, 1873-02-27

csst aside and that provision be made for IN
honest and fair election.
1
! P0MEROY'g Last.
The attempts Of the various Congressman,
from the consequences OF their acts, seem to
grow thinner and weaker as each fresh attempt
is made. Mr. Colfa1's jump from tha frying
pau into the fire, is fresh in the public memory.
| The lachrymose Harlan, who wept when he
| found Durant's checks in his pocket, sought to
explain. And now comes Pomeroy, who has re-
joiced in the cognomen OF old Subsidy these
dozen years or more. aud upon his honor as q
| Senator (whateTer that may amount to) would
hare us believe that he did not offer Mr..
York $1,000 for his vote. On the other
hand, he tells pleasant little story, which is
admirably calculated to convince Gen. o. o.
Howard and Brother Harlan that he is not guilty
OF bribery, but which will tail to make any i'm
pression upon any one else. In the language Of
the street, it is sstoo thin" The substance Of
Mr. Pomeroy'a yarn ia, that he had friend, ia
Page, who was about to start National Bank ut
Independence, and, being desirous OF assisting
him. he borrowed 5000 OF the Second National
Bank Of Topeka, and put it in his valiso, ead
that 3 few days afterward, when Mr. York called
at his room, he gave it to him to
take to Mr. Page. This is \ pretty
little story. It is we'll put together,
Ia plausible, and would undoubtedly create "a
favn-eh1o i,nprous;op +ovar3a Mr. por,e-oo =,
the Absence Of countervai1ing testimony. In
the first place, however, it must be remembered
that Mr. Pomeroy does not make this statement
upon oath, but upon the suspicious basis Of his
honor as senator,-a security Of no ascertaina-
Bile va1ue in any market, The first obstacle
which it meets is the plump dsnial Of the whole
story by A1r. York, whose word is, at least,
equally trustworthy with that Of MIR. Pomeroy,
and who certainly 1na5 be supposed to know
whether he took the money for Page, or whether
any money mas given to him for that purpose.
Thus far, the statement OF Mr. Pomeroy is but
plain affirmation met by an equally plain denial
from Mr. York, whose honor as member of the
Kansas Senate is just as valuable, for pn1-
poses OF this kind, Is the honor Of
member Of the United States Senate. Thus
far, therefore, Mr. Pomeroy has proved moth
ing, and, if his case could remain in this shape,
he might always have the benefit Of such doubt
as might arise from the comparative value Of his
honor as United States Senator against the
honor Of Mr. York as State Senator, but un-
fortunately for his case there are other circum-
stancea which initiate against the theory Of his
innocence. |
In the first place, Mr. Pomeroy's conduct,
when the announcement Of Yo1k's exposure was |
made to him, WAS that Of guilty man- He was |
sitting in his hotel at the time, and, when a |
friend told him OF what had occurred, he sud- |
denly started as it be had been struck, gave
, long whistle Of surprise, then dropped his |
chin into his hands, with his eyes fastened upon
The floor, and remained in this meditative po~
aition about two hours. During this time
note Was brought to him, saying that if he would
deny Mr. York's statement in writing his friends
would stiu make fight for him in the Legiela-
;ure, but he answered not. His face grew flushed
md pallid by turns and finally became half red
Ind haH white, and, at last, great drops of sweat
stood upon his forehead For forty~oight hours
ID neither a1ept, ate, nor drank. Public feeling
n Topeka Was 80 bitter against him that it was
cared he might be mobbed, and a guard wns
placed at the door OF. his room. His friends
gave out that he was delrio1s, and that he could
lot live but short time, and in this man
Ter sought to manufacture sympathy for
lin, in the midst OF all which he
'uadenly left for Washington Is this the man
Ter in which an honest man would have acted
Does the consciousness OF innocence invest 4
nan with all the physical and moral effects Of
,uilt, and paint them upon his countenance in
uch unmistakable characters7 # he had been
IN occult Of this Charge OF bribery, would he not
lave exhibited the calmness Of innocence, firmly
nd perhaps indignantly repe1led The charge, and
t once have stamped out the accusation,
y showing then and there the object
nd destination Of the money which he had
ivan to York : What WIS passing through
is mind during the two hours in which he aat
18th his eyes fastened upon the floor Was he
oncocting this story Of the Independence Na-
onal Bank at that time?
In addition to Mr. York's denial OF tho whole
Tory, and to Pomeroy's own conduct ut the
me, which had not the semblance OF innocence
it, but, On the other hand, e7ery symptom OF
10 most positive guilt, and the utter i'm
OF the story, Mr. Pomeroy's general
eputation must b taken into account. His
o]itical record tor the past fifteen years adds
eavi1y to the weight Of circumstantial evidence
gatnst him. There ia no feature Of the story
hich viii bear investigation, and, for all Mr.
omeroy has yet offered to the contrary, tho
barge remains unanswered,