The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-01-27
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
The Charges Of Corruption against soma
tor Payuc---Bayard and tho Curtin En-
hror,is-

Tho Charges OF Corruption against soma
tor Payuc---Bayard and tho Curtin En-
broglio.
Correspondence ofthe Baltimore Sun.)
a clique of Ohio Republicans, with
the assistance ofa lew personal enc.
mics of Senator Payne in the Demo-
cratic party OF that State, are engaged
in n desperate effort TO produce the
impression that his election to the
Senate was accomplished through
bribery and corruption. The imme-
diate purpose seems to be to force Mr..
Payne to rise in his seat in the Senate,
deny the charges and ask for Il com.
lnittee of investigation. This Mr..
Payne has declared he will not do, as
he considers the charges, and the
source from which they emanatc, be-
meath his notice. The lower house Of
the Ohio Legislature, which is con-
rolled by tho Republicans, has al
ready authorized u committee of in
vestigation, aud it is understood that
all the members of the Legislature
which elected Mr.. Payne, who have
been mentioned as receiving n consid-
ton for voting, have positively denied
the allegation. The scheme is, how
ever, il Senator Payne cannot be
driven into asking for an investigation,
to torture the result of the legislative
inQuisition into suitable shape, and
make it the basis of a formal request to
tho Senate for an examination into the
charges by that body. 1t is alleged
that there is precedent for invcstiga-
ton in the absence OLA demand from
the Senator affected. In the case of
| Simon Cameron, of Pennsylvania, in
1867, numerous members of the State
Legislature petitioncd the Senate to
Investigate the charges of corruption
and bribery in connection with his
election, but the Senate Judiciary
Committee almost unanimously re-
ported against granting the prayer, on
the ground that it was competent for
the Legislature itself to make the in
| vestigation. In the Cameron case
there was no prctcnse of denial that
three Democratic members of the
Legislature had been paid so many
thousand dollars q piece to bolt the
Democratic caucus nominee, Colonel
FOrney, and vote for Simon Cameron,
and not of the three ever held up his
head afterward. But General Cameron
held OF to the scat which he had
bought, and thought any one extreme.
ly verdant who expected him to ask
for III investigation.
1t would appear rs if the severe
criticism and dcnunciation visitcdupon
Secretary Bayard by Governor Curtin
and others in connection with the APP
pointment of chairman of the House
Committee on Foreign Affairs is devoid
Of the least cause. 1t has already been
said that it is not usual for q Speaker
to consult n cabinet officer concerning
committees having familiar relation,
with his department., but in this case
it is now known that Mr.. Bayard haG
nothing to do with the matter. Whilc
at the State Department morning Mr.
Bayard's attention was called to the
statements which hav, been mad,
about this affair, when he replied tina
they were absurd. He said: 81 die
not interfere in any name with tho
House committees, and had nothing
whatever to do with Mr.. Carlisle's
appointments. | do not believe that
expressed a preference as to the chair
mar of the Committee on Foreign
Affairs, and / certainly did not attemp
TO defeat Mr.. Curtin's rcappointment.