The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-03-30
SENATE SUSTA|NS
BRIBERY CHARGE
AGAINST ALLDS
Vote COnvicting Former Presi.
dent Pro. Tenn. 40 to 9
RESIGNED BEFORE CONVICTED
Resignation Filed With Lieut. Gov
a Half Hour Before Voting
Began

Albany, March 3O.-The Senate by
a vote of 40 to 9, sustains the charge
that Senator lothian p. Aids has
demanded and taken bride. 1t is
unable to punish Aids, however, for
yesterday morning before the vote
began he resigned his position in the
Senate and thereby released himself
from the jurisdiction of that body
The question of what shall be done
with Senator Conger. Aids accuser.
still remains. A report that Conger
intended to follow Aids example and
resign proved unfounded, and his fu-
ture action is still in doubt. Major.
ity Leader Cobb introduced a resolu-
ton providing for the formal pres
entation OF charges against Conger,
based on the evidence brought out by
the investigation that he gave bride
to influence legislation. The Senate
postponed action on this proposition
until today and adjourned after for
mally adopting the report OF the com
mittee of the whole in which the
question was first decided
The Senate vote was 3S to s. three
OF the members having left the cham
Der and Senator Coats having chang
ed from the negative to the afiirma-
tive side. Aids was not in the Sen.
ate chamber but Senator Conger sat
all through the proceedings with his
wife at his side When the final vote
was announced, he turned to his wife
and smiled but he declined to dis
cuss the result for publication
The voting was delayed by the res.
ignation Of Aids. which for a time
threatened to disrupt the program. A
number of senators saw in this devel-
opment a chance to avoid committing
themselves individually on the
main question. A tentative propOs-
ition to dispense with a vote on the
question of sustaining the charges
was discussed during a short recess,
but the appeal of President Pro TEN
Cobb that the members had no right
to avoid responsibility in this way f.
nally prevailed and the voting began
at l2.l7 o'clock. The last vote was
cast an hour and a quarter later The
only speeches were delivered by Sen
ators Grady and Caffrey, Democrats.
and by Senator Coats, Republican.
Grady argued for half an hour in
Aids favor but only four of the Dem
ocrats voted with him.
A statement given out By Aids
counsel declared that Aids resigned
on the advice Of his attorneys be-
cause the latter were satisfied that
his case was not to be decided by the
evidence but by political expediency
and influence brought to bear from
Washington and elsewhere"
Developments will follow thick and
fast on the action of the Senate.
Aids resignation makes it possible
for Governor Hughes to call spec
ial election for the immediate selec-
ton of Aids successor in the Chen
ango district.
Half an hour before his colleagues
were scheduled to begin voting Aids
resigned from the Senate. In view
of frequent declarations that he
would not take this course and would
stand or fall by the decision of his
colleagues, his action came as thun-
der clap.
His resignation reads as follows%
Hon. Horace White, Lieutenant
Governor of the state of New York
and President of the Senate: Dear
Sir:-I, lothian p. Aids, do hereby
resign the Office of senator, repres-
enting the thirty-seventh senatorial
district of the state of New York,
which | now hold.
This resignation to take effect i'm
mediately.
Dated March 80, 1870 Csigned)
lothian p. Aids.
Before Aids sent in his resignation
to the secretary of states Office he
went to the financial clerk of the
senate and signed for his salary to
late. About the same time Senator
Conger also signed for his money. 1t
was understood that as soon as the
senate passed its verdict, sustaining
his charges, Conger also would re.
| sign. His attorney, Mr. Van Hoeson,
declared positively, that Senator Con
ger would not resign before the vote
was taken.
While Aids resignation did not re-
move the necessity of voting on the
question of sustaining the charges 1t
had the effect of stopping much Of
the argument that was expected to
attend the voting Several senators
who had come prepared with long
briefs to read in explaining their