The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-08-18
IA, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST IS, 1886.
MORAL SENATORS.
A Few Observations Showing How the
Gentleman from Massachusetts, Obtained
His Seat. III. - -

Few Observations Showing How the
Gentleman from Massachusetts Obtained
His Seat.
The cold chills which have been
creeping up and down the backs of
several United States Senators during
the threatened investigation of the
much-invcstigated election of Senator
Payne, of Ohio, have ceased, and those
Senators have resumed their wonted
cheerfulness. There will now be no
further talk at this session of inquiry
into the causes which led to the sud-
den changes of some of the members
of the New York Legislature when Mr..
Eyarts was elected, nor to investigate
the published charge that each men,
Der of the Republican Senatorial eau
Gus in the last California Legislature
who voted for Mr.. Stanford received
from some benevolent source the hand
some present of $1,000.
Speaking of Senatorial elections,
there was one, which though saturated
with fraud, was never very generally
understood by the public. When the
ugly facts were once presented, the
affair was allowed to blow over. This
was perhaps because the truth was
very damaging to one of those goot.
men whose goodness is 80 extra good
that it is a sufficient explanation ofany
bad or questionable conduct of which
they may be found guilty. OF course,
this plainly points to Hon. George
Frisbie Hoar, Of Massachusetts,.
Whether or not the trick by which
Mr.. Hoar was reelected in 1888 would
be deemed sufficient to unseat him, it
was most disgraceful fraud. 1t was
a simple, clear and we'll sustained false
hood, telegraphed at the last minute
from an apparently authorized source,
to the effect that Mr.. William w.
Grape, then member of Congress,
was not a candidate for the Senator
ship. This gentleman was a candi-
| date, as Senator Hoar and his friends
well knew, and he was one they feared.
By the well-contrived tale that he was
not, the members of the Legislature
who would have voted for him were
deprived of exercising their real wishe!
In voting, and Mr. Hoar gained vote:
which never would have been his with
Mr. Grape known TO be candidate.
I The Senate became so virtuous il
1878, under the pressure of the Credit
Moblier panic, that, to avoid its right
eous wrath, Alexander Caldwell re-
signed his seat as Senator from Kan
sas, having then four years to serve
because it had been shown that friends
of his had bought off a rival candidate
They had not got his votes away from
him by saying he was not candidate
they had simply paid merceuary tai
price he had placed upon his ambition
The argument was that the limitation
thus put upon the choice of Legislators
by depriving them of one of the candj
dates who had sought votes, hat
changed the result of the election b.
giving to Caldwell votes he would no
otherwise have received. A vote OF
the case was anticipated by Caldwell
resignation.
The case of Hoar is the same as tina
of Caldwell, with this difference il
favor of the latter: He paid his money
and got the rival out of his way, 81
that he might receive the votes other
left free. In Hoar's case the rival di
not cease to be candidate. 1t onI
cost the price of telegram to max
the members Of the Legislature believ
that he would nos accept. He wa
simply lied out of his chance, an
those who preferred him to Hoar wer
lied out OF their chance to vote tllei
preference, and enough voted for Hoa
instead to give him the election. Th
lie was sent by telegram from tow
in Massachusetts, and signed by a PEI
son known to be so near to MIR. Crap
that it produced the same effect 4
though signed by that gentleman hin
self. No one doubted its truth, an
Mr.. Grape never knew Of it until it ha
done its work and Hoar had bee
elected.
] Mr.. Hoar never insisted upon c
even asked for an investigation to hay
it determined whether or not he inaus
, urated OF connived at this disgracef,
swindle by which his present seat
, the Senate was secured Mr.. Crap
felt greatly outraged He would no.
3 likely have been elected instead {
+ Hoar but for the corrupt trickery an
g falsehood to which the latter or h
friends resorted. And yet, himse
3 holding seat thus tainted by a coars
t and vulgar fraud and secured by tt
+ votes of members who preferred Crap'
t but were falsely told at the opportun
4 moment that he would not stand, Sci
G ator Hoar has been spending his da,
!. and nights for some weeks past in
f vain endeavor to smirch Senator Payn
G An investigation of the circumstanc
e attending his own election would sho,
i as above stated, that he holds his Sc
. by votes stolen from another by co
i spiracy and falsehood. How lol
S would it take him in such case, if a
f other than himself had been involve
d to conclude that the beneficiary of Il
) fraud must be supposed to have been
n willing party to it? What efronte
d in him to sit in judgement on the tit
o of brother Senator to seat in tt
Y body in which he himself is an i
d truder.-M. Y. Sun.
o DETESTARLE WARFARE.