Omaha daily bee., 1883-05-07
~FALsITYIHG HISTORY.
THE sAINTED AMRs."

ALsl flRG HISTORY.
1.-THE AINTED AIMS"
To the Editor OF The Bee:
Such is the caption of an able article II
your valuable daily, May 2.
Let me inquire If 'the report of Poland
committee in 1873 will stand ss the trutl
of history" land the sooner the record O
Cakes Ames Is forgotten the better 1t will
be for his family" What will you d.
with the "Sainted" Garfield? Why whittier
the sepulcher of the one, and desecrate tn,
grave Of the other? Why cover up, palliat,
and explain away the record of Garfield
and pronounce the absolute condemna
ticn of the house" against Ames? The
same Poland that rendered judgment
against one, pronounced q decree against
the other. If Ames ''could have been in
diced under federal statute" as o brib
giter," Garfield could have been convicted
under the same law as q bride taker.
/ don't wish to e%xtenuate the crime, OIL
blscken the memory Of any one; but I, in
ommon with thousands of others, enter
O protest against making Cakes Ames, the
scspegoat Of the republican party, during
that memorable period when %debauchery
ran riot, and dishonesty held high carni
val at the seat of government.
Disband our organization and cease
your effort to canonize, and give immor
tality tothe one, or pass the e%xpuDging res
olutlon asked for by the friends of others
J. K, VAN DENARK.
Valparaiso, May 8, 1868.
The stale charge which is revamped
In the above communication needs NJ
further denial. 1t was bravely anG
fearlessly met by General Garfield
during his lifetime. All decent mer
buried 1t with him In his grave. TIC
exhume it now, to couple the name Of
the dead patriot president with that oil
the lobbyist and bride giver Oakes
Ames is a cowardly and contemplate
deed. The case was Ions
ago tried at the bar
of unfrlendly public opinion, and
James A. Garfield came out of the
ordeal scathleas.
The communication of our cor.
respondent Is honey.combed with
miEtstements of facts. The report Of
the Poland committee, which consisted
of a majority of democrats, fully ex.
onerated General Garfield from all
blame In the transaction, In the fol-
lowing words:
"The committee do not find that
either of the above named gentlemen
In contracting with MI. Araea had
any corrupt motive or purpose him.
self, or was aware that MI. Ames had
any, nor did either of them suppose
he was guilty of any improperly or
.indecency In becoming q purchaser OF
this stock. Had 1t appeared that
these gentlemen were aware of the
enormous dividends upon this stock
and how they were to be earned we
could not thus scquit them. MI. Gar.
field agreed with Mr.. Ames to take ten
shares of Credit Mobllier stock but
did not pay tor the same. Mr.. Ames
received the 80 per cent dividend in
bonds sold them for 81 per
cent and also received the 60 per
cent cash dividends which together
paid the price of the stock and interest
and left a balance of 1929. This sum
was paid to Mr.. Garfield by q check on
the sergeant.a at. arms, and Mr.. Garfield
then understood this sum was the
balance of dividends after paying for
the stock. MI. Ames received all the
subsequent dividends. The committee
find nothing 10 the conduct or motives
of either of these members In taking
this stock that calls for any recon-
mendation by the committee of the
house."
This waI the exonerstion OF Garfield
by the Poland committee. But his
best exoneration was found In this
record of his life, the a~ffsctionate en-.
orsement of his constituents who
called him before them to face this
very charge, and In the verdict of the
nation expressed at the polls In No
vember 1880. With a long and hon.
orable public service, he retired from
congress a poor man, while Cakes
Ames d shonored and disgraced, be.
qusthed his sons the millions which
he had acquired as the fruits of cor.
ruption and dishonesty,