The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-02-04
impeachment.

4 y
Captain John S. Burdett, State Treas
urer, was convicted on the impeachment
articles last Saturday. The vote OF the
Senate stood nineteen for conviction to
tour for scquittal. The news which
reached here yesterday, was simply COZ
frnatory of adyices received on Satur-
day, indicating what the result would be-.
There was very general expression of
surprise, as scarcely any one here believed
that anything but ssqulttal could follow
a prosecution upon such charges. The
sympathy for Captain Burdett, among
all classes of the community, is very great,
and the opinion is overwhelming that he
has been treated with undue severity.
Within the past two weeks, it has been
hinted here that local influences at
Wheeling were very active against the
Treasurer, and that the Impeachers had
gone SO far as to threaten retaliation in
Democratic Conventions upon any DEM
ocratic Senator voting against convic-
ton. There has been in that city and
the regions thereabout, loud clamor for
somebody's scalp. In the words OF Ma
son, of jefferson, somebody must be
sacrificed on the altar of Radical ma
lignity." Mason now steps to the front
rank Of political prophets.
In tho very nature of things, the dis
cussion of the verdict Of the Senate can
not be avoided. Practical results will be
regarded more than anything else. BY
some it will be received with satisfaction,
as giving additional power and patron
age TO the Governor and his friends.
Through this country i. will be generally
regarded, and indeed is being already
criticised, as vote to give Gov. Jacob
possession Of the State Treasury, by re-
moving an officer whom he could not
control, and enabling him to appoint
successor, subseFvient to himself and the
city of Wheeling.
lfthere was any guilt about the mat
ter, Jacob was as guilty as nybody, for
1t was with his vote and aid that the de-
posts were heaped up in the Merchants
Bank, The institution out of which the
trouble mainly grew. He knew at the
same time. sccording to his own testi-
mony, that Rdrdett was receiving 5o-
nus from the bank, yet so far from or
dering the removal of the deposits
as he had right to do, he increased
them. The verdict of the Senate is to
punish Burdett by removal, and to re-
ward the Governor by enabling him to
exercise his power of appointment TO II
the vacnncy. That's the point to which
public attention is now directed; it may
be unfortunate, but it's fact, that this Is
about as far as public inquiry in this
county will go.
The impeachment was started as part
of the Capital removal scheme; its lead
ers were under indictment, or under un-
answerable charges of gross ofenses, so
that it lost ground as movement for
public purity; it was carried through the
House by the unfairest means, promI-
nent among which was the active
labor of the President of the Senate
in its behalf; it was sustained and
urged by prejudiced local influences, and
bounded on by local mob as angry, if
not as rough, as that which hung Estep
and Dawson; Burdett was stricken down
and Jacob lifted up, when if there were
any guilt in the case, both were alike
guilty and both should have been pun
,shed alike.
All this we say without in any manner
calling in question the sincere desire
OF the great body of Senators to do their
duty in the premises. We have no right
to suppose that they were unduly in
auencec by their ugly surroundings in
Wheeling, but it can scarcely be doubted
that trial had elsewhere than in the
city from which the Capital bill and the
Impeachment movement were sent forth
hsnd-in-hand, would have given more
general satisfaction.
We have no particulars of the votes on
the separate articles. We only know
that the Treasurer was removed from
office, and that the Senate declined to ex-
ercise its power under the Constitution,
TO impose political disqualifcations.