The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-07-29
THE PAYNE MATTER.
Speeches by Senators Sherman ard Frye
In Favor of Investigation. :.
The Speech of Frye Remarkable On'
For Its Eioqusnce, Logic and
Biting Sarcasm.

Mr., Sherman began his remarks by
SAYING he was sbcut to perform the most
disspreesble duty Of his life, and that
fk the first time In his life he WAS
CAiQed TO bring the subject of Ohio pol
titles upon the door of the Senate. He
did it in no unkindness to his colleague
whom he had known as an honorable
man for many years.
He then made a vigorous presentation
of the condition of public feeling In
Ohio that led to all these prayers and
REQUESTS. The people sent up their pray
ers TO the only tribunal that can try the
case. he was sure the Senators from
Colorado and Illinois mistOok the pUr-
mort of the proposition. 1t was not to
convict his colleague, hut to consent to
and hold an investigation. He had eX-
pected and had hoped that his colleague
would ask for an investigation. He be-
lieVed 1t would have been better, and he
was sorry that he (Mr. Payne) had not
found it within his Ideas Of what was
advisable to do. His COllesge, he felt
sure, would not have been dish0n0red,
and the public would have been better
satisfied. ~
Mr.. Sherman said that out Of all that
crowd of men who had voted for Payne
only four survived political death, and
every man who participated In the cleo
tlOn Is a marked man in Ohio to-day,
Seven men can come before our commit
tee and settle this whole thing In very
short time-seven men whom the Ohio
committee could not command
He said not a person In Ohio ever sup
posed the earnest and respectful request
- tuOuId ha rnfuln0 He
himself never dreamed or such thing.
No one supposed that the Senate, would
refuse to hear word when citizens
respectfully petioned. No one expected
to be met with lawyers quirks, .quib-
bles and strstagems. A man can be ar
rested for murder on the mere charge by
another citizen. A mere charge in this
Senate Is sufficient upon which to order
an investigation, not to be haggled at
and defeated by lawyers views and
technicRllties.
Eustis followed upon the Democratic
side. Eustis is a remarkably slow
speaker. So very slowly does he speak
that 1t is difficult to follow him, and it
often appears that he himself has lost
the thread of his discourse. This makes
it very tedious to listen to him, and 20
comparatively slight attention was paid
to his speech. Eustis is digniaed and
earnest man, and speaks with an air of
honesty and conviction. His whole
claim was exactly in the line of that of
all this oppo.i iOn-that sufficient v.
dence to convict Mr.. Payne has not been
presented
Senator Frye follows Eustis In a speech
that will be memorable in the forensic
history of the Senate. He says that If
great State deliberately and respectfully
asks for an investigation of one Of it's
Senators to his seat and the Senate re-
fuses It, then the ., s. Senate Is the OBJ
ject requiring investigation.
This is no question of Vindicating
Logan or Teller or Evsrts. There is
danger OF losing sight of the real Issue.
MIR. PAYNE il not on tri |. Instead of
honest and quick and bold meeting of
any charge affecting The honor of this
body, we are being bound down and
cramDed by all the legal processes and
rUIes Of criminal practice. From the
first reading of the testimony down to
the present, | have never felt mo-
ment's hesitation as to what my duty
was. The course seems to me as plain
as the pathway to tie stars.
It ia q question of public opinion,
which is usually in the end honest and
right, and founded on evidence, and In
this case there is enough TO make " the
solemn duty of the Senate to make an
investigation. The question Is, what
are the people thinking about? What
will they think of this Senate If 1t re-
fuses an investigation? Men of great
wealth get an idea that anything can be
done easily through it. They come to
believe that money Is God, OmnipOtent
for any use; that 1t can purchase any
body and anything with 1t, and that sets
its price on every man, and believes
that money can debauch and purchase
anv man and any il fluence.
Senator Frye then attacked the Stand.
ard OIL Company. he said there is
gigantic monopoly in the United States,
reaching all over the nation and into
all av uues cf business and politics,
and its power Is felt all over the repuh-
lie. II controls business and railroads,
and men and things. II has put its
hand upon legislative bodies, and the
United States Senate can not afford 10
be silent before the charges and under
the shadow of this mighty monopoly.
He then descr bed PendletOn as Sen
ator, handsome, courtly, able, the peer
of any other Senator, credit to great
and proud State, and possessing every
attribute OF manhood. He had served
his people ard country we'll, and in hts
State has existed rule so long that 1t is
almost an iron rule, that Senator who
serves we'll one term shall be returned
for q second If his party is In power.
FRYE described the situation in Ohio,
where there were but two men mention
ed for the Senate. Hall, of Akron,
testified that majority for PendletOn
was confidently reckoned on up to with
In tW 0 DAYS of the election. The Demo-
Gratis gather at Columbus. Suddenly
appears Thompson, an officer OF the coal
oil n OnopOly, and Huntington, another,
and others, agents, and presto, what a
change there is! Payne, man unmen-
toned, Is overwhelmingly elected. How
was this done; was 1t miracle? Pen
dleton stands ready to testify that a
majority of the Assemblymen we're
pledged to him. Logan talked about
Payne having been Union man and
all that. It did not commend man to
the Ohio Democracy during the war TO
be Union man. The great majority Of
them were worshipers Of ValIsndigham.
Simply and plainly the Standard Oil
Company came to Columbus and brought
Its money with II. 1t brought money,
Its recognized power and influence,
with 1t and put 1t into the headquarters
of the Democratic party.
Crisweli's affidavit was then put in,
and Logan, who kept annoying Frye,
took 1t upon himself to make insinua.
tions, after the style he has kept up for
two days, about him, and intimatd that
he could tell something II he chose.
Frye turned fiercely upon Logan, and
said: at makes no difference whether
Ohio does or does not indict Mclean and
Thompson and Huntington and Oliver