The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-06-04

Ws''N"NF
One Of the men who came TO the surface
nc the close OF The war was Mr.. George r..
Spencer Since July %. lsGs, he has set
Ia the United States Senate as Senator
from the State OF Alabama. There i now
some evidence that this statesmen obtained
his election in an irregular fashion. The
story runs that some men were bought
with money and some were scared with
troops Money and troops were both
frsudulently supplied by civil snboriin-
atA of the General Government The
ways and means OF the first election OF
Mr.. Spencer have not Yet appeared, but
can be imagined. particularly in the light
of the revelations before committee q
the Alabama Legislature. The llreport
has not yet been made public, but the CO.
pious extracts from the testimony which
we have printed tend TO show that Mr..
Spencer is q political fraud. The evidence
throws good deal Of sidc-light ON south
crn politics. and is altogether an interest
ing and valuable contribution TO the polit-
zeal history ofthe South since the war
The proof against Spencer seems to be
cumulative and strong. Ia the first place,
he is what is called a political carpet-bag-
ger. Despite some marked and honora-
BILE exceptions, this class. as a class, has
country. Then his alleged agents have
been, ii the evidence be true, Of queer
sort. His intimate friend and polit-
zeal supporter is Kinds. the ma-cOn-
tractor who has recently been mixed up
i'm an investigation by Postmaster-Gen-
eral Jewell. Again, his appointces 10
Federal Offices have in many cases proved
To be OF questionable character. More
over the Legislature which voted him in.
in 1873, was one of very mixed character.
Finally, the evidence against the man is
strong, and comes, most of ii, from Re
publican sources.
The manner of his reelection, in 1873,
according 20 this testimony, seems to have
been as follows: AS the time approached
for tue Legislature to convene, il became
evident that the Democrats. with the help
of the honest Republicans, could defeat
Spencer. \ split was therefore resolved
upon. Spenccr's friends withdrew from
the regular Legislature and set up one
their own in the Court house at Mont
gomery. Each faction then tried TO Sc
cure quorum. Two members of the
regular body were bribed. il is said. and
one was druggeu into insensibilitv. The
absence of these three prevented any ac-
ton by the capitol Legislature. as it
was called, In contradistinctiOn 10 the
Court house Legislature.n To give the
latter a quorum, two men, Baker and
Chisholm. defeated candidates for the
Legislature, We're induced 10 present
themselves and claim seats. They were
at once admitted. Then Spencer was
elected. and S2,000,000 OF bonds were is
sued. A connection is supposed 10 have
existed between the two facts Suffice IL to
say that, when Attorney Williams
brought about coalition OF the two
wings of the Legislature. he made il a con-
dition that the validity of Spencer's cleo
ton and Of the bonds shout not be ques-
toned. Alabama never got cent for
those bonds. according 10 the financial re-
port OF last year. As soon as the coalition
took place. Baker received State Office.
He was afterwards appointed United
States Marshal for Northern Alabama.
Chisholm was appointed 10 place in the
Mobile Custom-house.
This Is the general outline Of the plan.
If we should fill it up, we should quote
the testimony given with such engaging
frankncss by Mr.. james Barber. Clerk OF
the Lower House in the Spencer Legisla-
ture and Assistant Secretary OF the Rcpub-
ican State Executive Committee. He
Spencer's autograph Letters on
the subject TO the Committee. liz wa.
mail contractor who held the money
needed TO elect MIR. Spencer; but il was
our ingenious friend Barber who bought
he Lowndes County delegation fer $4,000
and mai-r0ute apiece.
So the story goes on. What we have
given is a sample of the whole.
In the ease OF CALDWELL OF Kansas, Sen
ator Morton laid down the rule that "a man
whose election was due 10 bribery. and
who even consented TO the negotiation.
without meddling IN it himself. should be
expelled from the Senate. As soon as
Congress meets, let an investigation take
place.