Year: 1879




this fact will recommend it to Congress ro-
mains to be seen.


A Plaintive Voice from South Bend.


Some OF our readers may remember that
n few years ago there wac in public life at
Washington man named SCHUYLER Coli
FAX Ho figured for brief period In the
times which witnessed the full fruition
Of Grantism producing BABcoCK. BEL
KNAP, robson, WILLIAMS, the Credit
Mobiicrsts and the long list OF Infamous
names which stain that page OF our history.


SCHUYLER CoLFAx was apparently very
good man. He always wore sweet smile,
and looked nice and holy. He spoke beautl-
fully TO Young Mems Christian Associa-
tlons and lovingly to female somnaries. 1t
is not distinctly remembered that SCHUYLER
ever really had anything to say, but he
always rose and smiled, and insisted that TO
be vrtuous was TO be happy, and setting OF
| this novel sentiment with few rhetorical
posies stolen from somebody elso's garden
he would sit down under the impression
that he had been making q mental effort,
and receive with oily complacency the
encomlums which this sort OF Chris
| tian statesmanship never failed TO elicit
And so SCHUYLER went on prospering at q
wonderful rate, smiling and praying, whio
he was quietly gathering from corpora
tions doing business in the House over
which he presided comfortable sheaf
OF fresh, crisp railway bonds for the solace
OF his old age, his plety being also secretly
watered the while by golden streams from
the pockets Of Post Ofllce contractors, who
| -
gifts in recognition OF the well-known
saintliness OF his character. 1t was all
very pleasant and happy, and SCHUYLER
counted his bonds with great content
ment OF soul, and tripped with elated step
in the morning after breakfast up to the
Christian bank kept by JAY COOKE, TO de-
posit his $1,000 greenbacks, until at last
OAKEs ANiEs came along. The latter under
took TO pour too much of his new wine into
the old bottle. The old bottle, being filed al
ready, and thoroughly rotten. incontlnently
burst, and the odor not OF sanctity, but OF
SCHUYLER's real character. filled the land.
AAIEs was member OF Congress- but
very different sort Of man from SCHUYLER
CoLFAx. He was rude shovel maker from
Massachusetts,, whose energy had made
him rich. He was then engaged in building
the Union Pacific Railroad, and believing
that the laborer was worthy Of all he could
get, had along with others organized the
Credit Mobilier concern for the purpose OF
swindling both the railroad and the Gov
ernment. Some OF the shares OF this emil
nently prosperous corporation were pre-
sented by him to the sanity SCHUYLER.
who doubtless rolled his eyes heavenward,
and pocketed them, thanking Providence
for all its mercies, much as Mr. STIadINs
did after long pull at Mrs. WELLER's pine
apple rum.


OAKEs AMEs evidently thought II was all
right. He wrote to ono OF his associates
that he was putting the shares where they
would do the most good" plainly regard
ing the purchase of Congressman in the
same light as the purchase OF pigs or poul-
try. When the whole matter was exposed
by The Sun, the corrupted Congressman
determined TO swear out singly and collec-
lively, but AMEs marched up and boldly
told the truth. Each one, having first
taken his solemn oath on the Evangelists
denied ever having received q share OF
the stock; and then upon each one,
by reference to little memorandum book,
AMEs fixed not only the guilt of venality, but
the deeper guilt Of perjury. But no one
Jared worse In his rough hands than SCHUY-
LER CoLFAX. AMEs produced the very check
drawn TO pay his dividend, and, as SCHUY-
LER plaintlvely complains, effectually
"swore II on him." The end OF 1t all was
the instantaneous demise OF SCHUYLER as
public man. At the same time, 10 round
OF and complete his misery, thief walked
into his house and carried away his hoard
OF ill-gotten bonds, the little provision he
had laid up with prudent forethought
against just such a mishap as this. The
bonds being originally stolen, so TO speak,
SCHUYLER had not dared to deposit them
in any public institution; and the second
thief, knowing they were stolen, was under
no fear of pursuit by the first thief. But it
Is supposed that after infinite pains the
Washington police induced the second thief
TO part voluntarily with portion OF
the plunder and upon this diminished
store poor SCHUYLER has managed to eke
out wretched existence In his gloomy re-
tirement at South Bend, Ind.


We observe that some weeks ago a report
er belonging to the Cincinnati Enquirer
being out on n general exploring expedition
and finding himself at South Bend was
struck with the idea OF looking around for
vestges OF SCHUYLER. He was Informed
that SCHUYLER was still bodily alive, and
supposlng that n voice from the grave
would be divertng TO his readers hc sought
him out, When discovered SCHUYLER was
In very melancholy mood, as indeed was
natural under the circumstances and he
complained bitterly but with all the old
time feebleness Of intellect OF the shocking
manner in which "AMEs swore it on" him,
and the cruelty Of The Sun in publishing it.
1t was the old story Of the gallows and the
prison; tho public prosecutor was in
spircd by personal malignity and the Wis
itatlon of justice was altogether a mistake
In the humble opinion OF the culprlt


But SCHUYLER made ghastly and pitlful
attempt to seem cheerful. He showed his
visitor some invitations to cattle shows and
other recognitons of his supposed existence
which people had sent him in mere compass
sion, to make believe that he was not wholly
dead. Even this interview was evidently n
great relief to him. Sad and dreary as 1t was,
he had the report Of 1t copied into the little