The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1872-03-22
TIE CHARGES AGAINST OUR SENAs
TORS. --z.t
Proceedings in the Senate

II tor from Kansas desires to make
personal statement brief IN its cha
81 Or acter. Isl there objectiOn?' TT
3, Chair hears none. -
Mr.. CALDWELL. Mr.. Presiden
the Senate and the country are a
:. yised OF the fact that the Legisl
a a ture Of Kaneas, which has recent
"a adjourned, has been engaged in Il
tnyestigatiQp Of bribery And 100
ruPtfon IN the senatorial election
5. Of Rsf1 sod }S7A preferred again
Z my colIBaGne and myself. It
8 quite as well understood, Il SHppos
{ hat thit piece Sink iha ban er
, tIrely &c p0Tte. A committee {
:. the 1seRislatpre bas pGde5tA,repor
\ and that report has been widely OH
: culated.I 1IhAYe Aot yet seen tn
so-called testimony" but haV
2 positive assurance that Il - not pre-
that any member of the Legislatur
!. OF 1871 WA tribea to vote for me
2 1 Mt. Presideak this eYspeTte re
fpoft, fhstiga.ed BY malice ana de
signed TO Observe. q political pur
pose, has received no legisiativ
sanction. The Senate OF my Stat
4 kcAA4SSlAI ESANaSN- OEOA+ - gBAG~t ~
1 report and testimony here for tn,
House as pointedly { refused to re
quest this body to order an investi
cation. Indeed, the pretended s.tes'
timony" has not yet been printed
and sdiitA was :psgsE ESeadE in eithei
But sir, in matter of this kind
am not disposed to etand upon
forms. My character has been IN,
4 justly, cruelty, outrageously assail'
ed, The foulest scandals of the
street have been gathered up and
La[atteHed brood 1a4, oyer the Veoun.
try. simply desire to say to the
Senate now that I shrink from no
scrutiny. SiR,JI hurl back these
charges, with scorn and indignation,
and 4 have uothing but contempt
for the mean, mercenAry, and des-
picable motives which prompted
them. No living man can confront
me and ssY that ! have ever done
aught to warrant these assaults.
Mr.. President,I make these re-
marks now because nv silence
might be misconstrued. When this
report and testimony shall have
been received, / shall promptly
bring It to the attention of the SEN
ate, and shall ask such action az may
be necessary and proper. At some
future time also / shall claim the in
diligence of the Senate to enable
me to expose this outrage as it. de-
serves. Until that time think it
not too much 10 ask that i shall not
be judged upon . malicious report,
prepared by men who are my bitter
enemies, which, i am given to I'M
dcrstand, finds little justification
even in the heersay evidence GOlleO-
ted, and which Is notoriously, de-
signed for use IN political CAM
paign nowsimminent In my State.
This, Mr. President, is all that ]
deem it proper for me to say ct TINS
time. ] have much to say, however,
in vindication of myself upon this
subject, which, az l have already
stated ! shall take the earliest OPP
poft0hity chat Is offered Of doing.
Mr.. PoMERoY. Lest my silence
might be misconstrued, I desire,
Mr.. presidents, to say that I have
been waiting some time for some
communication from the Legisla.
tnFe of my State. 4 ask the Vice
President II he hRs received amy, AA
there was q notice that something
was to be sent TO the Vice Presi-
dent?
The VICE PREsIDEAT. The Chair
has received nothing from the Leg
lslature of Kansas, or from any Of
ficer of the State of Kansas, in re-
gard to either of the two Senators.
Mr.. PolfERof. Then Twill say
nothing in regard to the merits of
this question,as it relates to polit-
ical controversy in my own State
but I will ask for the adoption of
the following resolution:
Resolved, That all papers and
communications relating to the
election OF Senators in the State of
Kansas in the years 1867 and 1871
be : referred to the' Committee
on Privileges ana Elections, and
that they be directed to report to
the Senate after examination what
action, if any, should be taken by
the Senators from that State in re-
lation thereto, or by the Senate. p.
The YIUE PREsIpEGT. Is9 theirs
objection to the present considera-
ton of this resolution?
Mr.. Cole. There are no papers
here yet.
Mr.. PoAERoY.) Yesj IhaVe some
papers to present if the resolution
should be adopted. ! have hore all
that has appeared in the newspa-
pers on the subject. ] have got the
report OF the committee OF the Leg
islature as published in the newspa-
pers and as sent to me.
The VICE PRESIDENT. The Chair
must first ascertain If there is objec-
ton to the present confederation of
the resolution. If there is none, it
is before the Senate by unanimous
consent, - tNAgrR
Mr.. THURMAN. l only wish to
make this suggestion to the mover
bof the resolution, that he strike out
that part Of it which asks the COM
mittee to advise the Senators what
they ought to do. The committee
can advise the Senate what In the
opinion of the committee it ought
to do, but it is no part of the pro-
vince of that committee to advise
Senators what they ought to do.
Mr.. PoMERoY. This is q matter
personal TO myself and my COLI
league, and i thopght-- L5ooI III
Mr.. THURMAN. I appreciate the
motive, but really it would not be
proper,
| Mr.. PoMERoY. l know II would
be a relief to me if the COMMITTEES
were to advice ne on the subject.
Mr.. THURMAN. 1t would be an
4 improper precedent. The commit
tee cannot take the character of the
! Senator in charge and advise him
1 what to do or what not to do. II
can only advise the Senate what to
i do. / suggest, therefore, that it is
not only an unusual, but an unprs.
cedented thing.
i Mr.. PoNERoY. If it will make il
any more palatable to my friend, j
have mot the least bjecti0n to strik'
ling out that portion of the resolu
ton.
1 Mr.. THURMAN. hope it will b
stricken, ont. ..f..fa sE
/, The VICE PRESIDENT. The SenaI
tor from Ohio moves to amend the
resolution so as to provide that thu
committee. gshall report "whatv &C
ton ahonld be taken by The Senat'
in relation thereto"
i Mr.. PoMERoY. have no obiec
Il ton to that amendment.
The amendment was agreed to.
The VICE PRESIDENT. The Ques
. ton is on the resolution as modi
The resolution as Annodiaea va va
9 adopted.
Mr.. PoMERoY. I now present
: newspaper which has been sent I
me, marked, the LeAVenworth Dali
!, Times, in which there is q repoI
: signed by the committee of the Leg
: islature which ! desire TO have re
: fferred 20 this committee. ] knot
y lie IL somewhat informal -Fets
II nything of this kind TO. q commil
fteeS bas my object Is, to refer eyerS
!! fhing ] can get. 1want the matte
Z fully and fairly Investigated. and &
: thiseis. tho only eAmnuhEeat50n
can lind on the subject, ] ask It