The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-04-26
SENATOR CLARK CASE
Recalls the History of Expul-
sions From the Senate.
AND THESE HAVE BEEN FEW
Only One Representative Has
Ever So Suffered

Washington, April $50 far as its
/ place in the historical records is con-
cerned, the case of Senator Clark now
deserves watching. If he should re-
sign, as has been frequently predicted,
before the senate gets a chance TO act,
he would be spared the addition of his
name to the list of those whom the
senate has removed from its member
ship, whereas, If he ''hangs" on till ac-
ton is reached, he is likely to furnish
a memorable precedent, and effectually
end the current charge that the United
States senate does not care how its mem
bers are elected.
Heretofore the senate has refused to
unseat any of it's members on account
Of bribery charges, or, rather, the cases
lacking evidence to support them. In
the case of Lafayette Grover of Oregon
who came to the senate in 1877, the
committee reported that ''the evidence
taken did not sustain the charges" and
asked TO be discharged from further
consideration of the subject" One
member of the committee went further,
in agreeing with this decision, and ex-
pressed the view that great injustice
had been done Mr. Grover by the con-
sideration, even in committee, of any
thing so vague. Two years later came
the ingalls, case. The committee re-
ported in substance that, while there
We're evidences of some bribery, it was
not shown that it had Influenced enough
votes to change the result; nor was, it
shown that Mr.. ingalls, had authorized
it. A minority of the committee added
that similar means had been employed
TO defeat him. He was allowed there
after to remain undisturbed in the SEN
ate, and was reimbursed for the expenses
of tive contest.
A much later case is that of Henry B.
Payne of Ohio The charges against him
We're referred by the Republican state
central committee, by both houses of the
legislatu re, by a state convention of Re-
publican editors and in the form of
memorial from certain citizens. Three
reports were made; the first two, signed
10y seven senators in all, declared that
there was not sufficient evidence offered
to warrant the senate in proceeding with
the investigation. The remaining two
members Of the committee thought that
there was.
The official records show that
although few senators have been actu-
ally unseated, several have escaped only
by such a narrow margin that the popu-
lar impression has gone forth that they
met an unhappy fate. William Blount
of Tennessee was expelled in 1897 by a
vote of % to 1. Jesse d. Bright of In
diana was expelled for disloyalty during
the civil war, and three other senators
were actually expelled at its opening
Polk and Johnson of Missouri and Brock
enridge Of Kentucl1y-for sympathy with
the secession cause, more or less actively
expressed. A group OF other senators
from southern states, including Jefferson
Davis. appear in the Digest as with
drawing al various dates. The senate
went through the form of declaring their
seats vacant, but the phraseology used
Yin the Digest is the more accurate de-
scription Of their cases. 1t, therefore.
appears that, aside from the civil war
and its complications. Mr.. Blount of Ten
nessee is the only man who has, thus
far in the history of the country, been
actually expelled. John Smith, senator
from Ohio, came within one Of it. The
vote stood 10 to 10 in his case, when %
! to 10 would have been sufficient. And
there were other "close squeezes," not
to count senators like Gallatin, who have
! been unseated on a technicalty in no
| way discreditable to them.
| The experience of the late James W.
| Patterson of New Hampshire will be
most generally recalled among this class
Of narrow escapes The house of repre-
sentatives transmitted to the senate the
evidence taken by a committee investi-
eating the Credit AIobilier charges. The
communication was referred to a select
senate committee which reported in
few weeks, generating some other SEN
ators. but submitting a resolution to ex-
pei Mr.. Patterson. This was on the 9th
of February. and, as his term expired on
March 3. no action was reached. On
March 25, however, the senate received
statement made by Mr.. Patterson in
his own defense, with a report reciting in
its preamble that it was manifestly i'm
possible for the senate to consider the
resolution of a previous congress, and
that it was questionable if it were COM
petent for the senate TO consider the case
after Mr. Patterson had ceased to pc a
member of that body.
Mr.. Brights technical offense was the
writing, on March l. 1851, of a letter ad-
dressed to His Excellency Jefferson
Davis, President Of the Confederate
States" in which he introduced to him
Mr.. Lincoln OF Texas. who, as the letter
said. visits your capital mainly to dis
pose of what he regards a great improve
ment in firearms" Mr.. Bright's friends
always urged that he was merely get
| ting rid Of q rrSnuhlasorra visitor r-hn