Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-02-04

Souls Oh SuCn people DIS EulIOT dOuhIu,
of Greater New York, and Editor
Pecksniff, of Fourteenth stree,
Wheeling, w Va No, indeed! Edi-
tor Pecksniff quotes Editor Godkin
and both lift their hands to the sky
in praise of Saint Mark Hanna, who
is being prosecuted by the wicked
Ohio Legislature, which has had the
effrontery to consider charges and
take testimony to the effect that
Hanna used other than good and pure
means in gaining his dearly bought
seat in the United States Senate.
But to bring the matter down to
facts, already enough has been de-
veloped in the legislative investiga /.
ton of charges of corruption in th ;
recent Senatorial contest in Ohio to
confirm the popular suspicion that
Hannas triumph was due to the wrong
use of money.
The revelations thus far made indi-
cate plainly the existence of a well
matured plot to overcome the opposi-
ton to Hanna by methods as venal
as they were desperate. The mystic
rious '"Boyce," who boldly offered a
price to Representative Otis, of Gin
cinnati, through Otis's attorney, for
his vote for Hanna, appears to have
acted with the full authority and on
the initiative of the men who nominal
ly had charge of Hannas campaign.
This, of course, is an old, stale and
rotten trick of the boodler in politics
by which he escapes punishment III
the event Of the conviction OF the
briber and the bribetaker. That
Hanna knew of the operations OF
''Boyce," whether Royce was actually
hired by Hanna, himself, or by ]. Pier
pont Morgan, it would be the height
of folly to deny, and yet it is more
than probable that should the accusa-
ton made by Otis be fully substan-
tiated to the satisfaction of a thor
oughly impa, tial tribunal, the benefl-
ciary and the chief instrument in the
boodling scheme would go unwhipped
of justice.
In other words, should the Hanna
agents of corruption be identified and
convicted after fair trial in court,
Hanna would not suffer the loss of his
seat in the Senate, because of the in
disposition of that body 20 interpose
its authority against the Vaccinations
of the successful political corruption
lists who break into it.
The investigation has progressed far
enough to warrant action by the Sen
ate at Washington, but there is not
even talk Of any sort of inquiry being
instituted by the Senate. Unquestion-
ably there are members of the Senate
brave enough and honest enough to
take the lead in movement to GUST
Hanna from his seat, but the machin-
cry of national legislation is so ham,
pered by rules and precedents that the
Senators who might desire to start a
searching inquiry would be deferred
by the fear of almost certain failure.
There is one consolation to good
citizenship in the situation, however.
It is that Hanna's credentials are SO
strongly tainted with the suspicion OF
corruption that he cannot be the
power in the Senate which the dan
gerous and audacious interests he rep
resents hoped he would be when they
selected him for their champion. In
fact, the circumstances which sur
round him are such tt at Mark Hanna
will cut sorry figure in the Senate
and be scorned by upright and honor
able Senators irrespective of political
affiliations.