Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1897-05-20
A Sad Commentary.

A Sad Commentary.
Mr.. E. r. Chapman of New York,
las been declared to be contumacious I
witness by the United States Supreme
Court. Mr.. Chapman was summoned f
"a appear before one of the Senate t
which was Investigating q
The action of certain U. s. Senators :
with reference to speculations in sugar
during the tendency Of the Wilson
bill. Mr.. Chapman refused to testify
as to what Senators had speculated
his banking firm of Moore v
schley. 1t being impossible to convict
ANYBODY without witnesses, and the
witnesses summoned having refused to
testify, the committee was powerless.
But it ordered the District Attorney
to prosecute Mr.. Chapman for con-
tempt. and this being done the court
of the District of Columbia found him
guilty. and assessed q fine OF sow
against him and ordered him to jail
for 80 days. From this decision Mr.
Chapman appealed to the Supreme
court, and that tribunal has affirmed
the lower court, and Mr.. Chapman will
90 to Jail unless some intervening
providence prevents. This providence
is sought through the president who
will be asked to pardon the banker.
II the President does so, further effort
on the part of Senate committees to
obtain evidence will be futile, and in
yestigations when great personages
are interested will cease or become
mere by-words, and jests. 1t is slngu-
lar to see the interest taken by leading
| journals in the case. A prominent
Washington paper supplicating for
this much prosecuted gentleman OF
wealth saws: eff the Senate wished to
dicipline it's members it should have
put them on trial and not meddled with
private firms engaged in legitimate
and honorable business" How could
members of the Senate be disciplined
without proof OF their populations,
and how could proof be obtained
without the testimony of those through
whom the wrongful act was consum-
mated? Strange justice that. and
strange attempt to dicipline and ferret
out crime, if those who know the facts
and only those outside the accused
lwho cannot be compelled to testify,
are allowed to go quit by Presidential
4 pardon or otherwise. But there is
much behind this case. Messrs. Hav-
Iemeyer and Searles, the great million
laire sugar refiners, to whom we pay
tribute at every meal-rendering unto
Caesar of course those things which are
C@sars'-are to be prosecuted for the
very same offence comm tilted at or
about the same time. The enormitY
: of the outrage becomes apparent when
we draw aside this curtain and behold
a scene where these worthys look out
from behind bars and bolts. These are
the men who furnished Gen. Hanna
the sinews of war in the last campaign
and a grateful nation could not see
them fined and imprisoned. After the
} decision OF the Supreme Court to the
contrary the lachrymose journal afore
said, says: HE (Chapman) was not
. really an offender. He was not
a conspirator, he was not contumaci
lous." What has our Supreme Cour
). done? Ordered a man to be fined and
imprisoned who was not an offender
b lwho was not contemocious? Sucl
8 gush may be expected, and it is pre-
8 dicted that this great triumviate o
h Havemeyer. Searles and Chapman
Q will 60 unwhipt of justice. because II
a this, as In other countries, they ar
# exempt from the tolls of the law, es
n pecially when their money elects tn
J. chief magistrate.
I'll Executive clemency did not come t
4s banker Chapman, and on Monday las
D. he went to jail in Washington, that i
e he went to two elegantly fitted VI
If apartments in the building known a
= the jail, to spend 80 days. The cour
If which sentenced him seemed sorr,
# it had to do SO, and made as abject al
apology as it we'll could to Mr.. Chap
,r man, stating that he was not crimi
n nal, and that the majesty of the lay
d would be indicated If Mr.. Chapman
20 would condescend to do as the iudg
Q. told him,-go out to the prison house
20 and have the best time he could.
re- Thus does wealth disdain law, an
IN make it in such cases a mere shan
le Mr.. Havemeyer and Mr. Searles VIII
b. are to be tried have not so many feal
u as before, and they need hardly b
is tried in view Of the mock punishment
W to be melted out.