Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1905-03-02
The Impeachment Trial.
Washington, d. c., Feb. %.

some of you / presume the impeach-
ment trial now in progress will be
ended and you will know the result,
but as / have attended few hours
three days / may be able to tell a
few things that will be of interest.
An impeachment trial is something
that does not occur often. Belknap's
trial was the last one before this, but
President Andrew Johnson's was the
one great one in the country's history.
Then president was brought to the
bar of the senate and tried. Feeling
ran high then. That was about forty
years ago. | had the honor of eating
lunch with Senators Dolliver and
Allison the other day and the con-
versation turning to impeachment
trials Senator Dolliver remarked that
his colleague was the only man now
in either branch of congress who was
interested in that famous trial as a
member of either branch then, he be-
ing at that time member of the house.
Dolliver laughingly added that he
(Allison) unluckily could not recall
much of the proceedings. Questions
are coming up now constantly as to
the admission of evidence and other
matters upon which precedents are
sought. OF course no mans memory,
be it ever so good, can recall such
details for forty years.
The impeachment court is peculiar
one, different from others. 1t tries an
officer for high crimes and misdemean-
ors and if it finds him guilty, it de-
poses him from Office and makes it
impossible for him to hold an Office
of profit or trust in the future. 1t
takes from such man his reputation
and his political life, and from its
decision there is no appeal. There
is no reviewing it's proceedings, re-
versing its judgments or suspendine
its sentence when imposed. A fellow
had best not lay himself liable to its
operation.
AT 2p. m. each day this week the
Senate has been resolving itself into
the impeachment court. AT that hour
Senator Frye, who is the Senate's
presiding officer there being no Vice
President of the United States now
hands the gavel to Senator Platt, o
Connecticut, who takes the chair.
The Sergeant at Arms then pompous.
ly proclaims that the Senate of the
United States, sitting as court Of
| impeachment, is now in session, anG
warns all persons to give attention
and keep order under penalty of i'm
prisonment, while they listen to the
trial of the case of the Uuited States
against Charles Swayne, Judge of tn,
northern district of Florida, on tria
for high crimes and misdemeanors
Then the case is on. The witnes,
stands to the right of the presiding
officer and on the first platform. The
Questioning counsel also stands Will,
he questions. Judge Swane, the accus
ed, sits on the front seat facing tn
presiding officer, clerks, reporter
and witnesses. His two attorneys ar
beside him. They are ex-Senato
John M. Thurston, of Nebraska, an,
ex-Senator Higgins, of Delaware
VNbaea N no fu<, yarv a,,,ina onJ III
lawyers. The House managers, o
attorneys for the prosecution, ar
Congressman Palmer, Pa; Powers
Mass; Omstead, Pa; Perkins, N. Y.
Clayton, Ala; Diamond, Mo-; an
Smith, KY.
One popularity about the proceedin
is the chair cannot rule on the admis
sion of evidence, or on questions in
volving the procedure, but eac
question arising has to be submitte
to a vote of the Senate, for the Ser
ators are the judges as well as tn
jurors.
Senator Plat makes good pre-
siding officer except that he is littl
slow and hasn't very strong voice
Senator Bacon, of Georgia, Senate
Culbertson, of Texas, the two Florid
Senator'S and few of the other soutl
ern Senators are inclined to send u
to the Secretary to have read a goo
many questions calculated to be I
assistance to the prosecution, whic
shows where their sympathies ar
The ayes and noes also show pretl
plainly that the case is one on whi'
party lines are somewhat drawn.
one who has observed the case consi
erably, though has not followed it a.
it looks like the prosecution had n
made very serious case. Jud
Swayne has had hard time do,
there. He tried to straighten o
some croockedness and the prevailir
political element there have tried
make it uncomfortable for him
return. He is good looking m
past middle age, rather tall a
stopped. My guess is that he will
acquitted.
want to write something about t
Senate, ''the most illustrious leg
\ lative body in the world" as it q
y pears to me but l see the length
this forbids it now.
Everybody is preparing for inar