Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-03-19
WASHBURN CONSIGNED To POLITE
lAT TNFANY

WASHBURN CONSIGNED To POLITE
CAL INFAMY.
The report of the majority Of the House
ub-oommittee on elections, which is pub
lished in this issue of the GLOBE, is a docu-
ment which overwhslms W.D. Washburn
with shame and disgrace. The astute DEM
ocrats (so-called) whose alliance with Re-
publican rings have led them to endorse
Bill Washburn's rasoality. and express their
horror at the proposed seating of Mr.. DON
nelly, now have, in succint form, resume
of the COURAGE" which the gang of corrup-
tionists delight in accusing the Democrats of
beng about to perpetrate. The 'outrage" con-
ts.in unseating convicted bribe-giver and
corruptionist- 1t being clearly proven that
Mr.. Washburn bought his seat, it follows,
as q logical sequence, that if he had not, in
most shameless manner, bought his major
ity, Mr.. Donnelly would have been elected.
In other words, of the unbought and unin-
undated votes Mr.. Donnelly received the
majority. This is clearly proven by the re-
port of the committee, and the Democratic
party can afford to go before the country
upon the outrage of giving the seat to the
man who actually received the majority of
the honest, unbiased votes cast. 1t
would be an outrage, literal and
damnable, to do otherwise than
to send Mr.. Washburn home in
disgrace and awarl the seat to its rightful
owner.
If the Republican party desires, in the
face of this report, to make a martyr" of
Bill Washburn, no Democrat should object.
The Republican party already has huge
load of rascality to answer for, and if it de-
sires to add the mountain of Washburnian
corruption to its burdens, the Democracy
need have no apprehension of the issue. The
report is overwhelming crushing. It will
not do to shout Outrage and rant about
partisanship, controlling the Presidential
election, etc. The decision of the committee
is in the interest of purity of elections and
good government. 1t ought to be welcomed
by every honest man, regardless of previous
condition of party servitude or color. It is
decision which the Democratic party in
Minnesota and in every State of the Union
can afford to have placed before the people.
Every one knows that there is no possibility
of the Presidential election being thrown
into the House. There is already working
Democratic majority in that body, and there
is no necessity of straining point to secure
another vote. But there is a
necessity of stamping an eternal
seal of condemnation upon the scoundrelism
which characterized Washburn's campaign
of 1878 from the contest for the nomination
to the closing of the polls.
The GLOBE welcomes the issue. 1t vel
comes it not on account of any personal
feeling of hostility towards Washburn or
any personal friendship for Donnelly. It
welcomes the issue as an abstract question
of bribery, scoundrelism and tainted bal
lot, on the one hand, and free, fair and
honest election on the other. It welcomes it
as step in the direction of purifying our
political atmosphere and lifting it from the
slough of despond in which the "strumpet
of corruption delights to wallow.
If the Republicans are wise they will leave
the corrupt and disgraced Washburn to the
retirement which his own infamy entities
him to enjoy. They would do we'll to take
the sober second thought now, before they
formally shoulder the corruption of which he
is guilty.
Republicans kaOu and ADMIT that Wash
burn bought the nomination away from DR..
Stewert. They KNOW, even though they may
not admit, that he pursued the same tactics
in the subsequent canvass and bought his
election. Looking at it from q purely par
tisan standpoint the GLOBE would prefer to
see the Republicans endorse Mr.. Washburn
by nomination, and place the political leper
again before the public. Viewing it from
the higher standpoint of patriotism and
good government, from the desire to have
honest men in public life, whichever party
may be in ascendency, the GLOBE would
wish to see his own party have the manliness
to say to such man as Washburn, you
are corrupt and corrupting excrescence on
the body polite, and as honest men We spurn
and repudiate your rascality. The district
and State should be no longer disgraced by
any attempts to keep this corruptionist and
bribe-giver longer in public life. The Re-
publican party in the Third Minnesota dis
trict has honorable and able men in its
ranks, and it should not brush them aside
to espouse the cause of convicted bride
giver.
If the issue is made the GLOBE has no fear
of the result. No party can permanently
retain power which indorses the rascality 80
forcibly exposed in the committee report,
which we publish to-day. The heat of parti-
san passion may lead to rash steps, but the
reaction is sure to come, and whatever the
temporary sentiment may be, however it
may be shaped by the men who have Wash
burns money jiugling in their pockets, the
whirlwind of honest indignation will ulti-
mately sink w. D. Washburn into political
oblivion, only to be remembered as warn
ing to the future generations as signboard
of infamy.