The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-07-29
Tho ImpeachmentLobhy,
pt1AhEs PARTON. c,aI

ton lobby was tho acquitted Of An
drew johnson. 1t was wholly tho.
lobby's doing. His conviction was
sure until tho LOBBY won't, to workin
earnest, and snatchedhim only brand.
cd !rom tho burning. A person tho
lcastscredulous Of scvilcan hardlyrc-
sist the impression that three or four
Republican votcsJ wcrc bought and
paid for, cash down, only a few hours
before tho votes wero given. Some
OF tho best informed men in Wash
ington-cvcn the best informcd-arc
convinced Of it. Thcy think they
know who received $4,000 for a.
vote, who, $50, 900, who Indian con
tracts, and who railroad influences
more valuable than both those sums
united. They think they know at
what house, Mt what time of night,
and by what member Of tho lobby
the money was lost at cards to the
Senator who voted next dry for nc
quittal. All of which may be true.
Much OF the valuable testimony gath.
cred by the select committee of tho
managers seems to, confirm those
conlecturos. We know the Johnson
lobby, utterly devoid OF principle and
deccncy, had the money in their
hands with whiehto buy tho crimi-
nal off. We know that money was
raised in Custom Houses, and sub.
scrioed by d,stilicrles, and that a
r. 4
million OF dollars could have been
Procnred from those two, sources
a'one,aif At had beea necessary. We
know 'hat the corrnptibll'ty OF Sen
atofs was a topic OF conversation at
inc irosldents aoie, ana that one
OF MS cohiiaantS correctly predHtod,
ilvo WeeRs ociorc the test vote was
'aRo', which seven Nepubacan n"n-
atofs Won.a vote Tor ar4u,tal. We
kno" that TWO OF those senators, TO
wisnin a gay or two Of inc yottl .
contlnuen 70 declare shcir intention
70 vote Tor cohvictlon, ana 'hen sud-
denly changed their intention with
out any visible cause. We know
Una. INC loooy was IN inc fullest &C
hvity ABOUT washington, rushing TO
ana iro between New York ana tho
Capital, and teicglsaphing in cipher.
know that the strikers of the lob
BY We're not Idle, but rose TO the oc-
casion, and offered to sell to the man.
agors votes enough to convict for a
hundred and ten thousand doliars,-
| but the managers were up to tho
| game. We knox that, tho heads of
! the Johnson lobby wcro as, sure of
IN acqni,.al before the vote was ia
ken as they were after; and that
they acted upon their knowledge in
the goldroom and elsewhere.
Now tho simplest explanation of
all this is, that the three or four
votes supposed to have been given
against tho convictions of tho Sem.
tors who gave them, were bought
with money and yet the probability
| is that they woro not, I wish they
had boon. Probably, tho crude
primitive wickedness of selling q
vote for so much cash argues q shall
, lower, more manageable, peryorsjtv
than that Of which the TESTIMONY
clioitod by the select committee gives
US glilnpscs, From tina. Testimony
VIC may infer that there were several
distinct lobbies working for acQuital
; the Johnson lobby proper, who want.
cd to got or keep places and chances
undor tho President tho Chase lob.
BY who wfshcd toplacc the President
under such signal obligations that he
, would drop Gen. Hancock, and take
up Mr.. Chase. for the succession; the
Pcndlcton. lobby, whose aim was to
secure the same advantage for Mr..
Pcndleton; tho whisky lobby, who
wanted another year OF IMMUNITY
and conservative" lobby who had
. very lively sense OF what would
happen it MIR. Waldo should change
his quarters TO the White House, and
who did not like the prospect
These iobbles would have been glad
enough, perhaps, to reduce the prob
icm TO a simple purchase BUT their
task was lar more difiicult
Members OF Congress, like MEM
Ders OF the British Farllament may
% DIVIDED into two sses,-ieglsla-
tors ana puppets. There are mem
oers VINO 60 to congress, so hamper
ca with Obligations, that II you want
their vote tor anything with politics
or money IN 1t, you have to "see" the
man or corporation who placed them
there. IL may pay u great rail
road TO send a senator or two to
washington, or haii a dozen carpet,
baggors' IT may also -suitlthe veal
tiny corporation 10 leave TO the mem.
| eers who serve III the barren glory of
being pure; as great Jammany often
permits its creatures to veto Tam
many jobs, because il mast have II
respectable candidate, now and then
with whom to 80 before the people.
1t may want it's Mayor to be candi.
date FOR Governor. 1t may be nur-
sing It's Governor into a candidate for
the Presidency. sfsi II
| 1t Is, therefore, not necessary to
believe TINT the kepublican votes for
acquittal were sold for money. 1t
was to Mr.. Geo. II. Pendleton that