The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-24


The Panama canal scandal deepens with
the progress Of investigation. 1t touches
eminent men hitherto believed to be I'M
maculate. The foreign press that are
never weary of girding our people con-
corning the Credit Mohilier investigation
will be silent hereafter in the presence OF
their own far deeper and biaeker shame.
Over one hundred members of the French
chamber of deputies are among the bribed,
and Freycinet and Rouyier, among the
first of French statesmen, are believed
to be among the guilty, or at least
among those who had guilty knowledge
of the situation. The Credit Mobilier
investigation was conducted by the
late Judge Poland, of the house judiciary
committee, with absolute fearlessness and
with merciIess impartiality. 1t con-
victed Cakes Ames upon his confession
that he had placed his stock where he
thought it would do the most good; that
Is, that he had sold the stock to certain
congressman and senators and had Scar
ried it, for some of them. They bought
the stock and paid for it knowing that
they were getting good thing, and
Knowing, too, that they were given the
chance to buy it advantageously by Ames.
because he knew, as they all did, that at
any moment important legislation affect
fng the Union Pacific was likely to come
before congress.
Ames was curious mixture of good and
evil. He was an honest man in all his
personal pecuniary dealings with his fell
1ow-men; he was truthful man, so truth
full that Judge Poland grimiy remarked
that Ames was one of the few witnesses
that under oath told the truth without
fear and without favor either TO himself or
the congressman to whom he sold his
stock. He scorned to be other than
square man in all his business dealings;
he scorned to tell lie on the witness
stand to screen himself or save others, but
his moral sense was 50 coarse in its quality
that he frankly testified that he thought
he had a right to protect the interests of
the great corporation in which he and all
his many friends had invested all their
capital by '.placing his stock where
it would do the most good"
among the congressman whose votes
might decide the fate of his Union Pacific
interests. Among the congressman who
bought some of the stock were James
Brooks, Dem, James A. Garfield, John
A. Logan, John A. Bingham and United
States Senator Patterson. Schuyler COL
fax and Henry Wilson were also purchas-
ers of some of the stock. The men who
told the truth, like Logan, and said they
"had bought the stock and would have
been glad to have bought more" did not
suffer, but United States Senator Pstter-
son and James Brooks lied on the witness
stand and were convicted of living so
clearly that their political life ended
with their exposure. Garfield and Henry
Wilson made rather a pitifui appearance
by pretending to a childlike aud bland
innocence of all suspicion in the matter
1t was true that no legislation came IN
concerning the Union Pacific after these
congressman had purchased their stock
and it was true that not more than half .
dozen men in both houses Of congress were
touched at all ny the investigation. and
of these only two. Ames and Brooks. we're
officially censured by the house tor their
conduct in the matter. and vet Eurep.
since 1875 has never stopped sneering a.
the corruption of American politics as
exposed by the Credit Mobiier inyestlga-
ton"
Europe has now something to tall
about in shape of the Panama canal IN.
vestigation that is likely 10 give ia a raa,
from illusions TO the Credit Moh.Iier ex-
posture for many years to come. The
recent unseating of number of Enrliah
Tory members Of parliament for viola.
tions of act against corrupt practices in
politics is likely 10 make Great Britain i.
little less loud in her denunciationa ..
corruption in American elections" RI.
use Of the campaign lie. gross. huge ard
palpable. among ignorant voters il -.
sorted to in England IS much as it i
in America, ana quite as succeszf,,Ilv
Tor the English rustic voters are ,,n-,
ignorant than our most ilIitcrata ho,s
ers Of the ballot. English worktnyr,a-
in a number of instances confessed the,
they voted against horne rule because ,hax
had been told RI st If a heme rule hin yp.-.
passed all the people in the village wonfa
be burnt with fagots on the village sras,
A Liberal candidate interpreted home rnts
to mean "locai self-government fav IL.
land and for the villages of England Is apa
was said 10 have got many votes from,
those who expected % SEQ a village council
set up on the spot. Another war cry IF =
Liberal candidate WAS; IF they wanted
the price Of bread tn 70 back 10 three p,
four shIliings a gallon Iet them so on al
vote for the Tory party" The defas,az
Tory candidate writes the EoHasa 7;,sxs
1.-The laborers. aui especially their wives
honestly believed that u I we're elec,e,
food would 90 10 famine prices, aud n,
line they took VAS, Il mayn't be true. bu
wewon't give 'em chance"
'.Yes." said Sussex elactor. .T,r.
against home rule. bus certainly Ior.
H do manage his COWS terrible well
1t is very clear that the French legisl.