The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-01
THE CREDIT MonrLIER.
A Little Review of the Great Scandal
of the Campaign OF 1872.


President Andrews. in Scribner.
In August. 1872, when the excitement OF
the presidential strife was already high,
added fresh fuel to the political fires al
ready raging, and promised TO. generate
meSt steam raa t. prSpe the Greeley
operations oIs IN constructing the Union Pa
In March. 1865. the Credit Mobiller of
America, company organized by the
pennsylvania Fiscal Agency" and in ' iis
contracted with the Union Pacific to go
forward w tn the construction.
in corruption the Speaker OF the House.
the Vice Pre- ;ident. the Republican nomi-
nee e :. Tor the vice presidency the Secretary
OF the Treasury and others nigh in political
life
Two hundred and forty -seven miles OF
the one hundredth meridian. Then arose
trouble :, within the Credit Mobilier Com
p pan nr !; 6; purant president Of this and
the Mobilier to realize at once all possible
profits out of the construction, while his
at the ad wouS wers ncnS S
aeac honesty tnr with t Their profits
the appreciation of the Union Pacific stock.
was paid for its work. This party sought
to eject Durant from the Mobilier manages
menf. and at length did so; but his power
in the railway corporation was sufIic.ent
to prevent the Moblier as such from get
ting further contract. After much con-
tention, during which the Mobilier was on
the verge of failing. Durant consented that
the Gake eonstructon of the road. MIR. Ames
was at the time Mobilier stakeholder and
a Representative in Congress for Massachu-
sets.
During 1857 and 1868 Ames sold shares OF
Credit Mobilier stock to many members or
NUMBER Of cases sI payment was Considerably
subsequent to sale. Though worth much
more every share was sold for par ana in
Col II. US S. Mccomb. Of Delaware. in yir-
tue of a subscription that he said he had
i'm Mobilier stock which he alleged had
never been received. Letters passed back
and sorth between McComb and Ames IN
declared that he had placed the stock with
influential gentlemen manning several Con.
whes pub ou eag aS the p
this phrase. Soon it was in every mouth,
all placing upon 1t the worst construction
ran through the country like wildfire, the
allegations being very generally believed
But we know that they comprised partly
gross fabrications and partly gross sxag-
gerations. Mr.: Amess motive was iaud,
work, which has long since paid the conn-
try many times its cost. He knew that the
sress and outside A most Of them not public
spirited, but the blackmailer servants or
Durant, who stood ready, should emporium
ity offer, to work it's ruin. He wished to be
fortified His method certainly carried him
to the verge OF propriety and perhaps be-
yond; but, everything considered, the evil
dence shows little ground for the peculiar
execration visited upon him. The Poland
committee of the House, reporting on Feb.
IS, 1873, declared that Ames had acted with
"intent to influence the votes of members"
In the sense that he sought To interest men
in the enterprise and to prevent them from
sacrificing IL through apathy or spite, this
was probably true. That 1t was true in any
other sense is at least not proved.