St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-02-07

reminds him of that fact. He knows
very well that there is a radical defect
in the organization of society, as well
as the government thereof, that enables
a half-dOzen men, himself among the
number, to accumulate hundreds OF
millions in less than a score of years.
That radical defect it is the duty OF
society to discover and eradicate.
opine that the corrupt and cOTrupting
use of money is the ulcer in our body
polite which is sending its deadly
virus through every artery and vein OF
the system. AS have said heretofore
and briefly sketched in previous
letter, the evil is not of yesterday, but
infected the swaddling clothes of the
infant republic. Alas the trail of the
serpent is more or less distinct through
every chapter of our history The
cold, clammy, creeping monster has
grown with our growth and strength
ened with our strength, until, envel-
oped in its awful folds, it Threatens the
existence of republican institutions.
That this is no exaggeratiOn let undis-
puted facts determine. There are
to-day sitting in the senate of the
United States sixteen senators who
owe their election entirely to the in
direct use of money and the exercise
of corporate power and influence in
their respective states. Why mince
words The last presidential election
was determined by the use of money.
The democratic harlOt cannot throw
stones at the republican harlOt. They
are not without sin. They taught
republicans the art in 1876. Barnum
and mules carried Indiana in the
October contest of that year. They
were on hand again in 1880, but Dor
sey and twO-dOllar bills were too much
for ii Connecticut Yankee and his
mules.
If Mr.. G. p. Huntington can be com
PEELED to account for the $40, 900 he
expended in 1876, it will he found that
S75, 900 of that amount was contri-
button to a campaign fund. 1t will
further appear that the contribution
was not Internationally made, but that
the pledge was exacted of presiden-
tial candidate to consider favorably
legislation which might be enacted in
the interest of the corporations Mr..
Huntington represented. If the secrets
of Mr.. Jay Gould's cabinet could be
extracted or distracted, it would ap-
pear that like contribution was made
by him upon a similar pledge given at
the same time to the same parties who
acted as the gO-betweens, the bosses
of the corporations, and the presiden-
tial aspirant. OF the S409, 600 which
Mr.. G. p. Huntington acknowledges he
has expended without taking vouchers
therefor, much the greater part will be
found to have been political cOntribu
tious. And it will appear also that
these contributions like the dews of
heaven descended on the just and the
unjust, upon republicans and demo
Gratis. But in the memorable language
of Oakes Ames, they were always
placed "where they would do the most
good" The money went into congress
siOnal aud legislative districts to help
the friends of the Central and Southern
Pacifics. 1t went to defray the trav-
cling expenses of Congressman. AT
least one member from the south got
ont of it a free ride and free enter
tainment to the Sandwich Islands and
return.
If Mr.. John Roach would unburden
his conscience. what an interesting
and instructive exhibit the country
would getl Staunch and Jealous re-
publican that he is, his contributions
to democratic campaign funds would
make no small part of the sum total
given for political purposes. Very
curious would such items as these ap-
pear, as they would doubtless stand
charged in his wonderfully retentive
memory: "To w. H. B. for IS dis
trict, $1,000" "To G. Il. for -'s
district, 81 900" And how instructive
would the record of democratic -,
and republican IS votes on the
Brazilian subsidy bill! But the most
curious of all such accounts would bt
the entry in Mr.. c. p. IIuntington's
private cash memorandum of the
$4,000 he gave w. H. b. for the Ohio
campaign, during which a Legislature
was to he elected that was to choose
Allen 6. Thurman's successor! Verify
Mr.. Huntington must have huggeC
| himself as he thus returned good fol
evil
"But why detail these scandals 2
exclaim my partisan friends. "YOu
know that with the exception of tn,
| Credit Mobiler and Pacific Mail subsidy
exposures there have been no serious
revelations affecting congress" True
my friends, but few of the secrets o
our charnel house have been laid bare
but we have had suggestive glimpse!
of the fetid mass hidden therein
through letter writer's like Mr.. Hunt
ingtOn. There are the letters o
| SchmOlie and Fremont, which show
that more than 81, 100000 of the secu
rites of the old Memphis and Ell Pass
were to be used to secure charter an,
subsidy from congress for that corpo
ration. The contract made by Mar
shall 0. Roberts with Cnrwine anC
Parsons provided 81 100000 of tn,
bonds of the Texas-Pacific to procure
that cOmpauy's charter from congress
In this instance the charter was Ob
tanned and the money or its equivalen
was paid. And to this day the scanda
connected with that accursed debauch
ment of legislative morals comes t,
the fore every session of congress
Like BanquO's ghost, it will not down
By strange endorsement, Hunting
toms corporation turns up as the resid
uary legatee of the I4.000,000 acres O
land granted to Tom ScOtt's compan.
despite all the labor and disbursement
of the California monopolists. AM
then there are the less well know
secrets of the Northern Pacific jOt
The legislation which bestowed upo
that corporation an imperial domai
cost its financial agents ; 200, 900 il
securities. De mOrtuiS nil nisi bonun
and yet how many dead congressman
estates have shown the possession c
, blocks of Northern Pacific ground foo
interests Bold Henry Willard threat
ened "a disclosure of some of thes
secrets, which would have besmirche
the dead and living alike, and rathe
than "call his hand" he was give
t control of the corporation. What