Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1873-01-30
WHOLE NO. 1892
Will Congress Sweep Out its Own
Halls?

Halls?
From time to time for many year
past the two Houses of Congress have
employed themselves in the work of
inquiring into the offences Of indivi-
duals outside of thcm halls. AS q
general rule, though their committees
when Jealous in prosecuting these
investigations, they encountered a
good deal of difficulty in reaching sat.
isfactory conclusions.
| Of late, yielding to the demands Of
public opinion and the public press,
the two Houses have been inqniring
into the offences and follies of their
own members. We have nothing to
say about the zeal with which those
investigations are conducted, but GER
tainly the contradictory statement Of
the implicated Senators and Represen-
tatives, and the astonishing infrmity
of some of their memories, tend to
show that Congress will meet with
more difficulty in cleansing its own
chambers than it ever encountered in
scrubbing those of 0 her people
The Senate especially seems likely
to have its hands full if it seriously
enters upon the task Of purifying the
north wing of the Capitol. Indeed
it has shrunk from putting the probe
into some of the ulcers Fer example,
there is the very fetid case Of CLAY
TON Of Arkansas, who got into the
Senate by means of one of the most
corrupt transactions on record. But
nobody presumes to disturb him in
his cushioned chair, for he is a favorite
at the White House.
The case of CALDWELL Of Kansas,
charged with obtaining his election by
bribery, is before committee of the
Senate. Of course it is extremely
difficult to draw the facts from those
who, directly and indirectly, pocketed
} Caldwell's money: but his parther has
been compelled to make some damling
disclosures. Gov. Carney was q com
petitor for the Senatorial seat, whom
Caldwell deemed it absolutely neses-
sary to get out of his way. CaldwelIs
partner undertook the negotiation, and
finally succeeded in clearing the track
of Carney by paying him bonus Of
$4,000, and $1,000 more for the
money he had expended in carrying
on the campaign in the Legislature
down to the time he sold out. The
testimony thus far tends to establish
the charge that Caldwell's election to
the Senate cost him S75, though
much of the evidence is drawn from
the mouths of witnesses who writhe
and twist as if under the haads Of a
dentist.
Then there is the case Of Patterson
of South Carolina. lie was arrested
for bribery on the evening Of the day
he was elected to the Senate. 1t was
supposed that his prosecutors had
been overlooked in the distribution of
good things during the canvass and
had struck for their share. AT all
events Patterson felt that he was
struck, and he knew who had struck
him, and like wary Pennsylvania
of the old Cameronian school he made
his peace with his assailants. The
result was that when the matter came
before the Justice nobody appeared to
prosecute, whereupon the magistrate
dismissed the case, pronounced a
eulogium upon the virtuous Patterson,
the motley crowd of legislators in at
} tendance greeting him with cheers.
Perhaps the Louisiana case ill the
most interesting Of all. 1t will be re-
membered that Pinchback stated to
the Senate three weeks ago that War
moth visited him the night before
,, and offered him S50,0OO in cash and
full swing at the State patronage if
he would cooperate with the Fusion
lists in the organization of the Legis-
lature; that he slept upon the offer,
and in the morning rejected it. There
was no proof Of this statement except
= Pinchback's declaration: but as it
I was notorious that Warmoth had
+ bought and paid for him on two or
three previous occasions, the public
accepted it as substantially true, but
with the important addition that be-
tween the hour when Warmoth offer
ed him the $4,000 and the hour
when he declined it, the slippery
. Pinchback had gone to the kellogg
side OF the combatants, and in consl-
deration of the United States Senator
ship had sold out to them. And now
comes the report that the bogus Legis
lature has ratified the bargain by send
: ing Pinchback to the Senate Should
he reach that body his success will be
a fresh illustration Of the length to
; which brazen effrontery will carry an
, unscrupulous beneficiary Of the Fif-
| teenth Amendment.
Well, when Clayton, Caldwell, Pat
terson, and Pinchback all get INTO the
Senate chamber, the people will be
!. interested in watching to see how long
they will be allowed to remain there.
! We are sorry to say that we shall be
agreeably surprised to see any OF them
expelled.-N Y Sm.
G Freedom Of Knowledge.