Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-12-12
!Gte RepnbHrar.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. IL, 1877.
Senator Patterson.

The committee of the Legislature of
South Carolina, which has investigated |
the charge that John J. Patterson Sc
cured his election to the U. S. Senate
IN 1872 by bribery, states in its report
that twenty members of the Legislature
Of that year have testified that they re-
ceiyed brides from Patterson. The
sum paid for votes ranged from 500
to $500. Mr.. Elliott, Patterson's
principal rival, stated that he was Of
fered SIS, 1000 to withdraw, but refused.
Patterson having been indicted for the
offense above mentioned, the Governor
of South Carolina made a requisition
upon the authorities of the District of
Columbia for Patterson's return. A
wit of habeas corpus was applied ..for,
and decision has been rendered by
Judge Humphreys discharging Patter-
son from arrest. Patterson is accord
ingly happy, but his delight is increased
by the receipt of intelligence from
South Carolina that legal proceedings
against him will be Withdrawn in con-
sideration Of his having voted for
Hamburger Butler for senator. Patter-
sons course in this particular finds a
hearty endorsement at the hands of the
South Carolina Democracy, and it is
reasonable to expect that they will
show him all the favors they can.
Under all the circumstances perhaps
Patterson's voting for Butler was en-
tirely natural. He knew that the doors
of the penitentiary were wide open to
him if be ever came to trial on the
charges preferred against him-the
proof Of his guilt being overwhelming.
If by voting in favor of Butler he
could placate his enemies and obtain
immunity against arrest and prosecution,
he probably thought he was only doing
the right thing--for himself, by look
ing out for No l, as a seat in the Sen
ate is preferable to a cell in the peni-
Tertiary. One would naturally suppose
that the Democrats could not be very
proud over their accession of Senator
by the use of means such as gave them
Senator Butler. But their political
straits are such that they evidently care
little as to how their numbers are in.
creased They very we'll know that
Butler was never legally elected. This
is shown conclusively by the Senate
Committee of Privileges and Elections
whose report upon the subject has just
made its appearance. 1t is volumin
Gus document, covering some 500 pag
es, and clearly demonstrates that the
body which elected Butler was without
a constitutional quorum; or even the
pretext Of senate at the time, and was
consequently an illegal body, having
no more right to elect a Senator than
town meeting would have. With re-
ference to the action Of Butler in the
matter Of the Hamburger massacre, the
findings of the committee implicate
Butler as the chief organizer and re-
sponsible leader of the affair Buffers
own theories of the affair are reviewed,
and the report says they are not sus-
tanned by evidence or events. Both
the words and acts of white men indi-
cate that this event was a political
massacre, preconcerted with the inten-
ton of striking awe into the hearts Of
the Republican voters Of the State.
The Committee sums up the results of
its investigation by quoting the remark
of Gov. Chamberlain in his last inau-
gural address, "that the election in
1876 in South Carolina was a vast,
brutal outrage, a conspiracy to disfran-
ehise race and crush by brute force a
whole people" And now Butler has
his reward at the hands of thessDemo-
Gratis by seat in the United States
Senate. It may be triumph for him
but it will prove moral disaster to his
party.