The herald., 1897-06-14
A WHITEWASH BRUSH

The committee on contingent expense.
Of the senate has agreed to report ad
versely the Tillman resolution for tn,
investigation Of alleged speculations il
sugar, on the ground that "such an in.
vestigation as that proposed would b,
generally barren of results"
1t would, doubtless. day or two agt
The Herald asked: When has the sen
ate, within the memory Of the presen
generation, ever conducted a senatorial
investigation that was not a farce?"
The New York World of recent dat,
furnishes the answer. 1t has looked W
the senatorial alleged investigation.
that have been conducted in past years
In 1872 it was charged that PomeroS
and Caldwell, senators from Kansas
bought their seats with money. A senate
committee reported that $50, 900 had been
paid for Caldwells seat Caldwell was
permitted to resign without a stain.
The committee found out nothing about
Pomeroy, although the country rang
with queer stories of the means by which
he had been elected.
In the same year Powell Clayton of
Arkansas was accused of gross offenses,
but was acquitted by a senate COM
mittee.
In 1878 charges of bribery and corrup.
tion were brought against Senator Bogy
of Missouri A senate committee found
out nothing. 1t did not catch the Bogy-
man.
In June, 1878, senate committee was
appointed to inquire into Senator STAN
ley Matthews connection with the
Louisiana election frauds, which made
Hayes president of the United States.
1t was alleged that Matthews had prom
ised office to one Anderson, on condition
that he should aid in perverting the re-
turns. Anderson refused to testify, of
course. The committee mildly criticised
Matthews. By the way, Anderson got
his office
1t was charged, in 1879, that John j.
ingalls, second election to the United
States senate had been bought with
money. A senate committee investigated
and reported that bribery and other
corrupt means had been used, "but it
is not proved that sufficient votes were
secured to determine the result of the
election in ingalls, favor Nor is it shown
that Senator ingalls, authorized acts of
bribery to secure his election" Then
the senate reimbursed ingalls, for the
expense of defending his seat!
When Latham and Miller succeeded
Conkling and Platt as senator's from
New York charges of bribery and cor
ruption were made. A senate committee
found no proof
Five years later, in 1856, it was alleged
that Henry B. Payne, the Standard oil
bought up the Ohio legislature
in order to get elected to the United
States senate. The senate voted, A to
Il, not even to make an inquiry into the
facts
Calvin S. Brice was also accused of
buying his seat indirectly by contribut-
ing money to the campaign funds of men
who were running for the legislature.
but no formal charges were brought, and
so, of course, an investigation was not
made.
Then there was the Credit Mobilier
scandal. OF the several senators whose
names were implicated in that odorifer-
Gus thing, Patterson of New Hampshire
was recommended for expulsion, but the
senate took no action-Patterson was
allowed to retire Sin the odor of sena-
torial sanctity."
OF course the mere fact that charges
Of corruption are made does not of itself
prove the charges true. But those whose
run back a quarter of a CEN
tury will readily agree that the course
indicated a torpid senatorial
conscience and made the senatorial in
vestigatng committees mere white
brushes.
The senate committee that acted on
the Tillman resolution was justified by
precedent and past results; but was its
course warranted in view of the facts?