The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-29
UNNECESSARY IyFAMY AND CONSPIRACY
70 the Editor Of the Indianapolis yournal

in the Journal last Friday. from the Cincinnati
Enquirer, touching the defeat of Colonel Cum
back for United States Senator, in 1869, and the
exclusion of John W. Burson from the State
Senate two years afterwards, end as means to
the same end, dscloses enormous and unneces-
sary scoundrelism upon its face. According to
Mr.. Henderson, it was Judge Hughess hatred
of Cumback and Morton that prompted the
whole proceeding, beginning in conspiracy be-
tween himself and Hughes, at Martinsvile, soon
after the election ratified by others, and finally
adopted and carried out by the Democratic mem
bers of the State Senate
In the first place. there was no possible con-
nection between the defeat Of Cumback and the
exclusion of Burson, and the one was in no way
connected with the consummation of the other.
If there was any just grounds for Republic
to oppose Cumback, those rounds were
wholly distinct and separate from any just or
unjust grounds for the exclusion of Burson, as Is
plainly and distinctly disclosed by the interview.
If Cumback had rendered himself unfit
for the high place of United States Senator, as
some assumed to think, by an indiscreet
and corrupt proposition to Governor Baker,
as Hughes characterized it, that had occurred
prior to the election of the General Assembly
which was to reject him on that ground and
more than two years before Burson's exclusion
The State convention, at which Baker was nom
mated for Governor, met early in 1868, and the
proposition of Cumback was made by him. and
rejected, if ever, by Baker before it assembled,
while the election at which Burson was chosen
Senator did not take place until 1870, and. &C
cording to the interview. Hughes had succeeded
In producing detection of sixteen Republican
Senators and members of the House from Cum
backs upporters-~enough to effect his defeat
even if Mr.. Burson obtained and retained his
seat, which he could not have done, until two
years after Cumbacks defeat. In the second
place, the fact of Bursons having given or
offered brides, to secure his election, was not
known or even suspected, and could not have
been known to Hughes at the time of the al
legged interview between Henderson and him;
and if it had BEEN had no necessary relation to
the defeat of Cumback The two cases stood
|. upon their respective merits, wholly distinct
from and independent of each other. It is not
true that Burson and Morton were brothers-in-
law or more than mere friends, and so HugheS's
hatred to Morton did not have that relation
as motive to assail Burson. ! knew nothing
of the conspiracy divulged by Mr.. Henderson
until read his interview-never dreamed of the
existence of such com animation, until last Fri
day. But | was intimately acquainted with the
facts of the contest OF Burson's seat by his OPP
ponent, VIM. B. Cline, for was one of Cline's
attorneys, and had from him all the facts of the
case as far as known before the contest began.
AS his attorney, know that he only suspected
Burson's bribery until the examination was well
advanced, and only believed he had proved it af-
ter weeks of investigation had passed before the
committee and when !hs csssS vas nearly closed.
Then, indeed, there was evidence Upon which
the c9Pmnttee, as thought, might justly find
that Bnfson was Disqualified. In my argument,
which Is printed as part of the case And the sub
stantial parts of which were adopted by the ma
jorty of the Senate committee elections as
their report, set forth that evidence fully. Dur
ing the entire hearing Of the case by the COM
.Snitf yh,>ln NAahxr Co.
as known, fairly coduoted; and / closed the case
in the full belief that 1t had been heard by i'm
partial and fair men, and was, at least fairly de-
cided by the committee. The discrimination Fever
had that the case had been, ir any wise, con-
troed in its decision by improper and corrupt
means, arose in connection with an action
brought in the Delaware Circuit Court By one
OF my associate counsel against Cline for his fee;
aud l then learned that Cline defended the
action on the ground that bribery had been re.
sorted to to corrupt a Republican member of the
Senate, and so to secure his vote against Bur
son, on the final question of his exclusion; and
that the plaintiff had, in some way, been
nected with that bribery. l understood, too
tkat, upon that ground, the case ended adverse
ly to the plaintiff; but never knew, and do not
now know personally, anything about the mat.
ter. co know, however, that the Senator said
to have been so corrupted was declared to have
received bride OF five hundred dollars from
Democrat who has since figured upon the ma
tional theater and gained something of nation
al reputation; and that he subsequently profted
by the control of the State Senate, which tie ex.
clusion of Burson, and the alleged bribery Of the
other Senator, gave the Democracy do know
also, that, soon after that time, the Senator said
to have been bribed by him removed from the
district whose representative function he had
sold and betrayed, and dropped forever out of
the ranks and recognition of honorable men. l14
Now, at last, Mr.. Hendersons interview lays
bare the whole matter. He was the grave and
apparently impartial chairman of the Senate
committee on elections; and wasted more than a
month in making an investigation which he
Hughes, and the entire caucus of Democratic
Senators had already predetermined should only
serve to color and cover a fraudulent result
which they had resolved on bringing about be-
fore it was commenced. And l. who, rs an at
torney all the time, thought l was doing some
thing TO forward the ends of Justice now learn
that was only calcmning damned Demo
cratic fraud-the child of cold -blooded consp:r-
acy that in any private transaction would shut
the doors Of all honorable men
against those engaged in it, even if it did
not also shut the doors of the States
prison upon them. What Id a court of JUS
tice become whose decisiont made up be-
fore the trial? What part ,;ould LAWYERS and
witnesses play In it9 And wast would the peo-
pie say of, and do to its iudges2 Is the moral
enormity greater or less when, instead of touch
ing and tainting the decision of questions of
private rights it corrupts the fountain Of all
rights, both public and private2 o Mr. Hender-
son,
Thanks for the lesson-it will teach
To after statesmen more
Than high philosophy can preach,
Or vainY preached before"
And all this was done in the name of Democ-
racy-is confessed to have been done by one who
says: "All this saw, and part of it I was 1t
was done, too. by men sworn tosupport the Con-
situations of the United States and of the State
of Indiana! o people, born to freedom and a
great destiny, if true to yourselves. does such a
confession not awaken you to a sense of your
dangers If not, would live fire-coals upon your
naked skin make you souirm9
J. w. GORDON.
IhDTANAPOLIs, Ind, Nov. %.
The President and the Tariff
Washington Special.
President Clevelands recentIv accraditad mr.