Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-06-09

udH vi bGC0uUcIs 1000. LuC IGk ibldLulC
passed the following joint resolution:
Resolved by the house OF delegates, the
senate cOncurring, first that a commit
tee of four on the part of the house and
three on the part OF the senate be ap
point to investigate all matters relat.
iug to the election held in Virginia on
Nov Z, 1898, so far as the same relates
to he election of members of the house
of delegates and senate of Virginia in
favor of or against any candidate or
candidates for the United States senate
and whether or not any improper
methods or means were used in electing
said delegates or senators in the inter
est of any candidate or candidates for
the United States senate Second, said
committee shall also enquire and re-
port whether any improper means or
methods were used in the interest of
any candidate or candidates for the
nomination of United States senator
at the caucus of the Democratic men,
beers of the house and senate held in the
hail OF the house Of delegates ON Dec
Z, 1898. Third, the said committee
shall have power to send for persons
and papers, to employ a stenograpber, to
reduce all evidence to writing. to sit
during the sessions of their respective
bodies, to make report of their pro-
ceedings in writing, with the result
of their Investigations and their recon-
mendatlons in the premises.
You will perceive that this resOlu-
tlon called for the widest possible in
vestigatiOn of everything that pertain
ed to the integrity of the election of
the legislature. But what happened
when the committee commenced its
session? Mr.. Downing, the leading
friend of Mr.. Martin on the committee,
promptly offered the following resOlu-
ton. which the committee adopted:
Resolved, That in the prosecution
of this investigation inquiry shall be
confined strictly to the question of the
conduct of the senatorial candidate
1893, and the caucus held on Dec. IL,
1893"
You will perceive that this resolu-
ton was at war with and defeated the
purposes of the legislature's directions.
The legislature wanted everything i'm
proper Investigated that related to the
election. Mr.. Downing's resolution
confined the Investigation to the con-
duct of senatorial candidates. The
resolution being thus emasculated, the
investigation became farce When
ever witness was about to tell some
thing about the election that the peO-
pie wanted to learn objection was
promptly made, the objection was sus-
tanned and the witnesses mouth was
closed, and the investigation was held
down strictly to the lines of Mr.. Down
ing's resolution. Nevertheless some
matters came out of the most startling
Importance that covered the whole
case with cloud of suspicion.
On the 18th day of December, 1898,
the Richmond Times published an edi-
tOrial article, from which / make the
following extract.
After stating that So 500 of money
contributed by the Chesapeake and the
Southern railway had come into the
possession of Mr.. Barbour Thompson
for the purposes of the election, it went
on as follows: Now knowing all the
facts that have been 80 far stated,
what a field of inquiry was open to the
committee. What might 1t not have
learned il it had required Mr.. Thomp
son to answer the following questions
Allow much money was put in Q
your hands for the recent election2
BY whom WAS the money sub
scribed and how much by each sub
scriber?
C.-Why did you not turn all this
| money over to the chairman OF the
Democratic committee?
D.-What did you do with the money
name each person to whom you gave
money, the sum given to each, produce
your check book TO show each payment
or, If you delivered actual money, the
| receipt you took for the money. The
Times has been assured by RESPONSE
BILE gentleman who has made it bis
business to investigate the matter tina t
if this course had been pursued it would
probably have turned out that in ev.
cry Case but two or three the members
of the legislature from the county to
which Mr.. Thompson sent money voted
for Martin though Martin Is wholly
unknown in any of them, though the
people in many of them are solid fol
General Lee. though in some of the
counties the nominating conventions
instructed for General Lee and though
| in number of instances the candidates
had declared to General Lee that they
were in favor of his election. To have
required answers to these questions,
| was what the committee ought to have
wanted and what the people want to
learn, and the people have understood
that the committee was appointed to
get answers to these Identical ques.
tions. Mr.. Downing said that if this
line of inquiry was entered on he want
ed to be relieved from service on the
committee for the reason that its duties
would never end.
Well did Mr.. Muschback reply that
unless it was entered ON he wanted to
be relieved for the reason that its du-
ties would never begin. When the
committee shut out light on these
matters, In the judgment of the Times,
it dealt heavy blow to the State of
Virginia. Had Mr.. Thompson been
required to disclose these matters, in
the opinion of the Times, gigantic
scheme would have been uncovered to
elect legislature to be under the
dominion and control of the railroads
by the use of money in the election.
the first use of that control being the
election to the United States senate of
a railroad attorney thoroughly identi-
fed in every way with the railroads,
who believed two years ago land pre-
sumably believe now, when the Kent
bill was before the legislature, that no
concessions should be made to the PEG
pie in their demands against them.
These are the charges with which
the atmosphere was rife at the time.
And with these charges hanging over
him and without any investigation
whatever of them, Mr.. Martin accept
ed his seat in the senate and has held
it ever since. For the first time in her
history Virginia has been for ten years
represented in the United States cen
ate by senatar who, if the senator
from Massach usetts or New Y ork had
said to him: "YOu came to this body
under cloud; charges were pending
when you were elected that the rail.
roads had corrupted your legislature
to send you here as their tool, and you
never took the ground that you would
not come here unless those charges
were investigated and cleared m - nor