The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-09-11
Blaine's Credit Mobilier Connection.
wAsHINGroy. April ~. rssn

OHe VI the RredteSt sensations IN American
politics was produced by the investigation of
the Credit Mobilier in its relation to members
of Congress, which occurred during the wIn-
ter of 1928. During the political campaign
OF 1872, charges were made in certain news
papers that Cakes AmeS. member of Con-
ereSs from Massachusetts and the leading
mind in the Union Pacific Railroad enter
prise, had used the stock and dividends of an
Z INSIDE corporation known as the redit
NGoller OF America to advance the inter
eSts OF The enterprise in Congress. Some of
these publications. went so far as to give the
/ names OF the beneiciarieS- The following
names were included in the list: James G.
Blaine, of Maine; James W. Patterson, If
New Hampshire; Henry Wilson. of MasSa-
thuSettS; schuyler COifaX. of Indiana;
Thomas d. Elliott. of Massachusetts: Henry
L. Dawes. OF Massachusetts,: George s. Bout
well, OF Massachusetts: John A Bingham. of
Ohio; james ~ Garfield. of Ohio: Gleunie
W. Schofeld, of Pennsylvania; William ID.
Kelley, Of Pennsylvania. The charge lid not
attract much attention at first, bur, after a
while, several Of the gentlemen n ,ntioned
Tened that the ever received any of the
stock or bonds of the Credit Mob1lier from
Oakes Ames. as alleged. soon after the cleo
ton IL began 10 be understood that this ran
dom newspaper charge was the beginning of
very serious matter
On the first Gay OF the short session of the
forty-thlrd Congress. in December IST2,
James G. Blaine, of Maine the Spea err of the
House OF Representatives, left the chair to
I which he called ). ). Cox in his absence, and,
: tahluG tue moor, moved the appointment or u
committee 10 investigate accusations made
IL the public pi eSS, founded on alleged letters
I OF OakeS AmeS, Il Representative from MaSSa-
chuSetts, and upon the alleged atfidavitS of
/ Henry ;. McCOmb a citizen OF Wilmington,
| Del. 10 the Ell ect that members of the House
/ were bribed by Oakcs Ames to perform GER
! tam legislative acts for the benefit of the
! Union PACING Railroad Company by presents
/ OF stock in the Credit MobiIirr of America, or
by preSen OF Il valuable character derived
therefrOm. Mr. Blame moved the appoint
I
/ whether of his own motion or of Mr.. Blaine
! Is unknown, appointed Mr.. Pc and, of Yer
I IN mt; Mr.. Banks, OF Massachusetts: MIR. Nc
/ Crazy, OF Iowa; Mr. Niback, OF Indiana and
! MI. Merr.cS, of Maryland. The committee
/ held its first meeting on Thursday. december
/ il, and ut once the Speaker OF the House of
Repre- Sen;atiVeS appeared and made the fol-
loving statement, the committee sitting with
/ cl )Sed doors:
/ With the leave of the committee l will sub
/ nit my testimony in writing for the sake of
] accuracy. and when have i'm shed shall, of
/ course, answer any questions which the com
mittea may desire TO ASK by way OF eXamina-
! ton or cross examination. And | wish TO
{ state that never owned share Of stock in
/ the Credit MObilier in my lie, either by gift,
! purchase i'll any way whatever. Nor did |
/ ever receive, either directly or Indirectly, a
! single cent derived in any manner fr3m the
! Credit NObilicr or from tne Mon Pacific Rail-
road Company. No person holds or ever did
hold for me any stock in either corporation.
a agent, trustee, i'll any capacty
whatever. wish my testimony TO be taken
Z Us CAuduStiNc anu as Hlttnuel 10 exclude
every form or phase OF OwnOI ship in
the Credit NObilier or the Union Pacific
Railroad Company, both past aud present.
/ desire further to state that some time in
the spring OF ISIS, the precise date / will
not affirm, Cakes AmeS asked me one day if
would IKE to purchase some stock in the
CreIIt Mobiher. He sad it would prove Il
goo investment, and he could sell me ten
shares OF the STOCK 1T a rate somewhat above
rar-l thiuk some LOCO for the ten shares.
We had some c9nversat on in regard TO the
! M q y Tnn ftln -lx-
that IN regard TO these shares there was
lawsuit either pending or threatened, though
he sad his right to sell the shares WAS perfect
ana uudouoted | concluded that | uId not
OeSir1 10 purchase the stock, and therefore
declined Mr.. Ames offer. ] beg to say. now
ever, III Justice to Mr.. Ames, but more espec-
tally IN Just &C TO myself, that il neYe" once
occurred 70 ire that he was attempting 10
brlbe ne, or in any way influence my vote or
action as representative | understood him
10 sag mat he was the owner OF more o. the
stock than he wished to carry, and was Oier-
ing it to some of his friends It cost and inter
Is to Kim. slight advance aLOte par va!uC.
I C amount offered me was very small. AMI
mid- little impression on my mind; indeed
was well nigh forgotten until recalled by the
invest alton. Mr.. AmeS never ole Ell me
any OF the stock at any other time than
has been narrated, nor was any OF the stock
ever offered to me AT any time by ANY other
person or corpora ion"
The report OF the evidence states that Mr.
Elaine then turned to Mr. AmeS and said Il
desire to ask him whether the statement l
have Just made Is correct. Mr.. AmeS is C.
ported us answering: ~ e., Sir, your state
ment corr esq Onds. substantially, with my
recollection Of the faces" That is all that IS
given IN regard TO the examination OF Mr..
Blaine, and there Is the best authority for
sta in" that tle report WIS so altered that it
cpmDictcy fails 10 reflect what actually oc-
Cured III The committee room. jeremiah :.
Il ack addressed some important questions 10
Mir. Il aine which with the answers thereto,
are omitted altogei her from the report. The
committee did not press Mr.. Blaine mt all but
devoted its time entirely to the other gonte-
men who were mentioned as the Uencticiaries
of Mr. AmeS, Several OF these gent enc
stated the truth IN regard TO their dealings
with Mr.. AmeS. and had no difficulty. theirs
like Mr.. CO,faX and Mr.. Patterson. alter at
tempting to induce Mr.. Ames to swear 20 teS-
timOny which was moi true, made such fabTi-
cations III regard TO tn -mSaiveS a. to
lead To their O'ic al disgrace and DEGRADATION.
But Mr.. Blaine was tlc only one wnoSc name
appeared on Re list and who SwOIe that he
had no dealings whatever with Mr.. AmeS.
He ma,ie this sta ement i'm the face o. The
following testimony bv Henry :. McComU,
vino as the sec nd witness after naming
the list OF names 10 Mir PIIaud): Il wrote
those nam esIS Mr.. AmeS rtaA them TO me from
his memorandum book. He sat on one d O..
the table and / sat Oh the OILer III the O.Ece Of
tlc Union Pacific Railroad Company / New
York. just as we sit Oppo ,ite each other now
AZ this table. When he read 1 wrote the
names. This was early in February, 1906.
The list OF names was us above given, except
that there was newspaper correspondent
and one or two O.her persons besides those
mentioned. Mr.. Blaine name had the ny
ureS ''j.UJ0 against it on the memorandum
book, meaning 81 shares Of the Credit Mo-
biiiGr. Mr. McCOnO, a!~O prOdu ed an ac-
knOwlc lged letter r III Mr.. Ames dated Jan
uary >, lSjS, in which he said: Il have as
signed a far rs have gone % from Mas "a
chuScttS, from New Hampshire. Delaware,
! Tennessee. l Ohio, , Pennsylvania ind.-
ana l Maine. AMI have 3 20 ace. which
shall PM where they will do most good to us.
] am here on the spot and can better judge
where they should go.
Recently the wriIcr had q conversation wi; h :
near ftierd of Mr. AmeS. who has ways
defended his memory and Oh Illenged any
proof of the assertion that he untruth- /
full man HAD not asserted TO him that !
thought Mr.. Am"S untruthful. but | told him /
tCat | always had great difficulty in rcconcil- /
ing the Il legged tcs' imrny of Mr.. AmeS before |
the PO.an committee, relative 20 Mr. Blaine. |
Win the facts as SHOWN by Mr. McCOmb !
statements and the memorandum book Itself. /
~ GU, yourself, well know" 1 said to him, /
THAT MIR. Blaines name was on Mr.. Ames !
memorandum book with the ether names, and |
that he a sharer with Others in the distri- 1
butiJn OF the Cred MObicr Stock" The re-
plv as follows: IF you knew what
know. you would say that Mr.. AmeS
perfectly truthful truthful man. | was in the
cOmmittee-rOOm when Nr. Blaine made his
statement ana l know all that hapDened
The record makes Mr.. Ame> cU-rooorate Mr.. |
Blame. Ii Is not true. He did not do it. L /
was standing beside Mr.. AmeS wIen the
question was asked him whether MIR: Blaine
statement was in ace Jrdance with his recOI-
lection, aud rIGmbet far him ten, but he
never opened his lips-nO matter what
tic report OF the evidence may say-he
never opened his lips" The gentleman
who made this statement is man
whose word will be taken anywhere. and his
testimony thai Mr. Amas lips were closed
when the cord made MIN Wind cate Ar.
blaine, startled me When the latter pro-
ceedcd 10 make Il detailed statement to the
committee he said: You haY. heard Mr..
blaine testimony in advance of mine and
my acIuieSceHce therein. RE declined the
stock and nothing more need be sad" This
was peculiarly wOrded statement, but it
= eS furtGcr than the memOra 1dum book or
The facts Will justify. Mr. u aine CON
SANITY VITA Mr.. Ames during tn. winter of
He mi of his irno will MIN