Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1886-07-22
THE PAYNE INVESTIGATION.

, THE PAYNE INVESTIGATION.
Three Reports Made by the Senate Conn
,nittee-TRs Matter win Probably b
Dropped.
WASHINGTON, July 10 Three reports
from the Senate Committee on PfivDeses
and Elections Upon the Payne case wefe
submitted yesterday.
The report signed By Senators Pugh,
Salisbury. tahre and Eustis, the Demo.
cratic members Of the committee, states
that the committees first act was to com.
ply fully with the first request of the Ohio
House of Representatives to make an ex.
animation of the testimony taken BY the
select committee at Columbus. Upon this
testimony Mr.. Hoar made report to the
evidence, opinion or statement whatever
was found personally inculpa,ing Mr..
Payne in any way with the corrupt use Of
money in connection with his election.
Neither did such examination show that
enough had been found to justify the
charge that the election had been procured
by the corrupt use of money and no new
evidence had since been submitted. This
report asks that tho committee be dis
charged from further consideration of the
subject and that it be indefinitely post
pOned.
Senators Teller. Evarts and Logan unite
in report which states that the only COLI
stitutional warrant for an investigation in
case like that presented is in the clause
making each House of Congress the Judge
of the qualifications of its own members,
and the clause comforting the right of ex-
pulsiOn. The SignerS OF the report do not
find that case has been presented that
would affect Mr.. Payne with such turpitude
AS would warrant his expulsion from the
Senate. They therefore turn their attention
to the validity Of his election to the Senate
and hold that the evidence il: such case
must show that the fraud which it is alleged
was committed embraced enough of the
voting electors to nave changed the result.
The testimony presented by the Ohio House
of Representatives shows that a number
of members of the General Assembly have
been brought into inculpaticn and have The
weight or evidence against them. AS to
four members-Baker, Hunt, Schultz and
Ziegler-it is found by the signers of the
report that the testimony developed moth
ing of an inculpating character as to the
two members, Kahle and Hall; the report
finds that they were not diverted from their
support of Mr.. PendletOn to that of Mr..
Payne. or the two Senators and two Rep
resentatves named in the majority report
OF the select committee, Mooney and Roche
of the House and White and Ramey of the
Senate, the signers of the report refer with.
out observation of their own to the major.
ity and minority reports of the Ohio com.
mittee. They do not find that the select
committee recommended any action by the
Legislature looking to demand further in
vestigation and they express the opinion
that there was no evidence presented
to the United States Senate which purpOrts
10 prove that fraud, corruption or bribery
was employed in MIR. Payne's election af-
fecting votes either in caucus or in the
Legislature, whereby the election was car
ried, nor is there any evidence that any such
proof exists; therefore the report holds that
the Senate would not be warranted under
the constitution to institute an Investigation.
The report points out that the State is not
under the restrictions which bind the Sen.
ate in such investigations and says the State
should execute the laws respecting the puri.
ty of Senatorial elections by the Indictment
and conviction of bribe-givers and takers.
AS the matter stands the report holds that
an investigation should not be instituted by
the Senate.
Senators Hoar and Frye, in a separate
report, state that they can not concur with
the views expressed by the other members
of tho committee; they think a case was
presented in which it is their duty to per-
nit the petitioners to present their evidence
and to authorize proper process to aid in
the procuring of the attendance of wit
nesses. AS the Senate is the only court
which can have Jurisdiction of the ques-
ton, the report sets forth a series of ten
propositions which Messrs. Little and But
terwOrth offer upon their own respOn-
sibility to establish to the satisfaction
of the Senate, largely by witnesses not
within reach of the Ohio Committee.
In brief, among these are the following:
That threefourths of the members Of
the Legislature were pledged to Messrs.
Pcndleton and Ward just before the Legis-
lative caucus; that large sums of money
were placed by Mr.. Payne's son and
other friends at the control of the active
managers of the Payne canvass; that gem
tleman, whose name is offered to be given,
would declare that Mr.. David Il. Paige had
said he had handled SG5,000, and that Mr..
Oliver 3. Payne had said it cost him $780,
600 to elect his father: that the members
of the Legislature WHO changed from Pen
dleton to Payne did so after secret conf
dental interviews with the agents who had
the disbursement of these moneys; and
that these members about that time dis
played large sums Of money, for which they
could not satisfactorily account. The re-
por: discusses the above features Of the
case at great length, and the conclusion is
reached that an investigation is warranted.
The question is not, the report says,
whether the case is proved-it is only
whether it shall be inquired into. The re-
port concludes with resolution directing |
an investigation of the charge ana the |