The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-23

that reason, and because that committee
had no jurisdiction Of the question. the case was
reported to the Senate of the United States for
the Senate to do what it thought best and right.
The Senate had in this, at least the statement
of a committee which bad looked into the mat
ter to some extent-imperfectly-a that COM
mittee had come to the conclusion that the mat
ter ought to be sent TO the Senate Of the United
States which alone had jurisdiction Of the Ques
ton. That was not all The members OF the
Ohio House of Representatives-elec after
the stormy contests Of the last two years-had
passed resolution, which he asked the Clerk to
read declaring its belief that the election of Henry
b. Payne, to the Senate had been purchasedby the
corrupt use of money, and asking that the matter
be rigidly investigated by the Senate The Sen
ate of Ohio had adopted similar resolutions. which
he also sent to the Clerks desk and had read
The Republican State committee OF ONO mad,
by unanimous vote, adopted resolutions 10 the
same effect. So had, also, the convention or he
publican editors in Ohio 68 in number. he had
hoped and believed that his colleague would have
seen his way clear, under all the crc umstances,
TO demand an investigation, ana ne nad no oouot
that full investigation would have exculpated
his colleague from all wrong. If, however, 9TH
ers had, by the corrupt use OF money, controlled
the election, while his colleague would not be
dishonored or disgraced thereby, the public
would be satisfied as to the extent and nature of
the ofense, and the public sentiment in the SEN
ate and among the people would have been just
generous and forbearing. That had been his
opinion, but he supposed that his colleague had
he ought not to compel an investigation by
which others. who were bound to him in various
ways. might be affected
This is the first time when it urged
in the Senate of the United States that 1T should
not examine into the character and conduct of
an election and into the qualifications OF its
members. When a great State of three millions
or people comes here through It's organs
and asserts its belief that the election
Of United States Senator has been
tainted with fraud and corruption, it will
not do for the Senate or a member of the
committee on privileges and elections to say
Eve do not believe that you have shown evil
dence enough; you have not convicted the ras-
Gals who participated in this offense." My friend
from Illinois complained of injustice. Well,
think that injustice was done him. I sympa-
thize with him heartily. 1 think that injustice
was done to him by Murat Halstead. but he has
attacked everybody. He has attacked Grant,
and he has attacked the Senator from Illinois,
and myself But is it the petition of Murat Hal
stead that the Senate is asked to act upons No,
sir. 1t is the petition of sixty eight OF the lead
ing newspaper editors of Ohio, nearly every one
of whom is a warm friend to the Senator from
Illinois.
Mr. Logan have no complaint to make about
these editors, and have not made any complaint
sbout'them. But it is mere request by these
men, They do not furnish any evidence. They
do not give the name of any man who knows
anything on the subject They do not present
any facts. but merely request that the Senate
will do something
Mr.. Sherman-I have merely presented it to
show that this is not narrow feeling easily
smothered, and that the refusal to investigate
will not extnguish it. 1t must have been a
very strong feeling that induced General Ken
nedy, one of the bravest and truest soldiers OF
the war; to write that letter to the Senator from
Illinois (which read yesterday, his comrade
and friend. 1t must have been strong feeling
that would induce General Kennedy
the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of Ohio, man OF
character, and conscience, and honor, and cour-
age, to state these things to his fellow-soldier
and friend. That is an evidence of the strong
feeling that prevails; and the very editorials
which my friend read yesterday are also an evil
dence of that strong feeling You cannot move
great masses of men, you cannot move half the
people of a great State like Ohio unless there is
something fearful behind it 1t is not the argu
ments and attacks of the newspapers that are
behind this movement 1t is the fear-I might
say the conviction-that their most sacred right
of representation has been tempered with by
corruption. 1t is not a newspaper charge, not
an idle charge, but it is made formally and
openly, with honesty and sincerity. You may
heed it, or reject it, as you will.
Referring to Mr.. Tellers remark as to the
resolution of the Ohio editors being an affront,
Mr.. Sherman said:
s'The Senate of the United States can never
put itself SO high that even the petition OF the
humblest citizen, black or white, must not be re-
eeived by it with respect; and when a respect
able body OF men like these editors send you
petition. in plain and not offensive words, it can
not be treated affront, even if it does
not harmonic exactly with the opinion of a
Senator on this floor"
Mr. Sherman proceeded to give a review of
Democratic politics in Ohio within the last two
Or three years. stating that up to that time poll
ties there had been practically pure. He gave
an account of the Highland House convention,
held in Cincinnati in August. 1882 when, he
said. organized fraud had been introduced for
the first time in Ohio politics. That movement
he said, which was organized in fraud and born
IN fraud. had stirred ND the people of Ohio as
they never had been stirred up before. Then
it was he said, that not by the actual pur-
chase of members of the Legislature
but by the bribery ana corruption of
members of the Democratic party in the
caucus a sufficient number of votes had been
controlled to defeat Mr.. Pendleton and Durbin
Ward, and to elect his colleague to the Senate
These were events, he said, which had aroused
the people of Ohio. They would not submit to
them. They could not be ridden over by fraud
or violence. These events had stirred up the
people of Ohio to demand an investigation OF sAe
beginning the progress and the end of that in
fernal conspiracy Newspaper extracts are here
in this public document and they are not one
half of the utterances made by the Democratic
newspapers after the election. What did they
say2 They uniformly, with one voice, pro-
nounced the election an act of corruption. Forty
Democratic papers in the State of Ohio did so.
It is said that they were Pendleton papers. do
not know whether they were or not. But have
here O letter from man who will command the
gesnect of the Senate and the people-Anen It,
Thurman. He was asked ME opinion by the
editor of the Times, and he stepped to the table,
sailed for paper, and wrote note in which he
uses these worlds
81 have nothing against either of the cand
dates. My personal relations with each of them
have been always friendly and pleasant But
there is something that shocks me in the idea IF
men like Pendleton and Ward being defeated by
che combination against them of personal hatred
and overreaching wealth"
[ ask you, is this party contests This mat
ter never can be Quoted There are six or seven
men, whom can name, who if summoned be-
lore this committee on privileges and elections.
would settle this matter forever. one way the
other; and would express my earnest hope that
AL these charges may be dissipated into thin air.
No mar would rejoice more at that than J. This