Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1929-11-15
Senator Censnred.

Senator Bingham having been censuret
by the upper house Of Congress for con
duct contrary to good morals and Senate
rial ethics tending to bring the Senate int,
disrepute, as the resolution of condemna
phrases II. is to be congratulated on tn,
liehtness Of the penalty resulting from hi
indefensible course Of conduct.
A mere sensitive individual, feeling. al
he announces himself, innocent of turpi
tude. might refuse to sit longer with body
that has such an opinion of him. Tn,
Senator from Connecticut. however, pur
poses continuing as a member Of the body
at least until his term expires in 1888.
Indeed, 1t is not at all improbable thai
Bingham will be reelected II the Republi
can party continues to prevail in Connec.
tcut. He was picked for the Senatorshit
by Boss Roraback. who is the Republican
Party Of Connecticut and who broueh,
about his election before he was inaueu.
rated Governor of the State. in which
capacity Bingham served just "a hours
before moving on to the Senate. Bineham's
allegiance is to Rorabsck and through him
to the Connecticut Manufacturers Associa
ton. whose $4,000 year agent he Snug
eled into the secret hearings of the Senate
Finance Committee disguised as his secre-
tary. For this moral. IL not statutory, crime
the Connecticut Senator refuses to express
any penance. Obviously. the Manufactur-
ers Association can feel only gratitude
for the zeal and regret only for the detec-
tion Of the offense.
Theletters introduced before the Caraway
investigating committee testify to the ad-
miration the Nutmeg State seekers Of tariff
favor had for the joint performance of Sena-
tor Bingham and their lobby ennis sary
Eyanson. When they congratulated cyan
son on having secured more than they
qareained for, never dreaming that that
correspondence was to become public. they
expressed their views Of the functions of a
United States Senator.
Even the brutally frank declarations of
odd Joe" Grundy. Of Pennsylvania, who
told the committee that ii was an OUTRAGE
that the Senators from the agricultural
States should have as much to do with
tarih-makine as the representatives of the
large industrial commonwealths. did not
make more definite revelation of the
processes Of tariff legislation than did the
Bineham-Eyanson episode.
Senator Bingham In his defense said
nothing dishonorable or disreputable was
attempted. Nothing was done contrary to
good morals or to Senatorial ethics" Yet
Bingham introduced the paid agent of an
organization seeking higher tariff rates
into sessions Of the Finance Committee
which were supposed TO be so secret that
even the committee ballots which deter
mined the rates were kept from the Senate
and even the Democratic members OF the
Finance Committee were barred from the
hearings. Senator Bingham sees no tur-
pltude 10 this. Ii might well be asked
why, II his motives were as ingenious as
he pretends, he concealed the identity Of
his ostensible secretary from his own COL
leagues. 1t was only because Of fortuitious
recognition Of the identity Of the man who
sat al his elbow by other members Of the
committee that prevented Eyansons pres
ence throughthe whole Of the Finance Com
mittee's long deliberations The incident
was too obviously fragrant for the admin
stration Senators who voted for the rates
Eyanson. through Bingham. presented and
they insisted on the lobbyist being left
outside.
binehams party has a majority of Is in
the U. S. Senate. but fewer than quarter
Of the membership Of that body voted
against the resolution OF censure.
II Senator Bingham is honest in his de.
iense. If it was ignorance and inexperience
that led him so far in behalf Of the enor-
mously prosperous industries Of his State
1t Is inconceivable that he should have
functioned intellieently through his rathel
long life 40 an educator and holder of pub
lie Office. Had one Of his undergraduate
pupils at Harvard. Princeton or Yale, where
he taught. showed the degree Of unintelli
eence that he ascribed to himself. ever
Bingham must have advised the student
that he was wasting his time. and relieved
the university Of 80 unpromisins candi
for an academic degree.