The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1862-02-20
THE STATE BOND swIrJDLE.

Al ouOtoCI PiaCS VIC POUiiou suo Poie W
the Committee lately appointed by The
House to investigate the recent sale o.
Bonds by our State officers. The facts con
nected with the transaction are so fully SCI
forth by the Committee that we need not
repeat them in this place. The develop
ments show that Our State Offices are filled
with scoundrels of the worst possible de-
scription. The House has adopted the
resolution reported by the committee, and
have appointed committee of three tc
draw up and present articles of impcach
ment, upon which the State officers will be
put upon their trial before the Senate
What the result of the trial will be it i:
impossible 10 say. The Senate, as now
constituted, is under the control Of Govern.
or Robinson, large part of the members
being military appointess Of his, ready and
willing to do or say anything he requires.
Only last week these men, at the instance
of the Governor, gave Senatorial endorse
ment to the Lawrence fraud upon the ballot
box, one Of the most shameless outrages of
the kind ever perpetrated in Kansas, by de-
eiding that Stevens, the principal in the
robbery Of the State, was entitled to his
seat in the Senate, although it was clearly
proven that he held bis seat by virtue of
seven hundred fraudulent votes polled in
the city Of Lawrence fraudulent vote
twice as large as the majority by which he
claimed to be elected. Stevens is now a
member Of the Senate, and will constitute
one Of the jury who will try his accomplices
for crime in the commission cf which he
was principal. What hope is there Of his
doing justice in the premises? +? Very little
indeed, and yet there is quite as much rea-
son to expect it Of him, as of the President
of the Senate, Root, or the pro ten, Presi-
dent, Lynde, or Gum, Broadhead, Ban.
croft, Essick, Morrow, Keeler, Hoffman or
Phillips. These mcn are all his creatures,
and ambitious only of doing his will, re-
gardless of the consequences which their
obedience may bring upon themselves or
the State. 1t is all right for the House to
impeach these plunderers, but there is little
hope of conviction. Eleven CT the jury,
if they have have not already had sop
Of the stolen bacon," have other &" material
and substantial "reasons for voting an
acquittal. The honest men in the Senate
and there are in the Senate some as
honest men as there are in the State-are
too few in number to do justice to the
Treasury plunderers.
The only officers of the State unimpcach.
ed by the House, are the Treasurer and the
Attorney General. The first Of these will
doubtless be impeached before the commit
tee is discharged. His collusion with r.
S. Stevens to swindle the State out of a
large sum of money, is made too clear to
admit of any other course at the hands of the
House. The Attorney General will not be
impeached. There is no evidence that he
has taken any hand in TIE plucking of the
State. Yet his position, in public estima.
tion, will not be better than that of the
other officers. He is known as the associate
and adviser of all Of them, and as the will
ingcounsel of Stevens in fastening him upon
the Senate. With all these facts known,
he yet claims the " exclusive right " to con-
duct all prosecutions against these men, and
refuses to permit the Legislature to suggest
any one to aid in the work. What is the
motive for this course? Men who think
will scarcely require an answer.
The exposure made by the Committee is
. most humiliating one, and will do dam
age to our young State that will not be
measured by the stolen dollars, or by any
other sum of money. If the people could
redeem themselves from the iufamy by
hanging every one of the thieves. it would
be a cheap escape. But the wrong cannot
be thus righted. Our only course is to sub
NIT IS best We can to the outrage, and bear
with whatever equanimity We may, the
common shame brought upon us by the
in whom we have coufded.
"a An act for the permanent location of
the countv sent Of DicIinson conntv Ia.