The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1874-05-21
The Impeachment.

l0c Cidtc Scudtc met last Ncck, Is u SOuEt VI
Impeachment. The resignation of Hayes was
announced, and the Comn;tte on the part of the
House stated that they should not proceed
with the cnse; but the Senate suspected that all
was not right, and refused to adjourn until after
the new Treasurer hal filed his bond aud re-
ceipted for the State funds; and they also order
ed that the evidence taken in New York, and the
report on the Price Raid Scrip, be published as
part OF The proceedings of the Senate
We notice thar tremendous hullabaloo was
raised and kept mp against the Senate, by num-
Der of the leading papers, from the time it met
until after it adjourned. One would think the
Senators had rendered themselves liable to i'm
Peachmenf, by meeting as the law required them
TO do. They certainly had good ground to sus-
pect some trickery that it was desirable to cover
up, when this noise aud dust raised in adj
vance Of their meeting, and kept mp the whole
fime-and not the least of it over their resolve
to let the people know what evidence was OBJ
tanned against the Treasurer.
We do not suppose any person desires that
Col. Hayes be punished, if the State has lost
nothing through his transactions Bat this does
not alter the fact that the Senate was III the
right. On points oflaw, We are always distrust-
fnl of our own opinion; but we have an opinion
on this question, we understand II. The
House of Representatives as required by law, by
vote, preferred articles of impeachment against
the State Treasurer, and appointed comittee TO
prosecute the charges before the Senate; and the
Senate fixed upon a day to meet as a Court
Now, it looks to us thongh that Committee had
no right or authority 10 do anything bnt carry
out the purpose for which they were appointed
They were not acting for themselves, but under
orders of the House of Representatives. The
House of Representatives gave them no author
ity to enter into a private agreement with the
State Treasurer, pledging themselves that if lie
would resign they would not perform the duty
required of them by the law, especially after oh
tanning sufficient testimony to convict him. If
discussed the question whether Hays could es-
cape by tie dodge of resignng, and decided that
he could not. The Committee, then went square
ly back upon their plain and imperative duty. and
took it into their own hands to thwart the OK
press commands of the House of Representatives.
Here, then, is what see: The State Treas
urer and his Clerk put defiant front, throw
ing every obstacle in the way of an investigation
Of the affairs of the Treasury, until evidence
obtained which would undoubtedly convict him.
Then the Committee commence shystering with
him, saying: Here, we have the evidence con.
victing you of high crimes and mislemeauors,
and it is our duty to prosecute you. But if .you
will resign your office, pledge ourselves not to
10 what the law and the evidence require us TO
10, but to suppress the facts and the testimony,
and cover everything mp nicely" Then the
Treasurer sends in his resignation TO the Govern
,r, and the Governor can't find any authority by
which he can refuse to accept it. A successor is
appointed, as previously cohcocted, who does
rot appear to give bond until the day the Senate
meets; and if it had quietly dissolved without
showing any backbone, as had been expected, |
he Lord only knows whether he would ever
lsve given bond or not, or whether Hayes would |
rot have remained Treasurer. Can a man under |
harges of high crimes and misdemeanors escape |
~ simply resigRng the Office in which the crimes |
we're committed! Is there any organization or
ociety in existence, in which such acreeping- |
mt place is tolerated. Not one. criminal |
1t the bar cannot escape by resigning!
When the Senate met, and insisted upon per-
forming its lawful duty, and refused to listen to
iimsy excuses, the Committee commenced expos |
tulating: "Oh. we pledged our words to Hayes, |
that if he would resign, we would not prosecute |
the casew Then the papers threw more mud, |
md abused the Senate for everything mean
hey wanted to squander the peoples money,
md all that; and even the resolution to publish
he testimony, is denounced a useless spending
# money.
Now, the public cannot believe otherwise than
hat there has been regular system of rascality
arred on in the Treasurer's Office, which is being
overed up and concealed by the joint conniv-
nee and shystering of the Governor, the Treas
rer, and the Committee appointed to prosecute
he impeachment. And to-day the people do not
,now the condition of their State treasury
ScurrRz AtuIcury-One of opr Ca-,,,r .,b |