St. Paul daily globe., 1888-02-08
CORPORATION INFLUENCE,

That was mortifying confession,
but none the less truthful, made by a
distinguished member of congress the
other day who lamented the fact that
not member of the United States SEN
ate had Self-reSpect enough to rise in
his seat and ask for the expulsion of
LELAND STANFORD from the United
States senate. AS the partner of G. p.
HUNTINGTON, CHARLES CROCKER and
the late MARK HOPKINS, Mr.. STANFORD
should not hold his seat in the senate
fol one moment, and there is perhaps
no other legislative assembly in the
world that would permit such an out
rage.
\ still more mOrtifying feature of the
matter is found in the explanation given
by another distinguished member of
congress of the reason why no senator
has exhibited sufficient self-respect to
ask for STANFoRD's expulsion. IF you
eXpel STANFORD because he is the busi-
ness associate of HUNTINGTON and
CROCKER," says the member, ''you will
certainly have to expel WILLIAM NJ.
EvARTS, of New York, who is the attor-
ney before the supreme court for the
Central Pacific company. You will
have to eXpel GEORGE F. EDMUNDs, of
Vermont, who, in the same suit, is at
tOrney for the Union Pacific. You
will have to eXpel SPooNER, of Wiscon-
sin, who is attorney for the st. Paul,
Minneapolis q Omaha. DOLPH, of Ore
gon, would have to go as attorney for
the Northern Pacific. SO would WAL
THALL. of Mississippi, who is one of
HUNTINGTON'S attorneys in the Chesa-
peake IL Ohio. BATE, of Tennessee,
would have to step. 1 tell you, if you
are going to spring the rule that the
principals in a great wrong are not
worthy to sit in the senate, you will
have to apply it to the lawyers and at
tOrneys who are their paid defenders
and apolOgists." In confirmation of this
cOngresSman's views, one day a few
weeks ago, in the supreme court of the
United States, in suit brought by the
Pacific Railway companies, attacking
the constitution of California and
its power to tax corporations, no less
than four senators and one ex-senator
appeared as cOusel for the companies.
They were GEORGE F. EDMUNDs,
WILLIAM NJ. EvARTs, Roscoe CoNK-
LING, Senators DoLPH, of Oregon, and
STEWART, of Nevada-all Republicans.
To what depths have we descended.
Here in the highest legislative body in
our republic we find disgraceful con-
ditiOn of affairs, that would not have
been tolerated in the English parlia.
ment, even at time when a
JEFFRIEs disgraced the English judi
ciary, or in the Roman senate when
bribe-taking was considered a sena-
torial accomplishment. Is there nc
American senator possessing the man
hood to rise in his place and in
the name of an outraged people de.
mand the expulsion of these corpora
tiOn hirelings? The friends of our new
Minnesota senator predicted that Mr.
DAVIS would do something to immor
taliZe himself by the time that he had
comfortably warmed his new seat; bu
as yet our Minnesota people have failed
to catch the echo of his voice ringing
in denunciation of this great outrage
Mr.. DAVIS delivered a great speech
several years ago in opposition to the
extension of corporate power. He re
lied on the effect of that speech to carr
for himself the support of the farmer
element in his contest for the senator
ship. The farmers supported him OIL
the strength of it, and Mr.. DAvI!
was elected. He has taken hi
fhn hrtf Il,
is sitting there i'll the same room will