Arizona republican., 1914-06-04
TRIAL OF CREDIT
 MOBILIER CASE


 ond congress went into their second session on December ,, 1872, James G. Blaine, who was then speaker of the house, on the very first day, called at tention to the charges that had been made by democratic orators and news papers during the political campaign recently closed, to the effect that Vice President ColfaX and the newly elected Vice President Wilson, the secretary of the treasury, several senators. the speaker of the house and large num- Der of representatives, had been bribed during the years 1867 and 1868 by Oakes Ames. member of the house from Massachusetts.
 These charges were that these gen. tlemen named had been given presents in the form of stock in corporation known as the Credit Mobllier, to ln- fluence their legislative action for the benefit of the Union Pacific Railroad company Upon MT. Blaine's motion committee of investigation was ap- pointed. This committee consisted of Messrs. Poland. of Vermont; McCrea- rv. of Iowa: Banks, of Massachusetts; Nibiack. of Indiana, and Merrick, of Maryland Two only of this committee
 were republicans.
 The Credit Mobilier company had been incorporated in Pennsylvania in 1864. and it's object was a construction company to build the Union Pacific railroad. The enterprise of building railroad to the Pacific was of such vast magnitude, and was beset by so many
 hazards and risks that the capitalists of the country were generally averse to investing in it, and, notwithstanding
 the liberal aid granted by the govern ment, it seemed likely to fail of com pletion.
 It was then that Oakes Ames and his brother became interested in the Union Pacific and also the Credit Mobilier company as the agents for the con- struction of the road. The Ames broth CTS were men of great wealth, and by | their example and credit, and the per sonal efforts of OaRes Ames, many men | of capital were induced to embark in the enterprise, and to take stock in both companies.
 When Oakes Ames went to congress | in December, 1867, he entered into con- 1 tracts with a considerable number of
 members of both the house and senate
 to let them have shares of stock in | the Credit Mobilier with interest there
 on from the first day of the previous | July Some of these gentlemen in their conversation with MT. Ames, raised the question whether becoming | holders of this stock would bring them | into any embarrassment as members | of congress, and he quieted them bv | telling that the Union Pacific had al
 ready received from congress all the | grants and legislation it wanted l In some instances those members
 who contracted for stock paid to MT. l Ames the money for the price of the | stock. par and interest, and in others
 where they had not the money, Mir. Ames agreed to carry the stock until
 they could get the money, or it should be met by the dividends.
 | Among those who had been charged
 in the public press and by the public speakers with improper participation
 in the Credit Mobilier affair were
 James G. Blaine. Henry L. Dawes, Glenni w. Scofield. John A. Bingham, | William D. Kelley, James A. Garfield
 and others Each of these gentlemen
 was called upon to give testimony as to his connection with the company | Mir Blaine, it was proven at the in vestigation, never had any stock in either company. MT. Dawes had made small investments Mir. ScOfield had only ten shares of Union Pacific, MT. Bingham held twenty shares of the Credit Mobilier stock. MT. Kelley and Mir. Garfield both agreed to take ten shares of the stock, but did not pay for | the same at the time
 The committee of investigation found that the members of the house were not aware of the object of MT. Ames