Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-16
PAYNE'S TITLES CLEAR.
REPUBLICANS ADMIT THE ABB
SUKDITY OF THE CHARGES.

Messrs. Hosr and Frye the Only Mem
bers OF the Senate Committee Who
Would Stoop to an InvestiERtiOn-The
Weakness of the Allegations Clearly
Set Forth
WASHINGTON, July 15.-Three reports
from the Senate Committee on Privileges
and Elections upon the Payne case were
submitted to the Senate to-day. A report
signed by Senators Pugh, Salisbury,
Vance and Eustis, the Democratic mem
bers of the committee, sets forth at length
the public history Of the case, recognizes
the transcendent Importance of throwing
around the Senate of the United States
the highest safeguards against seating
members whose titles were procured by
bribery, fraud or corruption, and de-
scribes the processes by which the sign
ers reach the conclusion that there ia no
ground for further proceedings against
Mr. Payne. The report says the commit
tees first act was to comply fully with
the first request OF the Ohio House of
Representatives, TO make an eXaminatio
of the testimony taken by the select COM
mittee at Columbus.
Upon this testimony Mr.. Hoar made a
report to the committee that after care
ful reading no evidence, opinion or state
ment whatever was found personally in
culpating Senator Payne in any way with
corrupt use of money in connection with
mis- election. Neither did such examina-
ton show that enough had been found to
justify the charge that the election was
procured by corrupt use Of money. About
A.; II &
the two houses of the Ohio
Legislature and those of the
Republican State Central Com
mittee made their appearance, and
soon after Congressman Little and But
terwOrth were heard at length. The sign
ers of the report declare that no new evil
dence not contained IN the original mat
ter submitted was brought to their atten-
tion which any court would not hold TO be
merely cumulative and speculative and
insufficient by itself or in connection with
the original to Justify report in favor Of
a trial by the Senate of Mr.. Payne's right
to his seat.
PAYNE'S EXONERATION.
They conclude that Henry b. Payne has
not been charged with having anything
to 90 personally or with having any per-
sOnal knowledge of or connection with or
participation in any act or anything that
may have been done or charged as having
| been done that was wrong, criminal, i'm
moral or repreheBsi6le in his election /;
| that no member OF the committee and no
| witness, representative or other person
has expressed au opinion or intimated any
belief or suspicion that Henry B. Payne
| is or was connected in the remotest de-
| gree, by act or knowledge, with anything
| that was or may have been wrong or
criminal or immoral in his election. and
| on the whole case as presented to them
| they recommend that the Senate make no
| further investigation of the charge invOlv-
| ing the right of Henry B. Payne to his
seat. This report asks that the commit
| tee be discharged from further cOnsidera-
tion Of the subject and that it be indet-
nitely postponed.
THE REPUBLICAN VIEW,
Senators Teller. Evarts and Logan unite
in a report in which, after reciting the
circumstances surrounding the Sena-
tOrial election in Ohio in 1884, it is stated
that no action was taken by the State
! Legislature which elected Senator Payne
calling in question the validity OF his
! election, but that the new Legislature
| constituted in January OF the present year
| had adopted a resolution under which
an investigation of Mr.. Dona-
WINS charges had been made. The
/
! to accept the presentation of the case set
out in the majority and minority reports
| of the select committee OF the Ohio House
! of Representatives. The only c0nstitu-
! tCnal warrant for an investigation in a
! case like that presented IS in the clause
making each house OF Congress judge OF
the qualifications of its own members and
the clause conferring the right OF expul-
! sion.
! PAYNE'S PERSONAL ATTITUDE.
The signers OF the report do not find
| that a case has been presented that
would affect Mr.. Payne with such turpi-
tude as would tolerate his expulsion from
| the Senate, nor that testimony is accessi-
bic that touches the subject of the per-
sonal inculpatiOn Of Mr.. Payne. They
| therefore turn their attention to the ques-
| tiOn of the validity of his election to
the Senate. The report holds that
| the evidence in such case must
show that the fraud which it
alleged was committed embraced enough
IN the number OF voting electors 10 have
changed the result. The testimony pre-.
! seuted by the Ohio House of Representa-
! tiyes shows the number OF memb bers OF
| the General Assembly that have been
brought into inculpation and the weight
! OF the evidence against them. AS to tour
members-Messrs. Baker, Hunt, Schultz
and Zegler-it is found by the signers OF
! the report that the testimony developed
| nothing of an inculpating character.
NOT DIVERTED FROM PENDLETON.
As to two members, Messrs. Kahle and
! Hull. the report finds that they were not
! diverted from the support Of MIR. Pende-
ton to that Of Mr. Payne. or the two
! Senators and two Representatives named
! in the majority report OF the select com
mittee Messrs. Mooner and Roche, Of the
J House, and White and Ramey, OF the
! Senate}, the signers of the report refer
with the observation Of their own to the
majority and minority reports of the
! Obio committee. They do not find
tnat the select committee recon-
mended any action by the Legislature
| looking 90 any further investigation, and
they express the opinion that there was
no evidence presented to the United
! States senate which purports to prove
| that fraud. corruption or bribery was
employed in Mr.. Payne's election affect
Ing votes either in caucus or in the
Legislature whereby the election was
carried TO effect his election, nor is there
evidence than any such proof exists.
AN INVESTIGATION NOT WARRANTED.
Therefore the report holds that the SEN
ate would not be warranted under the
constitution in instituting an investi-
! CATION The report points out that the
! State Is not under the restrictions which
binds the Senate in such Investigations,