Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-08-01
The Ohio Election.

ONO election ullS [alI IS INC StleClIOH
Of members Of the Legislature who will
choose a successor to Henry 3. Payne
in the L. 5. Senate. Probably there
never has been another instance in the
history Of this nation. when the pur-
chase of public Office Was accom-
panied with such braLen effrontery,
and where there was such laundering
effort TO conceal the bribery, as was
exhibited in the purchase Of seat i'll
the [. 5. Senate by Mr.. Payne. Other
men have bought legislatures and
corrupted judiciarieS, but they have
done it indirectly, and so covered their
steps that actual detection was very
difficult. But Mr.. Payne occupies Il
seat bought for him in open market.
4 quarter million OF dollars was scat
tered broadcast in the democratic
caucus, aud the price asked for a
Payne vote was paid over the counter
without shame Or effort at cOncealment.
Mr.. Payne was declared duly elected.
He went to Washington followed by the
protests OF every fair-minded citizen Of
The great state Of Ohio. That state
which las never allowed a stain upon
her fair name. through every depart
ment Of her government asserted that
Mr.. Payne had bought his way into The
senate. and demanded Of the members
of hat body an Investigation. The
5p.aapd MIS- made by the governor, b.
all the state officers, 10y the Legislature,
by every republican representative Ill
congress from that state, by every re-
publican editor Of the state. ana by a
large number of the leading democratic
editors as well. These official and non
official demands for an investigation set
forth the transaction i'll all IFS details.
with names and dates and amounts
and places with such definite precision
that an investigation would irresis-
tably lead to an exposure of the cor
ruption. 1t was expected that the
/. :. senate, composed theOretic-
ally of individuals of that worthy and
honorable class of citizens who are sup
posed to give stability, dignity and
standing TO the highest legislative body
in the land, would have taken heed to
the representations and demands of the
sovereign state Of Ohio through its
officers, and would have at least purged
itself of so serious a charge as was
then made against one Of its sitting
members. But what was the astonish-
ment of the people of the entire coun-
try when they saw that august body
debating day after day as to whether
an investigation of these undisputed
facts should be made; and how dumb
founded was every one when the final
vote was taken and the !. S. senate
proclaimed to the world that hereafter
it would be safe for corruptionists to
walk boldly into legislative caucuses
and then buy senatorial votes with as
much freedom as merchandise is bought
and sold in the market"
Had the vote against an inVestiga-
ton been confined to senators of the
same political faith as Mr.. Payne, it
might have been attributed to partisan
zeal, and the excuse might have been
urged that it would have been better
to permit that senator to- hold a seat
which he had bought, than to deprive
him of his seat with an absolute GER
tainty that it would be filled by re-
publican.
But a blush of shame came to the
face of every patriotic and Iberty-lov-
ing member of that party. when fifteen
names of republican senators were
found among those who voted that a
seat in the L. S. senate may be bought
with impunity. 1t is apparently
very doubtful if, in the present make
ND of the United States senate, a case
of bribery in the election Of one of its
members could be presented with suffi-
cient power to induce that body to I'M
dertake an official inquiry into the
facts. Ohio keenly feels the humili-
ating insult which was inflicted upon
her by the United States senate in per-
hitting Mr.. Payne to retain his seat
without an investigation. after an
official demand was made for an inveS-'
tigation, and after overwhelming evil
.xlenee of the corruption was produced,
and she will this fall elect a Legislature
which will send a man to the United
States senate who viii not owe his eie-
walton to bribery and corruption; audit
is 70 be hoped that he will be a man.
whose moral development is such that
no Standard Oil company or other cor
poration can, by threatSsor other more
potent Influences. cause him to deviate
one hair s breadth from his duty.