The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-02-07
CORRUPT SENATORIAL ELECTIONS


cessor in the Senate, and for years ha
been working to that end. Ever sine
the November election, however, 1t wa!
clear TO disinterested watchers of Col
orado politics that Hill was not thu
choice of the Legislature. and that his
election could only be brought about by
improper methods. He was also often
sive to monopolies, and especially so to
jay Gouid's Western Union Telegraph
Company, on account of his able and
earnest advocacy of the Postal Tele-
graph scheme. Yet Hill entertained
hope, and he went into the contest with
all the shrewdness, vigor and determin-
alton of the professional politician. He
came out badly beaten, his old time
enemy, Secretary Teller, walking off
with the prize. Before he got out of
Colorado he began to talk, and when he
reached Chicago he unbosomed himself
after the manner of the defeated aspir-
ant. He told the reporter many ugly
things concerning the manner IN which
he had been defeated, and asserted that
Teller owed his election to the power
and influence of the corporations. The
Colorado lawmakers profess to feel
scandalized by Hills charges, and have
ordered an investigation, ostensibly
with the view to finding out if anybody
has been corrupted, and if so who the
individual is We all know what the in
quiry will amount to. The Solons will
declare themselves exonerated, asserting |
there is nothing whatever upon which
Mr.. Hill could base his accusation. The |
investigation will be entirely farcical,
SIMPLY a waste of time and effort; all |
that Hill alleges might be. absolutely |
true, and the corrupt legislators would |
not admit the facts and declare they had |
been corrupted.
Colorado has done wisely in returning |
Mr.. Teller to the Senate. He is an able |
man, conscientious, and devoted to the
best interests of his State. He is good |
deal more of statesman than Hill, and |
although his reputation is that of
evidence that he is corrupt, or that he
would lend himself to the furtherance
of any of the wicked schemes
of the monopolies. We do not be-
ieved he secured the Office
though dishonorable means, and must
look upon Hills declarations as the
smart of disappointed candidate At
the same time it is disgraceful that
any thought or consideration. Political I
methods have become so irregular and
corrupt that success suggests dis
honesty. The defeated candidate knows
the means that he employed, that they
were improper and dishonest, and nat
urally thinks that his opponent was
more adept in the art of political
bribery, and spent more money than
the former could offer. The reasoning
is regular, and too often the result ar
rived attn the correct one. Corruption
figures so much in Senatorial elections. /
that considerable percentage of these
lawmakers go into their seats with the
suspicion that they owe their places to
the employment of improper influences.
California hasn't had Senator for
generation, but who was believed TO
have bought the seat with hard cash. or
to have been placed into it as the rep
resentstive and tool of rich mas
tiers, who paid cold cash for
the place. Nevada has ever I,
openly sold her Senatorship to the
highest bidder. Six years ago it was
openly asserted that Senator Hill. of
Colorado, who now makes the charge f.
against Teller, distanced competitors
because his purse was larger than I
theirs. His predecessor, Chaffee, is
VIGOROUSLY politician for revenue. and
buys offices as he would mining stocks 9
or bank shares. With rare executions I
the Senators care the rich men of the l
country, several of them counting their Il
wealth by millions, and the majority by
the hundreds Of thousands. 1t is an
qually conspicuous fact that the Sem u
ate Is not remarkably able body of 81
men, the really bright statesmen among y
them being all counted on the fingers. o
The House of Representatives is q
crowded with men who (the few h
noted exceptions being left QUIT are
ar In advance of the Senators in ability,
n craftsmanship and in brilliancy. 3,
These able Representatives cannot get o
nto the Senate, because they. haven't Il
ne money to pay for their seats. n n
In the Teller case, Hill was probably
n errer in his allegations, but the