White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1872-02-29


WHITE CLOUD, KANSAS:
Thursday, t::: February 20, 1879.
EAitorial CorresponAence.
TorxKA, FEBRUARY 26, 1872.
We have Git is to be hoped) entered upon tho
last week Of the session. The fifty daysfor which
the members rsceive pay will expire on Tuesday;
but it is pretty evident the adjournment VIII not
take place until the latter part of the week; 70
that some of the members may be caught on the
road over Sunday, il they happen to miss eonnee-
tions. Tho work will not be completed by that
time-for the more bills that are passed, the lar
Ger the Houss, Calendar becomes-but the pripei-
Die work of Importance will be finished, and the
balance of the bills will be left to rot the BUSH
-.
The bill known as the Herd Law hss passed
both Houses, and is ready for the Governors sg-
nature.
Tho original bill providing for tho semi-annual
payment of taxes, has failed TO passi but We
learn that the House has for oon0deration sab
stitute, not yet acted upon.
Tho Apportionment still hangs fire, and the
chances are that there viii be no apportionment
st this session, leaving our three members to be
elected BY the State at largo. The majority COM
bination in the House seem determined to agree
70 nothing but their pet scheme; and the Senate
il not disposed to do gross injustice to number
of the most populous Counties in the State, for
the doubtful purpose of ponning up al the lead
ing politicians in one District.
A bill has been introduced, re-organizing tho
Judicial Districts and reducing the number to
eleven. If it passes, the salaries of the Judges
will probably be increased. The idea seems to
be, to get good material for Judges, then to give
them more work and better pay.
The Joint Investigating Committee on Corrup-
ton has at length reported. They are very eu,-
phatic in expressing their belief that POMERoY
and Caldwell bought their seats in the Senate,
and that CLARKE tried to do 90. The testimony
has not yet been read before the Legislature, but
it ID understood to consist of huge mass of hear
say, surmises, and circumstantial evidence, fall
ing to prove positively that single vote was
bought by CALDwELL-the only positive proof
being against CLARKE. Yet, before hearing the
evidence, large number of the members of the
House were keen to vote for q resolution asking
the United States Senate to expell CALDWELL
Such resolution, however, failed to pass; and it
yet remains to be seen what action the Legisla-
ture will take. Our opinion is, that the business
will react in favor of those whom it is designed
to injure. The tone of the report of the Commit
tee is SO clearly indicative, and is poorly
tanned by the accompanying evidence, that the
bolt will fall short of the work.
A little matter has come to light in this inves-
tigation, that looks scaly to man up a tree.
When the resolution to investigate was first in
troduced, three members of the Senate were most
vociferous i'm their assertions that CALDWELL had
secured his position by the corrupt use of money
they knew it, and could prove it. These three
men were constituted the Committee of investi-
cation, the part of the Senate. The Commit
tee sat with closed doors, and the utmost secrecy
was observed in their proceedings. While this
was going on, gentleman from another part Of
the State visited Topeka, and put up at the Tefft
House. He happened to get room adjoining one
occupied by SIDNEY CLARKE and some of his
friends. There was door connecting these two
rooms, which closed very imperfectly, leaving a
considerable crack; and the gentleman's bed was
placed close to this door. One night, when the
gentleman was in bed, he heard q conversation
going on between CLARKE and his friends. They
had q witness closeted with them who had been
summoned to testify before the Committee. They
were explaining to him what this, that, and the
other witness had sworn to, and were instructing
him what to swear to, to rebut and clear up 9th
or testimony. Presently there entered one of
these noisy and incorruptible members of the
Committee on the part of the Senate The Com
mittee had just closed its night session, and he
proceeded to give CLARKE full account of what
the different witnesses examined had sworn to-
All the while, the listner lay there, suppressing
oil temptations to cough, sneeze, and other natu-
rai outbreaks Of his generous nature greatly to
his personal discomfort lest the least noise should
betray him, and spoil the fun! And this game
had been going on regularly-that sworn men,
bers of secret Committee regularly keeping
CLARKE posted on the testimony, to enable him
to trump up and suborn witnesses to counteract
any testimony damaging to himself And this
was the plea upon which the investigation was
commenced and carried through 1t is UNDER
stood that the foregoing facts have found their
way into the testimony, and will be published
with it.
The 2sd was . big day for Topeka On that
day, the Reunion of Kan.as soldiers took place,
and veterans were here from all parts of the State
1t was the largest crowd we have ever seen in
storytelling, and merry making generally, and |
Kept 1t mp until a late hour of the night. There
were present representatives of almost every
army corps that fought during the rebellion, who
have settled in Kansas from all over the Union.
since the close of the war.
Ihe state Convention, at Lawrence, on the 2lst,
was very fully attended-but two or three Conn
ties not being represented. 1t was thought by |
many, that the Convention was called two
months too early in the season, when but few |
persons would pay attention to the primary meet
ings. Then, there is some complaint of the class
Of men who tried to run the Convention, and some |
because an able delegation, upon
the whole, was not chosen. But it is pretty Ger. |
lain that the delegation would have been strong
y for GRANT, no matter how composed or whom
appointed; % that it is well enough as it is.
On Saturday evening, Hon. MARCUS J. PAR
tOrr delivered an address, in Representatives
Hall. on his hobby of Commercial Politics"
'ARRorTs wsll-known ability and eloquence al
Ways command good audience in Kansas; but
<hot h. &.