The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-11-06
LETTERS MADE FAMOUS
IN FORMER CAMPAIGNS


in favor of expelling certain members
and censuring certain others. Garfield
was not on either list, and he declared
before the committee that the only
money he had received from Ames was
a loan of 5000, which he had repaid. In
his explanation Garfield said:
"The stock of the dit-Mobilier
Company was offered to me as plain
business proposition, with no intimation
whatever that it was offered because
the subscribers were members of Con-
gross, for it was offered to many other
people, and no better men lived than at
least a large number of the gentlemen
to whom il was offered. Some men are
cautious about making investments;
others are quick to determine. To none
of these men was any explanation made
that the company was in any way con-
nected with a ring of seven men who
owned the principal portion of the
stock, and who had contracted with the
directors of the Union Pacific road for
building 600 or 200 miles at an extrav-
agant price. That was secret held
only by these seven men. 1t is now un-
derstood that Mr.. Ames, who was the
center of the company, sought to gain
the friendship of many prominent Con-
gressmen with the view of protecting
himself and the railroad against any in
vestigations which might be made; but
it was necessary part Of his plan not
to divulge that purpose, or in any way
to intimate to them that he might draw
ON them for favors.''
Garfield denied fatty that he received
or paid for any stock of the company.
Before the presidential campaign of
1880 he published a pamphlet on the
Credit.Mobilier matter, which convinc-
ed most persons that he had not been
guilty of any wrongdoing; but the Dem
ocrats utilized the old story for all it
| was worth.
Another investigating committee was
appointed by the Same Congress to in
vestigate the government of the Dis
trict of Columbia, and particularly the
trading contracts made by "Boss'
Shepherd, who was then governor of the
! District Testimony was given before
the committee that Garfield had ac-
cepted bride of $4,000 by the company
which had patent on the De Goyler
wood pavement, and several letters were
put in evidence. Garfield's explanation
was that he had no interest in the COM
pany, and that he had simply acted as
counsel for it, and received pay as such.
This is an extract from his statement:
"When it was decided to repave the
streets of Washington, paving COM
panies from all parts of the country
presented themselves, in nearly all
cases through their attorneys. A COM
pany in Chicago employed Mr.. Parsons
of Cleveland to go before the Board of
Public Works in Washington in its in
terest. One day Mr.. Parsons came to
me and said that he had an important
case, but that he had been called away
He asked me if I would argue the caase
. for him, look into the merits1aof the
pavement, and make a statement of il
before the board. When Congress ad
journed, two days later, the papers Of
patents were sent to me, and worked
on the task as faithfully as anything
ever worked at.'
Garfield acknowledged that Congress,
had supreme control over the District
of Columbia, but he said that the loca
authorities were not interfered with il
tho matter of local improvements, ant
that the fee he had received wa1 in n,
way connected with his position in tn
! Hnpse of Representatives. The salary
r grab charge had little effect in tn
, national campaign because both Re
! publicans and Democrats had voted t
= increase their salaries.
q GaIfel1's opponent in 1880, Genera
!. Hancr elk, had nothing to defend on tn
(, stump; but he made some blunderi
I 7 he tariff was then an issue of som
:. pt ominence, but Hancock did not seer
to appreciate it. He airily disposed @
e the whole affair by saying that tn
q tariff was only local issue. This wa
n very much like Croker's famous de,
:. laration in 1900: "Where is the sens
/. in all this fuss about the free coinae
/ of silver at 16 to II If we find tbs
v this ratio doesn't work, we can il
n crease it or lower it as often as v
+ wish. I am in favor of gold and silve
re and all kinds of money and plenty ,
i ito Hancock IS tariff declaration i
ne iured him greatly, and was perhal
,r the main cause of his defeat at Il
i polls.
a.. In the presidential contest betwe,
q. James g. Blaine and Grover Clevelan
G. in 1884, letters that were not intend'
e. for the public gaze figured in the car
s: paign-the Mulligan letters. TIT
lp were NOT new. lney were DrOuBnt
,e the surface when Blaine was speak
n. of the House of Representatives, b
i. they served effectively in the nation
st cannaign. The Democratic manage
40 srn' tered copies Of them all over Il
i'll country, with the purpose of shown
he that Blaine had used his influence
C. the House Of Representatives in fav
al of corporations, and had profited larg
at lily in consequence On the strength
at these letters he was accused of havil
he received $64, 900 from the Union Paci
an Railroad Company for services re
on dered. lfi9 tf
There were other accusations. al
Mt based on documentary evidence, that
II. was interested in the Credit-Mobili
er company. The charges against hi
o. were, in effect, like those broug
re against Garfield in 1880, and nc
w against Senator Foraker. The story
or the Mulligan letters was brought out
ct 1876, when the Democratic House
a Representatives passed resoluti
a. providing for the investigation of
lis alleged purchase of certain railro