The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-12
THE FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS-
Ohio Republicans Ask an Investigation
of Charges in the Payne Case.
Further Amendment of the Interstate Com
merce Bill-A House Debate in Which
Edwin M. StantonS Acts Are Discussed.
THE SENATE.


The Charges in the. Payne Case-Amending
the Interstate Commerce Bill.
WASHINGTON, May 11-Mr. Hoar presented
the following resolutions of the Ohio Republican
State central committee:
Whereas, It has been shown to satisfaction by
the testimony taken by the committee of the Ohio
No. g. and from other sources, strongly as to in
duce US to believe and charge that the election OF
Henry B. Payne to be United States Senator of the
United States secured by bribery, fraud and
corruption; and.
Whereas. The facts SO established reflect upon the
good of the State of Ohio, and affect in morals
well in law the validity of the title Of Mr. Payne
to his seat in the Senate, therefore be it
Resolved, By the Republican central committee OF
Ohio, that in the name of all honest people in the
State of Ohio and for the credit OF the hitherto I'M
sulled and reputation of State, the Senate
of the United States be and is hereby respectfully re-
quested to prosecute such investigation into the mat
ter suggested by said report and the charges herein
preferred and to take such action thereon as may be
necessary to relieve State from the disgrace which
it rests under and to do equity and justice to all
Resolved That the chairman Of this committee is
directed to forward copy OF this res
olution to Hon. g. F. Hoar, chairman of the commit
tee privileges and elections of the United States
Senate.
Appended to the documents are the signatures
of James E. Lowery, chairman, and Joshua X.
Brown, secretary, certifying it to be a true copy
Oh the pr6dIQUl6 anu FtSOluLiOuS ouoptcu " JAW
Republican State central committee of Ohio, at
a regular meeting held in Columbus, o., May 8,
1886.
The resolutions were referred to the commit
tee on privileges and elections
A number of petitions were presented and re-
ferred. praying Congress to enact legislation
against oleomargarine.
After routine morning business. the inter
state commerce bill was taken up and its con-
sideraton resumed.
M PC nanf YiriO tan ay -a
notice Of reduction of rates was withdrawn.
An amendment offered by Mr.. Wilson, of Iowa,
which would punish men who knowingly ask for
or receive reduction of rates, was, after short
debate, rejected.
Mr. Morgan formally offered his amendment,
heretofore published, to punish by fine and i'm
prisonment, men who conspre to stop or inter
fere with the running of trains engaged in inter
state commerce
MI Vest, and Mr. Teller and Mr.. Maxey con-
tended that this was matter for the States to
deal with
Mr. Cullom feared the amendment would en-
barrass and perhaps imperil the passage of the
bill, and SO opposed Mr.. Morgans amendment.
On motion Of Mr. Hoar, the amendment was
laid on the table-yeas 49, nays The negative
votes were those of Messrs. Doph Edmunds and
Morgan.
Mr. Brown offered an amendment providing
for the punishment of persons lnjuring the prop
erty of railroad companies-tracks, bridges, cars,
etc. The amendment would make it felony to
maiciously injure such property; and if death
resulted from the injury then the offense should
constitute murder. The amendment was laid on
the table
Considerable debate then arose on an amend
ment of Mr.. Plumb's, offered by Mr. ingalls,. 1t
Is the amendment of which Mr. Plumb some
time since gave notice, prohibiting members of
Congress, officials of the government and their
families from accepting free passes, and prohlb-
iting railroad companies from giving them such
passes or reduced rates
To this Mr.. Teller offered an amendment pro
hibiting any of the subsidized roads from giving
free passes
Mr. Teller doubted the propriety of putting
this class of legislation in this bill He would
be willing at any time to vote for general bill
on the subject.
the provisions of his amendment SO as to cover
not only subsidized roads. but all roads coming
within the purview of the act, he Mr. Edmunds
would favor it.
Mr. Teller modified his amendment accord
ingiy.
Mr. Logan said in his State, Legislature after
Legislature had prohibited its members from
ceiving railroad passes Why's Because the
members wanted the people to think they were
more honest than others. Yet he noticed the
members travelled up and down the railroads
just the same. 1t could not be stopped. 1t was
this kind of weakness in legislation that caused the
country to think legislators were dishonest. He
Mr. Loganl did not propose to tell his constit
uents that he could be bought with railroad
pass. They did not believe he could. 1t was
about time for men to act like honest men.
Mr. Edmunds said he had regarded the frank
ing privilege as one involving the matter of pub
lie communication with the people by their rep
resentatives, and so had voted against its
moval; but the principle of keeping members of
Congress free from bias had existed in our stat
utes long time. All that the Senator from
Illinois MIR. Logan had said about leading the
people to think congressman were corrupt would,
if correct, apply to the laws Mr. Edmunds had
indicated. Yet these laws were declared wise,
and nobody had thought of repeating them.
Railroad passes rested on the same principle.
Mr. ingalls, said he was personally opposed to
the proposed amendment though it had been his
duty, acting for Mr. Plumb, and at his request,
to present it. He was sorry his colleague was
unable to be present to support it. He ridiculed
the proposition covered by the proposed amend
ment, and on motion of Mr. Logan it was laid on
the table.
Some discussion arose as to the effect of the
bill on clergymen, and, to avoid doubt, Mr..
Brown secured amendment providing that
the restrictions of the bill as to reduced fares
should not apply to ministers of religion.
Mr. Edmunds secured similar amendment as
to agricultural conventions and army society
meetings.
Mr. Brown moved to make the bill applicable
to river routes as well as to railroads saying
that the Mississippi river steamboats, practiced
all the worst determinations complained of as
against the railroads, and he saw no reason why
the boats engaged on that river should be ex-
cepted from the restrictions put on railroads.
The amendment was rejected.
An amendment offered by Mr.. Spooner was
agreed to, applying the word unlawful" to the
determinations condemned by the bill, so as to
bring breaches of its provisions within the tech
ncal meaning of the penal clause.
modification of the long and short-haul
clause was suggested by Mr.. Edmunds. The
modification was to restore to the clause the
words land from the same point Of departure"
which had been struck out by the adoption of
Mr.. Camden's amendment. but to add immedi-
ately afterwards COR to the same point of ar
rival" The bill was finally ordered reprinted as
amended, and the Senate adjourned.
THE HOUSE.