Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-04-20
rior and moro numerous than those

Of the grossest corruption have bee
made in the most respectable paper
OF New York against a newly cleo
cd Senator, and the editor an
nounced that the proof was read
whenever called for. Under a
these charges the Senate has re
manned quiet. 1t has not made til
first move looking to an investigs
ton. On the contrary, it seems dc
termined to clothe itself in bras
and face the whole thing down. Flo
example. Harlan was up to hi
eyes in the Indian treaty business
and Pomeroy was with him in rail
road enterprises. The charge
against the men were specifically
made, and the proof was ready
What did the Senate 1t made
Harlan chairman of the Committe,
on Indian Affairs, and Pomeroy
chairman Of the Committe on Rail
roads. .f.-..E d -. IN g IS. .
"But the House repudiated the
whole Indian treaty business, and
the Senate was compelled to sub.
NIT. The House repudiated, on the
ground, as expressed in the most
severe and sweeping language, OF
fraud, and the Senate quietly
swallowed this. The result is the
Senate, in the estimation of people
here, is dishonored body"
Coming from the accredited cor
respondent Of leading Republican
journal, these things are startling.
They are things upon which it
would be well for the people of the
United States, laying aside for the
moment their party prejudices, to
ponder. The correspondent goes
on to show why charges of fraud
cannot be investigated in the Sen
ate. Sitting in the reporters gal
lery, in conversation with a we'll
informed gentleman, the latter be-
gan toshow the reason by pointing
out individual Senators, some of
whom are recognizable:
" There" said he, ais a man who
entered the Senate a poor man, a
few years ago. He is now worth
one million dollars. You can't get
him to investigate charges against
a fellow Senator. There is another
occupying a seat on the right. He
was as poor as a church mouse
when he got into Office. He has
made fortune in five years. He
won't vote for an investigation. You
see that man sitting near the door.
Itcost him $4,000 to be elected
Senator. Ask him to investigate
frauds That man on the right of
the main entrance is the greatest
and biggest rascal here.
Ii he should open his mouth against
any of the corrupt Senators he
would be overwhelmed" And
thus our friend continued, remark
ing, finally, that the Senate, as at
present constituted, will never in
vestigate charges of fraud against
a member. There are good men
and pure men in the Senate, but
they are powerless, or they have
not the courage to face the storm"
Whether the hopes entertained by
the writer of the above that "the
p JESS and the House of Repre-
sentatiVes, and the people, will
see that the Senators who are
known to all men in Washington do
not buy a reelection" are to be re-
allied, is a matter of doubt. The
corruption in Congressis mainly due
TO the fact that single party is in
so Overwhelming q majority in both
that it has no fear of being
called to an account. Absolute
power, such as attaches to party
having more than two thirds ma
iority in both branches of Congress,
and thus able to override the co-or-
dinate legislative department, is in
compatible with integrity. A work
ing minority, capable Of becoming,
in extreme cases, a majority,
is a thing without which there
can be no assurance of aught
but corruption. The war, its
incidents, it's excitements and its
usurpations, have unbalanced the
government, and, until the eQuilib>
rum is restored, robbery will be
the rule, and fair dealing the excep-
ton. And this equilibrium the ma
iority is resolved shall not be re-
stored. The whole process Of re
is with a view to con-
yinue supreme and irresponsible
power in the, hands of those by
whom it is so tlagrantly abused.
The falseSt pretenses are employed
to keep out of both houses men
who have been lawfully elected, and
to let in men who have been unlaw-
fully elected, and all to the end to
continue this corrupt dominion.
Thus, in the Senate, for example,
the misrepresentation are nearly
equal in number to the representa-
tives. Properly classified, the array
is as follows:
Dem. Rep.
R Representative Senators .........9 %
Senators ...-...-.0 6
ROttOn- borough Senator'S -.-......-..0 10
Bogus Senators -...,..-..--.... ...-.-O IL