Evening journal., 1907-12-07
What | Know About
Delaware Politics and
Other Things rs
THIRrY-FIFTH ARTICLE.
By Washington Hastings

In these days Of pitful and almost appalling revea-
on Of dishonesty and turptude in high places
poth IN the commercial and financial world and also in
official positions, it must be source Of extreme grati-
hcauon 70 all citizens Of this who are al all proud
ts history ana traditions, that Notwithstanding the
aerences IN political faith and which divide us
INTO parties no high official Of Delaware has ever been
s ca even Dy ms greatest political enemy with
sonal dishonesty and breath scandal or personal
eoach has ever been raised against any OF them except
- ~ nsie instance ana that was not sustained by the
evidence believe that this with this exception;
there be others they have escaped my observation This
el4ie equally 10 our judiciary both Federal and State
our Governors United States Senator's and Repre-
naves IN congress practically 20 all the occupants
I pl o present OF nigh Official places Of public trust
Delaware has always demanded OF her important
office that they sla be like Ceasars wife mot only pure
sat aooVe saspcion Conspicuous examples OF this dis
unV''oh OF honesty ana nprghtness have been found
more frequently emong our United States than
Diners others because perhaps the position is Of
olIenoe anu IA these days OF the modern newspaper
they are standing more in the fierce sunlight which
forever beats upon a throne" and also perhaps they
ae SUBJECTED TO more temptation TO wrong doing and
are not protected by the Divinity doth hedge about
king"-if Il ever does
While all Of our members OF the two houses Of con-
BIess nave not been men OF conspicuous ability and
they have especially the senators been far from
equa IN intellectual ability and atatesmanship while they
have not all been Caytons Bayards or sausburys or
Hggnses or Grys, all Of them have BEEN personally
honest nprishL clean men, and honest straight
forward and unequvotal politically their several par
ties and the emergencies and exigenclcs the political
y be-
An example OF this personal recttude on the part Of
ono Of our senators me- which viii be recalled
qonpuesis by many, especially by my elderly readers
do not aludo to IL because ii Is unoue or neoor ~
that par tlcuar but because 1t illustrates and re-
lmorces what am asserting and is typical of all of
our public any special prominence or imooranee
so far as have learned or observed
lt Will be remembered that after close OF the
civil War the long contemplated project of building
OF railroad to the Pacific coast was revived ana
urgently advocated and pressed by Of all political
persuasion all over the country II finally took sbsne
"a nv fatyo ,ftaIfe
IN New York Boston and elsewhere for the purpose OF
building what was then and Is now The Union Psciec
haroad. IN an undertaking so tremendous Of course
the Federal Government expected TO assist as with
such assistance the enterprise could never bs 49,
completed IT, even 1t would ever have been commenced
And the did most literally and bounte
ousy by the oaning of money to the rairoad e,a,,,
granting TO immense tracts Of the public lands as
subsidy and, think, guaranteeing or partially guaran-
teeng some OF its issues Of stock and bonds Thus the
President and the two houses of congress became i'm
porant faetors7apractcally special partners-in the
undertakings and it very became evident that there
We're great profits TO be realized by somebody good
pcl,ngs in the job-and usual the 'pickersu were
also very soon IN evidence The people did see them
at hrst but they were there all the
"A wheel within wheelp is a familiar term in
mechanics. and IL sometimes a business within
business and that is it meant in the business OF
constructing and equpping the Union Pacific Railroad
with governmental assistance Five the direc-
ois on 'he alroad company, not many more than this
number as remember, formed themselves into a con-
strucon and equipment pany and named it THE Credit
Nloplier OF Amerlca by and through which they pro-
posed to build and did build equip the road Thus
as directors OF the railroad
government received from time TO time the government
loans OF money the government grants of public lands
etc. and as directors and sole Of Credit
NlopnlSr OF america they handled all of this money
and other valuable property contributed by the
ment and built and equipped the railroad wth-par OF
It, See? There speculation and slirrnise ar
the time to what they did with the other part but
TO that this deponent sayeth not 1t is certain how
ever high finance" ana craftp were NOT etiro,,
unknown even in that day but do not remember ever
to have heard them called by that name
And now am coming by a long and rounds about
road TO be sure, TO what started to say about Of
our honest Delaware senators.
During the progress OF the building the Union Pacific
road after the first cash and grants of land
had been necessary 10 ask Congress for
additional faVors and assistance: to insure
These thought to be necessary bv the
to secure the good win Of certain senators and con-
gressmon; and to this end propositions were made to
various members Of both houses and OF both political
or any part thereof that they wished the stock of
the Union Pacific Railroad in payment thenote
Of the said senators and members which need not
be paid in cash but would be held by the Credit Mober
Of America until they liquidated by dividends
the stock.
sad to relate this proposition accepted by many
members Of both houses; and them among the
most prominent and influential both the Republican
and Democratic parties Just how many or who all
OF them were fully known, but the course
OF time and events OF them became known and il
killed as dead politically as Julius Ceasars grand
mother and one Of them at least it killed physically
he died brokenhearted Of humiliation and grief.
This proposition was submitted OF senators
from this State and he promptly declined H. said
however that being old man, he committed most
Of his monetary affairs TO the hands his whom
he would consult in the matter and the being
goou onet inc security being ample and the interest
sure-f II Investment which, being a senator
Il was proper for him 10 make and he found he
had the money % spare for the purpose he would take
the stock and for IL the delivery the certih-
Gates. He never took the stock And when others
around him. both political friends and political enemies.
had TO hang their heads in humiliation and James
A. Bayard could say if he wished to it, Thou
ITO he contrneaN