The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-02-17
CLEVELAND REBUKED
United States Senators Cannot All
Be Bribed with Offices.
Mr.. Peckham's Nomination for Justice
of the Supreme Court Rejected by
Majority Of Nine.
NAYS WERE Al AND YEAS 32
Turpie and Voorhees, Voted on the
''Pie Counter" Side.
Desperate Effort by Administrations
and the Corrupt Railway Lobby to
Prevent Action Until Monday.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16-Mr Wheeler II.
Peckharn, of New York city, will not be
an Associate Justice Of the Supreme Court
of the United States. His nomination to
that position was rejected by the Senate
this afternoon. The vote was 80 yeas to Al
nays-a majority of nine in the negative
three more against the administration than
were cast when Hornblower was rejected.
1t was not without a sharp struggle that
vote was finally forced upon the Peck
ham nomination. The administrationists
fought for an adjournment without action
until Monday. They believed that the rail-
road lobby and the admins tration would be
able 70 secure a sufficient number of the
opposition votes to insure confirmation-the
one by the use of money and the other by
distribution Of federal patronage. The
corridors of the Capitol fairly swarmed
with railroad lobbyists this afternoon, and
they worked like beavers to secure Peckham
votes. The corporationists were all In favor
Of Peckham. 1t was reported upon every
hand that the general officers of the Pacific
railroad companies had not only sent rep
resentatives here to influence Senators in
favor Of Peckham but had been pouring
letters upon them for several days urging
Senators to vote for the nomination. When
the administrationists attempted to secure
an adjournment Of the Senate the opposi-
ton to confirmation, which included almost
every Republican Senator, openly denounced
the proposition as a scheme to give the lob
by and the administration further oppor-
tunity to corrupt Senator's. 1t is believed
that had the adjournment proposition sue
ceeded opposition Senators could have Sc
cured thousands Of dollars each In hard
cash or almost anything in the way of fed
eral patronage they might have named for
their support of the nomination.
AT no time in the history of the country
has there been such continued and open
corruption in connection with an official.
1t was the first instance where the admin
istration attempted and probably succeeded
In securing support by the open use of
patronage. which. under the circumstances,
was as dlsgraceful as the use of money,
and it Is likely the first time in the history
OF the country where the administration has
co-operated with corporations to place a
man upon the bench of the Supreme Court
of the United States. The black record of
Boss Tweed pales into insignificance
when compared with the work of the ad-
ministrationists in connection with the
1ecknaHl nOnltldllOn. ~ De1nOcrtir Con-
gress has hardly been able to call his soul
his own, while his independence in the ex-
ercise Of a public duty has been hampered
in every direction.
The Journal correspondent has in his pos
session the names Of a number Of Demo-
cratic Senators who were offered offices
and bribes to support the Peckham nomi-
nation, while number Of others have been
fatty informed by Cabinet officers that the
reason they have not been given appoint
ments was because they would not support
the administration in it's efforts to fill the
vacancy on the Supreme Bench. More than
this, at least one Republican Senator frank
ly admits that the reason he supported the
nomination was because a postmaster was
appointed upon his recommendation, and
a personal favor to her to vote for Mr..
Peckham. Such acts are enough to make
any patriotic American citizen blush, and
should put to shame every Senator who,
for office or fear of q withdrawal of patron
age was swerved from his duty in con-
nection with this nomination.
Day before yesterday Edward p. Thomp-
son, Republican postmaster at Indianapolis,
was removed and Albert Sahm, Democrat,
appointed to the position. The Peckham
nomination came before the Senate yester-
day 1t was supported to-day by Senator'S
d. w. VOORHEES, and David Turpie, OF In
diana