Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1857-05-07
THE REPUBLICAN.
Pi.yMoyTB. IND.
Thursday Morning, sssy :, 1887
congrcss.,sa; csrsapt.5n Gaze.

Coasressiossa; Corrupts9n Case.
Several of the bogus Democratic papers
having made an attack upon Messrs. Col
fax and Holloway for voting against the
expulsion of the members Of the House
charged with corruption. we regard it bat
as an act of justice to our own worthy and
talented Representative to publish his de-
fence in Justification of that vote. We
should have doae so sooner had we not
been interrupted in the issue of the "Ro-
publican" by circumstances we'll known to
our readers. The attack upon Mr.. Colfax' S
motives will doubtless be brought up
again, by the party hyenas. should that
gentleman ever again be candidate for re-e-
lection. and we therefore, think it necessary
to Law Mr.. Colrax's reasons for his vote be-
fore our readers, so that they viii be able
to place the proper estimate upon what;v-
er attack stipendiary press may make
upon him hereafter in regard to this mat
ter:
"Tvhe investigation o: the COMMITTEES had
been Sc ret an lcxpar.e. Membe.s were i'm
plicatcd by witnesses examined in private,
in a room from which the accused parties
were excluded. Evidence given by these
witnesses, which would bear in favor of
the persons attacked. was Suppressed in the
report made by the COMMITTEES to the House,
as was accidentally discovered by an ex-
animation of the manuscript at the print
ing office where it was put in type. And,
when the report was made, the Committee
insisted that there should be no trial ex-
cept the secret anl one sile.l one which
they conducted; and that upon the garblei
an / exparte testimony tllas submitted by
th,m, the members should be expelled
The defendants pointel to the Constitution,
which secures to all accasel persons the
right of public trial. and the still higher
and more valuable right of confronting the
witnesses against them, face to ia,e, before
the tribunal which was to pass sentence On
them, and they asked tor these rights, which
are not dcniel in any court in christendom,
to the vilc>t felon or tn, bascst outlaw
Bat the committee sail no. Tho House
Of Representatives, following the lead Of
the committee said no. AMI we then de-
terminoi, without finding fault with those
who preferred not to put themselves in a
position liabic to m.s.epres sntat on and Mt
tack, to vote No on their reports; and thus
to vinslica.e the principle that these consti-
tutional safeguards against injustice should
no. be stricken dowa by or vote. The de-
feniants even pro1ered that the time to be
spent in the trial should DC limitcl- or that
the examination might he made 10y COM
mite, holding Its sessions openly, and at
which they might DC privileged to be pres
ent Bat this too was refused.
If there is one of our constituents who
would like to DC convicted Oh the mere ind
ing OF Grand Jury, secret AMI cxpartc
like this Committees, without any sub'c-
qucnt public trial or any public opportu-
h;ty to coafron. the witnesses against them.
then that constituent has right to COM
plain of our votes. But to every on, else.
who would DO to others as they would have
others to do to them, We are ready to sub
nit our action, with the fullest confidence
that they viii approve it fully and entirely
We have said nothing in this argument as
to the probable guilt or innocence Of the
parties, for our votes were basel on no pre-.
sumptions or surnlises thereof, but on tht
legal and constitutional principles we have
indicated. But it is worthy of notice thai
in the one which was thoroughly discussed
that Of DIR. Welch. of Conn.,. although
! the committee were SO satisfied of his guilt
that they demanded his. expulsion, the
house through that discussion, became sat.
isied of his innocence, and acquitted hin
by an overwhelming majority. Ifupon al
/; open trial, and upon open testimony, the
other accused parties had not satisfactorily
vindicated themselves from the charge.
against them, we should have voted to cx
pei every one Of them. With public in
vestigatioa refused. we should not vote tt
! convict the editor of the Sentinel, or
member of ofCongress-nor do we believe h,
would himself, under similar circumstan
ces. convict, or punish any accused person
in the city Of Indianapolis.