The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-08-15
Governor Sulzer' s
Impeachment
There is a difference.

Governor Suffers impeachment by the house
of assembly of New York ia the first instance
on record In the Empire State OF the formal in
dlctmcnt of the State executive. 1t precipitates
situation, therefore, without precedent but
for which the constitution of the Commonwealth
provides in the designation of the lieutenant
Eovernc- to act pending the trial Of the charges
by the court OF impeachment. consisting of the
senate and the Court of Appeals, sitting jointly
Washington has taken a keen interest in the
progress of the fight against Governor Sulzer
by Leader Murphy of Tammany, owing to the
long residence of the governor In this city
member of congress. AT the outset there was
immediate and unqualified sympathy for Mr.
Sulzer for the charges successfully brought
against him were obviously inspired by political
malice, to dissuade him from his In in
sisting upon the adoption of n State primary
system and in his refusal to recognize the Tam
many influence in the filling of state Offices
These early charges, however, of trivial
Or plainly manufactured nature and 1t not
until the allegation was advanced tina; the gov
ernor had made false return under the law.
of the contributions to his campaign fund, that
serious attention was paid to the. attacks.
Quickly following this development came the
charge, now included in the articles Of i'm
parchment. that the governor had diverted to
his personal uses. in the prosecution of
certain Wall Street operations some Of the con-
tributions to the campaign fund Upon the pre-
sentation of testimony to this effect by brokers,
accompanied by documentary exhibits the in
xesttgatinp committee promptly moved for I'm
peac hment, and that motion has carried after
a brief but vigorous fight in the assembly. in
which the governors cause was champ,oned by a
combination OF Republicans ana FrogreSsiVes IN
opposition to the almost solid vote of the
Demo crats
An interesting aspect has been given to lie
case in the last hours by the announcement that
Mrs Sulzer declares that 1t she and not
her husband who endorsed and used his per-
sonal account the checks given for campaign
purposes This action was of no avail, however,
in stemming the tide against the governor.
What effect it may have. If adduced In the de-
tense before the court OF impeachment, remains
to be seem
Regardless of the merits Of the charges
"A gainst Governor SuIzer, it may well be believed
that II he had been consfderate or the wishes
OF the Tammany organization he would nave
had no trouble whatever at Albany, and no move
would have been made to obtain Information OF
Ia derogatory nature 1t is due to this fact that
even In the face of the grave accusations. with
apparent proof, that have been brought against
him he still holds the sympathy Of large part
OF the public. From the day that he defied
1,a mmany he has been subjected to an incessant
persecution No efforts have been spared to
obtain facts to his discredit. His life has been
nrobed to every detail. From the beginning 1t
has been apparent that the whole process was
no better than enterprise of blackmail to
brighten him into subservience, and II must be
said for him now. In the hour of his impeach-
Iment that whatever faults he may nave COM
Imitted however true may be fhe charges upon
which he has been impeached, he has at least
been engaged in q fight against an organfxa-
ton that stands for all that is corrupt In Amert-
can politics.-Washington Star.