, 1877-08-04
THE GROVER INVESTIGATION.
THE TRUE 1swARpSsss OF THE PROSECUTION.

THE TRUE INwARDNEss OF THE PROSECUTION.
The testimony of the witness, Lake, de-
velops some of the 'Ebottom facts Of the
Grover prosecution. 1t turns out that the
| whole thing is the outcome of foul con-
spiracy among certain very active republi-
cans in this State 10 deprive Mr.. Grover of
his seat In the Senate by connected system
of shameless perjuries. There seems to lave
been a regular organization, with ample
funds for the purchase OF needIul testimony,
a treasurer to disburse them, and all the
usual machinery of checks, drafts, etc Their
scheme was hike drama IN the extent, com
pleteness and complexity of Its arrangement
1t included as many performers as a variety
troupe, each of whom had his part TO swear.
The cast was indeed powerful one. See
what a galaxy OF stars One-armed Brown,
OHe-eared Taylor, Lake Sweeney, Sriles,
and last and lowest of all, Highly But after
all. the management, careful and dlserlml-
mating as it was, made a mess of 1t. Two OF
the performers, Lake and Sweeney discover
ed at the last moment some remnants of
honesty and threw up their part after the
curtain rose. A third, Highly, failed to ap-
pear at all !; and so the cuningly devised
play, with its thrilling plot and startling
| tableaux, Is dead failure. As the prompter
rings down the drop the spectators see, in
stead Of the denOument that was promised,
only poor Stiles, in his CHASTITY pant, wrap
ping around him the tawdry rags OF his shat
| tered reputation and snea&ing behind the
scenes leaning on the arm of his faithful
| cousin while Brown and Taylor crouch be-
SIDE the grave they have tried to dishonOr,
dreading the specter of phantom dog IN the
| distance
But seriously, the spectacle OF unblushing
| villany revealed in Lakes testimony is one
that ought to be infinitely encouraging TO
the believers in the doctrine of total depravl-
ty. We had not supposed it possible that
the leaders of any party could descend to
! such depth of baseness. And yet the facts
show that some of the foremost men IN the
republican party of Oregon We're the contriv-
ers of the wickednesS of which Lakes IN
tended perjury was to be a part. The un-
speakabIe knave, Highly, was the manager OF
| the whole scheme he was, until he fed from
| his post, one of the leaders of his party.
| Do we not all remember the GLIB patriot
whose eloqUence eentranced republican crowds
! in our last campaign, and whose praise rang
through the land Turn TO the files of the
| Oreq0niaa, the GGzette, the Statesman and
other republican papers and see how they
| loved him.
Surely these disclosures ought TO revolt
] the hearts of all honest men OF either party.
| Not Growers friends alone, but all right
thinking people have cause to be indignant
at the detes5able knavery OF those who are
| Il L s ls,uf, M n
! afford 20 WIKI at such practices. We are all
easally Interested III denorme.ng and expos
ing the scoundreis who would resort 60 brl-
| bc;y, perjury and SANDER Of the dead to
break down pubic man of any party A
state of society that VII tolerate such things
is full Of peril to rs all
| 1t may be that Mr. Grover IS not exactly
tie nan that our republican friends wuGld
like To see in TIE Senate. They had right
| to oppose his election ard to prevent II ii
they could by any honest means. But 1t Is
quite another thing to try TO onst him from
MS scat by wholesale perjury. And yet this
IS Just what Lakes testimony shows has
been attempted. There can be no doab5,
| either, about the truth OF the testimony III
every essential particular, for 1t Is corrobor-
| ated by other evidence and by the daBlnlng
| tact of Higby's flight. 1t is IS certain as
sunlight that Lake was promised large
sum of money to swear that he saw Mosler
bribed, when all the parties to the transaction
! knew that such was not the fact. And TINS
shows the animus as well as the fictitious
character of his whole prosecution. A cause
that needs the support of perjury IS not an
| honest cauSe-Sdiem NercHYy