly was Gen.
/ Gariield's conduct at the time. He wept
and pleaded with fellow-membars TO
stand by him; that he was a young man,
and must be pardoned for his first great
/ error. His lack Of nerve and babyish
( pleading at that tine incline members to
! believe that Garfield will not have the
nerve to stand up in the face Of the fire
1 that viii be opened upon him. Repub-
/ icans have been asked to-day what they
viii say when they are met upon the
stump with the official record Of bribery
and perjury. They say with shake Of
the head that they can only reply that
/ his reputation had been reha oilitated by
/ the stamp Of the great seal Of the state Of
/ Ohio; but it can be shown that Garfield
has succeeded in getting back to favor
there by the most humiliating means.
His original majority in his district was
/ about 1000 1t was reduced to little
over 1000 in the canvass following the
/ Credit Mobelier investigation, and Gar
field only then succeeded in getting
through by the most piteous personal APP
peals to spare him because he was a young
man who had made his first serious mis-
take.
he also circulated widely pamphlet
giving his version of the testimony, care
fully emitting any reference to the unan-
imous report Of the committee convicting
him of perjury. The stubborn fact of
this report Of five men three Of whom are
to day upon the bench, cannot be over
come or avoided. 1t IS certain that the
entire Credit Mobelier testimony will be
reprinted, Sam Cox Will ask in the House
that the report of the Poland comittee be
reprinted, upon the ground that copies
are becoming very rare, and it is too val
liable public document to be lost from
general circulation. He does not believe
that republicans will care TO filibuster
! against such a proposition. The testi-
mony taken in other eases will probably
beordered printed. Thogreatestamount
! Of comment, however, is upon GarfieId's
lack Of courage in fright. One member
recalled to day an incident bearing upon
this point. A short time after the Credit
/ Nobilier investigation, Garfield became
involved in some controversy with Ben
Butler. That old heather turned sudden
| ly about and said he felt like making
/ some reply to Garfield, but he was re
strained by the maxim OF ''De mortuis
nit nisi bonUm." At this terrible thrust
i'll open house Garfield turned first white,
/ then red, and then covered silent into
/ his seat. Gen. Farnswortb, OF Illinois,
who was amember at that time, ran over
! to Garfield and said: "Don't sit silent
that way; reply something. Butler is
vulnerable; don't LET a man like that slap
You in the face like that, and you make
no reply" But Garfield could not be
/ persuaded to say a word. He sat silent
q few moments. and sadly left the house,
/ and, as one member remarked at the
time. went away 10 weep IL the cloak
( room