The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-04-28
FORTY.NINTH CONGRESS-.
THE PAYNE INVESTIGATION IN
THE SENATE.
Discussion Of the River and HarbOr
Bill Continued in the
House.


of Ohio, transmitting transcript OF
testimony taken by a committee Of
that House and the report of the
same committee On the subject OF
charges against the official integrity OF
certain members OF that House in
connect ion with the election # the
Hon. Henry 3. Payne as United
States Senator.
Senator Payne at once rose and
said: Mr.. Oh airmau-No formal mo-
ton is required, believe, TO send
these papers to the Committee on
Privileges and Elections. desire to
be considered as making such mo-
ton if il Ia required, and to couple
with it the request that the minority
report may taSe the same couIse,
copy of which l submit. With this
formal disposition of tie after l am
at present content, but desire 10 make
q short stt tsment to accompany the
papers into the hands of the commit
tee. A Democrat caucus for the NOM
instion OF a candidat5 for United
States Senator YVES convened at Co
lumhus On January s, 1884. Twas not
in attendance, but without doubt the
contest was heated and bitter. The
result Of the first ballot was as fol.
lows: Booth, !; Pendletcn, 10; Ward,
Il; Payne, 46, being a majority for the
successful candidate of Is over all.
The papers submitted embody the re-
suit Of 40 investiga ion into this can
vsss conducted secretly for more than
three months by a committee OF the
House OF Representatives OF the Stale
of Ohio. he tnen read the resolution
under which the committee was sp.
pointed, and continued: The scope
of investigation as actually conducted
by the committee is stated in the me-.
jority report as follown: Whenever
attention was called to anything
which indicated the probable employ.
ment of improper means to gain sup
port we foil the clews presented
on the the DRY that we were not only
authorized, but in duty bound TO pur-
sue any matter that promifed even
remotely TO show the use Of such
mea0s in connection with the cleo
tior, because the discovery of one
important fact, though having
no immediate bearing upon the
charge against the persons named
in the resolution might, lead to
discovery having such bearing. And
furthermore, and upon the same
theory, our Inquiries were not con-
fined to technical rules of legal proof,
but the committee awaited itself of any
source of information, admitted heal
say statements, and even the opinion
of witnesses. I had hoped that the
request put forward by the minority
members OF the committee that the
pro seedlings should be open and pub
lie would have been coded to, and
that | might have been spared the
Misrepresentation or misreprtsanta-
lions OF tae testimony which for three
months has been so assiduously cir
culated, and against which l have Ct
course no defense. The results of the
investigation are nowhere embodied
in the majority and the minority re-
ports: ~.
Fir.t-No mention whatever is made
in the majority report of Mr.. Dona-
win, but in the report of the min ority
is found the following: After wesks
of delay Mr.. Donsvin appeared be-
fore tie committee and testified that
the knew of no fact Of bribery or no
act on the part OF any person
toward any other persoD, either directly
or indirectly, to improperly influence
the members Of the Sixty sixth GEN
eral Assembly in their support of Mr..
Henry B. Payne. He knew of him
self Of no acts upon which he based said
article, but gave as his principal au-
thunty one William Taylor, who tetti-
fed when called tina; he had no
knowledge OF any act of any person
toward any'member of the House or
of the Senate of the Six y-siXth Cen
ersl Assembly of bribery or coIrur-
ton used 10 induce that person or
persons to give their support 10 Henry
B. Payne fer United States Senator.
Thus fell all that the investigation was
originally based upon.
Second--The report specifically in
terms exonerates fully and completely
the four members named in the 1eso-
luton under which the committee
wss appointed.
Thlrd-As TO myself, the record is
one of absolute and specific exonera-
ton. Immediately upon the appoint
ment OF the committee l addressed a
letter to the chairman containing the
Acknowledgements: "For myself, in
vite and challenge the most thorough
and rigid scrutiny; my private
correspondence and books OF account
will be cheerfully submitted to your
inspection If you desire them. / only
insist that in case that any testimony
is given which in the slightest degree
inculpstes me l be afforded an oppor-
tunity of appearing before the COM
mittee." To which in due time / ro-
-ceived reply containing the following
promise on the part of the committee:
eff in the prosecution OF this il quiry
any testimony tending 10 inculpate
you in any degree with any question.
able transaction be received, l assure
you that your request to appear be-
fore the committee in such event will
be most cordially and fully acceded to.
THOMAS A. C0WGILL, Chairman"
AS the committee have never mott
fed or requested me to appear before
them, nor sent for my books or pri-
vate correspondence, the result of the
investigation, except upon the n.y.
pothesis that the committee are des-
titu,e of truth and honor, must be, as
to myself absolute exoneration. l
refrain from any comment upon the
facts, stated in the minority report,
that the witnes seq desired by the mi
nority were not subpe naed; that the
respectable persons whose names had
been by some gossip implicated in the
alleged scandal we're refused an oppor-
tunlty Of tes:ifying, and further that
the majority refused tomeet as a COM
mittee f.r the purpose OF discussing
the evidence, or applying any rule 10
the same, whereby a unanimous re-
port could be reached.
Fourth-The committee, after hav-
ing exoneratsd, as it was obliged to
do, all persons charged in the resolu-
ton and myself, transmitted the hun
dreds of pages Of gossip TO the Senate
without making any request Of this
body. The resolution saws: "For the