Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-01-17
SENATOR PENDLETON.

SEWAEOK PEN NDAEION.
The Democrats of the Legislature
have elected Mr.. Geo. IL. 1Pendleton,
of Cincinnati, as the successor tc
Stanley Matthews in the U. 8. Senate,
for six years from March 4th 1879
The election of PeDdleton is a victory
for the most ultra element of the Dem
ocratie party. Below we copy from
the Baltimore American an article
giving better than we can a history of
the successful candidate:
There has not been a recent event ia
national politics more throughly dis
graceful than the choice, Of this mau
for position that is supposed to Cal
for the, lar yest honor, dignity, ability
and patriotism AS requisites TO the pro-
per discharge of its duties-q0aE flea
lions of which Mr.. PendletOn Is as
yearly devoid as any individual In
pubic lite.-A tbs eandidates-or, al
least, ali the prominent one5-for tn
Senatorship were bad enOus h, so faf as
regards their advocarysof schemes fol
frauding the creditor, but some OF them
were rLrn not uOjustiy laying claim I,
intellectual power and an untarnshel
yersonais srt card. II IL ehaIacteristic ol
the extent TO which the. indttion and
regulation mania has infected psrtie-
in Oeio that Pendelton's prospects
were at their worst when IL was bAiiev'
ed that ne was uotS 80 s,r0fsg an ady..
cate OF Unlimited paper money and sli
yer as Morgan or E ESing, aud that HI
CHANCES began to improve rs soon a5 ne
Jut forth pronunciamento in whicii
ne out heroded tie widest aud most
eXtravagant views of his rivals and
showed that he was prepared to de
scend to depths of financial heresy from
which they shrank. Mr.. Pen feltou
has been before the public as member
of the Ohio Legislature, as Repre- -en
tative, in Congress and a candidate for
Vice President, and his political Career
exteDus over, twenty-tw0 years. In
no post that he has ever held has he
ever made tfe mark of statesman
He viii be remembered only rs a chic
party oths Democratic canvass oil 1861
aad as the putatjve father OF tht
swindiing scheme to pay the principal
and interest sOf the bonds in green
packs. These things constitute nj:
whole official record, and certainly
neither Of -them ought 10 commend
him 10 official prefermeDt.
But outside OF Mr.. Pendleton's faults
as public man, there is transaction
proven against him in private life
which most seriously affects his per
sonal character, and that Is his part iu
recovering the Kentucky Central Rail
road clsim from the Government and
his share in the plunder. The whole
affair came tOlight in the investiga
ton OF the Bslkndp scandal, and form
ed one of the darkest episodes 10 those
Iamentsble disclosures. The Kentucky
Central Railroad had been aIgely en-
ployed during the war in transporting
troops and supplies, and perferred .
claim upon the Government tor large
amount in excess of the regular rate.
of payment. An agent was sent tt
Washington to prosecute the claim
twelve years ago, but it was so mani
| festly absurd that he met with no sue
cess. 1t was twice rejected by the
War Department, MISUNDERSTANDING
tnat ali the evidences possible to present
In its behalf was brought to the notice
of the authorities. including Secretary
stanton, who examined il and turned
It down. The history OF the way il
which the Company eventually
through Mr.. Pendelton, adstracted
Si48,5 ,553 81 from the Treasury is curl
Jus and Interesting as showing how
such things are manipulated through
personal influence aad family connec
lions. The narrative was fully told
while Belknap was under Dire, but il
may be rehearsed now as throwing o
or0ad light upnu Mr.. Pendleton.
| The President OF the Kentuck 8
Central, Mr.. Bowler, was Peudleton.
brother in law, AMI be WIS also the
principal owner of the road. When
ne died sPendfeton became the admin
| iststofof his estate. including the re
jected claim, and afterwards was elect.
ed to Hll the deceased Boaler's pisc,
in the Presidency of the gqmpsny
| Pretty soon ne vent to Wnrk to reopen
the clafm. Balknap was Secretary ol
Var, and living III MS house was Mrs
/ Bowers, the sistsr-in law OF Beikna,
aud subseq 1eiitiy his wife. Mrs. Bow
II . MY. p VTSt 1!IN r1r.. y u sll6lOu
had oeefl mixed dr in close pess ma
ana social refasi .ns in she' Wsst, am
the iaster uti fprstooiI ths.inf q iens III a
sfrs, y ,sets POSSESSED over the Secre-
Itary of w r. 1t il ttisagreeabIe to
bring her ma ne into this connection,
but 1t must De recMected that II was
fI.Iy -hownib the Congressional in
v~siig ation At she had bssn enga sed
n the post.trad srship intrigues, and
ha 8 accepted NJ oney as a -cousi ieration
iof procuring appotntns nts fson. Belk
nap ,ba:h before and, after she became
his wife. Mr.. Pendleion proposed 10
max cool. Use dfthdtn. inflencs, and
F6S er :~bAching Rsfknap through Mrs.
Bows p the otstacIeS that pad l,r5v-
fdusly blocked the passage Of The Calm
were fenoyed; It reeeiyed lbs appro /;
vsli6i me Secretary of Wsr, was rush
cd thetsugh the departments in un.5
dey, with the word especial" on the
papSrs 20 hasten their speed-and the