Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-05-07
ALLISON A TRADITION
Senator Cheshire Discusses Sena-
torial Question in Speech
in Oskaloosa
NO HALO. FOR SENIOR SENATOR
Cheshire Reviews Record of Allison in
House and Senate and Declares Him
An Ordinary Man - The Credit Mo-
bilier and tho Bland Allison Act =
Time for Sentiment Past.

lime tor Sentiment Past.
Special to mes-Republican.
Oskaloosa, May 7.-Declaring that
there is no '.holy halo nor golden MIN
bus" about the head of Senator Will
1 lam b. Allison, and that "he is merely
q man and very ordinary man at
that" Senator Thomas A. Cheshire, of
i Des Moines, in a public address here
last night analysed and criticized Sen
xtor Allison's public career and went
to the bottom Of his connection with
tho Credit Mobilier. the Sioux City &
!, Pacific railroad, the Bland-Allison act
. (crtticized and condemned by every
president) and the expenditures ap-
proved by the appropriations commit
tee OF which Allison is chairman.
In opening his address Senator
Cheshire, who represented Polk coun-
" in the Iowa senate from 1894 to
1902. declared that the ideal campaign
on the senatorshlp for Iowa would have
been for the two candidates to speak
together in each of the congressional
districts. He said he made this over
ture to the friends of Senator Allison
but that they declined, saying that his
age and infirmities would not permit
lit. but that they now claim that he is
in better health than LaFollette and
~ he
In beginning his discussion of Sem
ator Allison's record, he said: Il shall
not claim that Senator Allison is a
bad man, or that his legislative career
has been wholly failure. Neither do
I believe that there is any halo or
nimbus about his head. He is merely
man and a very ordinary man at
that, possessing the weaknesses and
infirmities of man. He should be
praised wherever praise is deserved.
He should be fairly criticized wherever
his public acts deserve to be CEN
eured. His fitness for future service
should be considered fairly and justly.
His candidacy for the senatorship in
vites. examination Of his public career
and It Il, our privilege to pass our opin-
ions Upon his public acts, provided
they ar. honestly formed and are fairly
and reasonably expressed"
AlIison's Record in Congress.
Senator Cheshire then invited at
fention to- Allison's record in congress
IN which he claimed that Allison had
done nothing dn his eight years in the
mouse worthy OF praise. He pointed
out that Allison served in the house
! from 1863 to 1873 when there were try
i ng times for the republic and gave
i him the best opportunity in the world
!, to distinguish himself, had he possessed
any very high order of ability"
He then called attention to the fact
8 that Allison did one thing during his
house career ito bring him unenviable
,notoriety," when his name became con-
nected with the Credit Mobilier. Inas-
much els this is history of many years
ago Senator Cheshire went to some
length to explain it and in doing SO
gave the definition of Credit Mobilier
taken from the messages and papers
of the presidents in volume 10 on page
32S. Brdefly expressed this definition
is that 1t was a joint stock company
organized to build the Union Pacific
railroad, the value Of its stock and
size of its dividends depending on the.
1iberality of congress in making the
contracts for the construction of the
road. An Investigation followed an
exposure OF the fact that members Of
congress were given blocks of stock
stock rs well as blocks of stocks Of
the Union Pacific. This investigation
came at a time when Allison was not a
member Of the house and just before
The took his seat in the senate. Mem
sbers Of congress shown to have the
stock were censured by congress. ALI
son was shown by his own testimony
TO have some Of the stock, but not be-
dng member Of congress then could
not be censured.
Got Credit MobiIier Stock.
From the testimony given before
the congressional investigation COM
mittee, Senator Cheshire took excerpts
to show that the stock was distributed
by Oakes A1nes, member Of the
house. from Massachusetts,, where it
will d1 most good to u.s.; that the
stock was distributed at a time when
there were dividends due upon it
enough to pay for the stock and
balance besides; that Allison was CIV
ZEN ter shares of Credit Mobilier and
ten shares of Union Pacific, which, ac-
cording to his own testimony, he held
for five years; that he was paid 5000
in dividends on the stock at one time;
that Senator Allison testified that he
sent back the stock and dividends
and that Cakes Ames testified that he
did not send back the dividends; that
Senator Allison testified that he did
not consider it improper for him to
own the stock, altho the dividends of
the companies and profits of the COM
panies depended on the action of con-
gress; that later he telegraphed claim
Ing to have derived no profit from the
Credit Mobilier. and indicating that
he considered 1t improper to do so.
The Credit Mobiliers profits on the
construction of the Union Pacific was
shown to be s43.929.32s.34. according
to the statement of the trustees Of the
company, the United States paying
ts4,650,2S7.2S and the Credit 3Mobilier
doing the work at a cost of $50,720,-
s95S.94.
The Bland Allison Act.
Takipp i'm Cpnator AlliSOp'S record