Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-07-09
THE PAYNE CASE.


The Republican newspaper editors ol
Ohio met in Columbus in that state
yesterday, and, under the leadership OF
Murat IIalstead OF the Cincinnati Com
mercio,, formulateda "A series ofresolutions
and memorial 10 the Senate, embody-
ing their views OF the alleged Payne Sen
atorial bribery case, that fills two col
imns oi solid minion type, and in its ex-
cess OF gall and huency OF mendacity, out
strips the famed cranky ntternccs OF
Hastead, in his most wrathy moments.
The pith OF the charges are that John X.
Mclean, of the Enquirer, and Mr.. Payne,
son of the Senator, each expended $780,
600 to effect the Senator's election, and
that in consequence the election was
corrupt one and should be declared null.
1t is generally conceded fact that the
State of Ohio has developed more roguery
and corruption in politics under Repub-
lican rule in the past ten years, than any
other State in the Union, and all OF it
under the wing and by the connivance OF
Halstead, and that he and his pets have
gone unwhipped of justice to this day.
Now he comes forward in the guise OF the
champion Of honest elections, after n
heightened career of aiding and abetting
corrupt political trickery, and because
his deadly personal enemy, Mr.. Mclean,
defeated him and his candidate, he per-
mits his personal hatred and malice to
sway his actions, and seeks notoriety rs
reformer. As the Commercial is n pre-
eminent specimen Repu blican journal, ,
and represents the ultra stalwarts OF the
Blaine school, the people who do not
know the case OF Senator Payne may be
misled by reading its rantings. Sena-
tor Payne was elected two years ago as a
Democrat to succeed Geo. ii. Pendleton,
and took his seat in 1885. The charges
OF fraud were sprung then, and after care
full consideration OF all matters tending
to prove fraud, but two OF the five Repub'
lican Senators, out of Il total of ten
members voted to hold an investigation
while the other thr ee Republican and
five Democratic members voted against
it, the Republicans ON technical grounds
which means that they used the sam,
means to aid in their own elections, tina
such means are generally used, and tina
they cannot expel Senator for wha
they themselves have done. A majorit,
report of eight against two have recon-
mended that no investigation take place
trucking men who follow his lead, ant
he is so filled with envy, hatred and nj
uncharitableness ior Mr.. Mclean an,
the Enquirer, that he is like to have
stroke OF paralysis ii he cannot brin
about this Investigation. To the countr
at large, ii will be sufficient to show t
them that Logan, Evarts and Teller
three OF the most rabid Republicans
after careful examination, cannot Sc
anything in the charges which the,
have not themselves done, and which j
permitted by custom all over the country
The Chicago mter-Ocedi. a LEADING
Republican paper OF Illinois, in com
menting on the matter, says:
We deny the right of the Cincinnati
Commercial Gazette, or of any Ohio papel
to speak for the Republican press of thi
country on the question of the Payne inves
tigation, or any other that comes befor
the United States Senate.
Relating to this particular case, tn
Inter- Ocenn continues.
When the Republicans of Ohio have mad
their case, have convicted men of the crime
charged against them, and have formulate
charges against the politicians who manag
the frauds, then it will be time to accuse til
Senate Committee of neglecting duty
But as matter of fact, no indictment ha
been secured against any of the corruption
lists who have been so violently assailed b
speech and resolution.
The howl at Logan for his refusal t
order an investigation is thus treated b
the Inter-Ocean:
Senator Logan is responsible to his col
stituents in Illinois, not to the Republican
in Ohio. When his constituents here con
plain of his action in the Payne case it wi
be time enough for him to defend himsel
The Republican papers in Ohio are not th
court before which the case is to be hearC
Iney constitute simply one party TO u
controversy, and cannot sit as judge an
jury.
A careful summing up OF the action
the Ohio editors leaves the impressio
that under Halstead's ruinous leadershi
they hoped to gain political capital, bl
they have in this, as in other cases, owe
shot their mark, and their slurs hay
turned to benefits for the men they hav
assailed.