The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-29

Butler, who do not, however, make insolent
advertisement of their delinquency, and use
it as a means of parading their personal con-
sequence. John Fox, of New York, has been
spending much of his time in Albany, giving
his assistance to the Young Democracy, when
he should be attending TO his duties in Con-
gress. Judge Noah Davis is one Of the
counsel in the Mcfarland murder trial, and
has not been in his seat for weeks The list
could be greatly extended, but these are the
most fragrant instances of absenteeism. The
evil demands remedy in the election of mem
bers who do esteem the business of the
country of more importance than their private
business, their pleasure, or their intrigues. In
England, in the House of Commons, each
party has its 'whipper in, who sees that on
all important questions there is full attend
ance Of members. But in Congress, with an adj
ministration party having no fixed policy,
and with an opposition having no organiza-
tion, q whipper in would be of little service.
After mastering his forces, he would fire.
quently be dismayed by finding many of
them marching into the camp OF the enemy.
In England there is some excuse for alb
senteeism, in the fact that the members re-
ceive no pay for their services TO the public.
But our members of Congress have fixed their
salaries at the snug sum of six thousand a
year, with mileage, franking privilege, sta
tionery, newspapers etc, with the additional
opportunity of spending the summer vaca-
tions in iunketing about the country on some
rambling committee pretending TO make in
vestigations into one thing or another. They
intrigue, cog and sweat to get possession of
their seats, and having once obtained Them
they should keep them long enough to trans
act the business entrusted to them, and
avoid the disgrace of appearing on the floor
under the charge of the Sergeant-at-Arms.
THE CHARGE AGAINST SENATOR KERR.
From the Lancaster Express.
The Examiner accepts the story of the
Philadelphia Sunday papers about Senator
Kerr as an established and undoubted fact,
and wants to know what the EJpTesS has to
say about the exposure of one of its "pet
lambs. In the first place, before positively
making up our minds that the charge of
bribery is true, as related, we would like
some better preof than newspaper article
| which does not furnish any authority for its
statement. We would at least wait until
there is time for Mr.. Kerr to be heard from
and explain the suspicious circumstances,
before assuming as an unquestionable fact
that he is guilty. We recollect that only O
few weeks ago the Examiner published an
| editorial statement to the effect that the
| Legislature and Governor had been bribed tC
favor the Border Raid Claim bill, and that il
would certainly become law unless the
people rose en- 0dSSe and drove the whole
party into the Susquehanna Subsequent
events seemed to prove that this was not
case of bribery but of slander-that the Gov
ernor and Legislature were innocent, bu
that the ErdnSner was guilty of gross anC
scandalous libel, and which, by the way, i
has never yet retracted. How can we know
at present whether there is any better GROUND
for the charge of bribery against MIR. Ker
than for the similar one against Geary an(
the whole Legislature?
In the second place, the insinuation tina
Senator Kerr is or has been in any sense
''pet" of the ErpresS is as mean as it il
groundless; for the EgaNS1aer must know tina
we have never uttered word in his favor o.
given him any special endorsement whatever
1t is true that he voted against Mackey fo
State Treasurer, and he has doubtless giveI
many other votes which we in common will
the Eraniner and all other Republicans cal
approve, but it will hardly be contended tina
this makes the EgpreSS, any more than tn
EGdnineT, responsible for any and every dis
honest act he may have subsequently com
mitted.
Let it be once established on evidence en-
titled to credit that this charge of the Sunda,
papers is true, and our readers will not hav
to wait long before knowing what opinion tn
EapreSS has upon the subject. We have no
been accustomed to dealing out or withhold
ing censure and condemnation against publ
officers who prove dishonest and false, &C
cording as they profess to belong to our part
or otherwise, or to this or that subdivision
and our neighbor may depend upon it tina
we are not going to begin to follow his ex
ample in that respect at this late day.
WHISKY, WINE, ETO.