The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1873-01-23

LOst.
Mr.. Buchan moved that when the House
adjourn it b until Tuesday, II 10 q. N.
Adopted.
The Hou.e refused 10 sdjnrn, and Mr.,
D. n. Adams moved that the billb introduced |
be read secoad tune and referred, which |
motion prevailed.
By consent Mr.. Curtin introduced 81. r. |
No. 36. an act to create the Fifteeath judi
cisl district, and provide for judge thereof
and for holding the the terms Of court
therein.
The clerk proceeded With the reading Of
the foregoing bills Q second time during
which the Aouse adiourned.
The Caldwell Iovess1Gasioa-
From the Chicass Tfibane. Jas. L.
The Caldwell bribery Investigation, now
pending before the Senate Committee on
Privileges and EIections brings up afresh
the report of the Joint Committee Of the
Kansas Legislature made about q year ago
ON the subject of the corrupt practices At
teading the election Of Mr.. Caldwell to The
Senate in 1871, and upon which The present
Senatorial investigation is based. The ALE
gallons of corruption made in that report are
fully substaniiated BY the evidence already
taken. The only difference between them il
that the evidence givess. the details Of
specific acts which we're stated generally in
the Legislative Report. The Report stated
the broad fact that At: the election both Of
Poneroy and Caldwell = larse. sum Of mon
ey was used. and attempted to be used in
bribing member of the: lesislature to vote
for them. With reference to Caldwell, Who
is alone directly affected BY the pending in
| vestigatiop, the Legislative Report alleged
substantially that Mr.. Caid yell, in tie car
vass, had, among other Friends, Len. T..
Smith, james L. :McDowell, and Thomas
Carney; that Caldwell promised Mcdowell
the Leaven~orth Post Ofice, then held BY .
soldiers widow; that smith gave Carney =
check for 81 900 two days before the election
and that . draft of $4,000 on
the Kansas Pacific Railway Company was
cashed about the same time. The report
further alleged that Caldwell claimed the
Company promised to give him $50. 900 as
its share towards the expenses of hs election,
as bonus for his influence a. Senator, and
that Caldwell importuned the Company for
this money, AMI, after considerable trouble,
obtained il, and expended it on the Legis-
lzture; that Smith alone psid out $2O, 900 to
members OF the Legislature, upon the prom
Use that it should be refunded to him BY
Caldwell; that Caldwell Promised Federal
appointments, right and left, and, alter his
election, declared that it had cost him
SEQ, 900; and that he offered to pay Clarke
expenses, in case Clarke would withdraw.
| Upon this general showing, the Legislative
Committee framed its Indictment, declaring
that alexander Caldwell used bribery
and other corrupt and criminal
means, by himself and his friends, with
his full knowledge and consent, to secure hi.
election in 1871 to the United Staiee Senate. "
| This report was submitted last February,
and, meanwhile, nearly year has elapsed
before the accused party il brought to trial
The time has been improved BY Caldwell
and his friends in staving Oft its presentation
to the Senate, and consequent action upon it,
and Tying 10 blunt its force by every arti6ce
known to corrupt politicians bu, justice,
although II has operated very slowly, IL none
the less complete, and the truth al the reve-
lations made BY the Legislative Committee
has been completely vindicAted already.
The general allegations of corruption made
in that Report are given in detail in the evi.
dence before the Senatorial Committee. We
are now informed not only that gross sum
of money was expended upon the Legisls.
ture to secure Caldwelps election, but We
learn also how much wssgiventO each men,
Der, who got the money. and this. with 50
much de6niteness that il il not difficult to
establish q regular market price of the COS:
of members Of the Kansas Legislature, when
Senatorial election ia up for sale. The
testimony Of Judge Sprisgs, formerly State
Treasurer Of Kaness, shows that the
prices of members ranged all the way from
$500 to 81, 600, according to their respective
degree of cupidiiy. Some men sold their
votes for a mere mess of po,tage, hut the
most of them would sc0rn to deliver their
votes for less than 81. 600 per capita. Some
times member would ask the outside price
Of So, 600, but a champagne supper and .
little moral suasion always brought him
down to reasonable terms. There were come
| high-tOned individuals, who would not sell
their votes outright for money, but had no
scruples to accept wine suppers and other
little considerations of festive nature. One
friend Of CaldwelPs went into . speculation
to buy votes for 81 700 each, that u, be was
10 have 81, 700 for each vote he bought, and
might make all the profit be could. lie
made very good thing out of il, ms at one
time he had thirtern members for sale.
The allegations in the Legislative Report,
that the Kansas Pacific Railroad Company
had used money to secure Caldwel,'s election,
are confirmed BY the testimony Of 7. J. An
derson. the agent Of the Company, who ad-
mitted the fact before the Committee.
/ the indictment are fully sustained, and the
| testimony sbows that rolitics in K.nsas ,re
| rotten TO the core. Even the most cOrrupt
Garnet. bappers in the South are quite out.
done, and can show no such disgraceful
record al that which attended the election Of
Caldwell in 1871. The c,untry will now
| wait with some Impotence TO see whether
the Senate will vindica.e its reputation, with
30 clesr case Of corruption before it, BY ex.
polling the guilty parties from their seats
There is no better time for action upon these
bribery cases, whether they involve elections,
Credit Mobilier, or what not, than now.
| The public is in the right temper to see .
f.w er,mole, made and II v;li he q GOOD