Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-03-28
WHY SENATOR CLAYTON WAS NOT
EXPELLED.

fDOSl.
WHY SENATOR CLAYTON WAS NOT
EXPELLED.
The Cincinnati Gazette, chronicling the
resignation of Senator Caldwell, to avoid
expulsion, says, Thus Caldwell stands
before the country convicted of bribery,
and the Senate has shown determination
to purge ITSELF" In another column of the
same issue, the Gazette exultipgly exclsims,
"Clayton's turn has come p The paper
containing these statements had not
reached all of its readers in Ohio before the
Senate fell from its determination-if the
majority ever entertained the thought-of
purging itself, and whitewashed one of its
worst, most corrupt members. We allude
to Powell Clayton, of Arkansas. We take
the statement of the Washington cores
pondent of the Gazette to sustain this seri-
Gus chsrge against Clayton. He writes,
under date of March "a, as follows:
"The Senator'S have not studied the Clay
ton case, and this, with general desire to
close the session, seems likely to prevent a
thorough consideration ct the case. Clay
toms supporters are working to force action,
and Clayton himself is demanding it, in the
hope that time will not allow full exami-
nation. Some of those who voted to take
it up believe the Senate can be held till
enough has been printed to make a
thorougi debate ne cessary. Senator Nor
rill has really had little to do with the case,
and in reality it comes before the Senate
with the report of Mr.. Wright generating
CLAYTON, and an exhaustive review of the
testimony by Norwood, with report strong
ly condemning Clayton. One of the charg-
es against Clayton is that at his first cleo
ton as Senator be secured the votes of
Democrats in the Legislature by agree
ing to give certificate of election to
Congress to Edwards (Dem.) though
Bates (Rep) was clearly elected. This
question came up last session in the House
Committee on Elections, and that commit
tee made record of the fact, though as it
involved member Of the other house, they
did not report that Clayton had given
certificate TO Edwards in face of all the law,
and when the fact Of Bates legal election
could not be questioned. Both the MAORI
ty and minority of the Senate committee,
however, hold that, as be did not calculate
to take his seat in the Senate, the election
matter could not be examined now"
The other charges against him, which
the Senate is to pass on, are
81. That being under the pledge, publicly
aid privately made to his political friends,
that, if elected United States Senator, he
would not leave the governorship in the
hands of Lieut.. Gov. johnson, COnserva-
tive, he instituted through bis friends and
supporters proceeding by quo waTranto
to depose Johnson from Office, in order to
clear the way to the Senate.
go. That being elected Senator while q
quo warranto was pending, when that was
decided in favor of johnson, be resigned
the senatorship, and aferward secured his
reelection by inducing Z. j. T. White,
Secretary of State, in consideration Of
large sum of money, to resign, and inducing
johnson to take Whites place.
"3. That he procured the votes of many
members of the Legislature in support of
himself forthe Senate, by paying money, by
the appointment of themselves and friends
to lucrative offices, by granting to them and
their friends State aid to railroads, in which
they and their friends were interested.
W. VI l1C CPJAb
that the charges are no. sustained. Mr..
Norwood contends that they are abundant
" proved. The majority of the committee
find and report that White did receive
through Dayton five thousand dollars in
money and twenty-five thousand in rail
road bonds, and that the payment was TO
indemnify him for loss on account of his
resignation. But the majority do not .hink
the evidence direct en- ugh, that this was
part of corrupt agreement, touching the
Senatorial election. The testimony con-
tains list of twenty-five members of the
Legislature, and nearly half the number
voting for him wele Immediately appointed
to lucrative State offices by an understand
ing between Clayton and friend of his,
who succeeded him as Governor. Another
part of the testimony involves the new Sen
ator from Arkansas by the statement that
Mr.. Dorsey, while Clayton was Governor,
paid $4,000 to Bennett, one Of the Su-
preme Judges of Arkansas, for his influence
with Clayton for certain railroad bills"
This statement offacts shows that Clay.
ton is corrupt man, and utterly unfit to
be member of the United States Senate
as that body was once regarded and once
held itself. Now that he has been white
washed By the partisans of the Grant ad-
ministration, the question naturally sug-
gests itself, why was it done? The WASH
ington correspondent of The Cincinnati
Commercial predicted the day before the
vote was taken that Clayton would be ex-
onerated, and here is his reason for this
prediction: Gan element that enters into
this case is the fact that Arkansas now has
Democratic Legislature, and if Clayton is
turned out he will be succeeded by Dem
ocrat. 1t is anticipated that the vote in
this case will be strictly partisan. Those
who base carefully and impartially
read the evidence say that the only dis
tinction between Caldwell and Clayton is
that while the former paid money for votes,
the latter traded and bargained offices with
the members of the Legislature for their
suffrages." There seems to be little doubt
that If the Legislature of Arkansas had
been Republican, Clayton would have been
made to walk the plank, either by resign
ing, as Caldwell did, or by being expelled.
But rather than have Democratic Senator
from Arkansas, the Republican majority
of the Senate chose to retain Powell Clay
ton, who secured his election by means as
corrupt and infamous as did Alex. Cald-
well, Of Kansas.