| Show A V U 8 SENATOR ACCUSED OF BRIBERY OUR ur dispatches bring the information that at last senator payne of ohio intends to notice the charges of bilbery preferred by col donavan which affect his election to the senate of the united states his silence was interpreted by his enemies and perhaps by the public generally as inability to meet the issue but he now invites the most thorough and rigid scrutiny tin 11 and offers his personal papers and accounts to aid in the investigation ti on the public should therefore suspend P end judgment and give the senator t the he benefit of the doubts that only a f fair and full examination can dissipate it is charged that in order to defeat mr pendleton Pendle tou and secure the election of mr payne a large amount of money as well as sundry promises was expended in purchasing the votes of members of the ohio assembly that men whose constituents wanted pendleton and who were understood to be committed to bo vote vole for or that gentleman were seen by persons perilous connected edwith with the wealthy corporation known as the standard oil company end and that thai they suddenly changed their minds and voted for mr payne bet bat there is something more definite than this in the charges col S K donavin Oo navin in an open letter to hou hon henry B payne which was published in the cincinnati commercial gazette and has been copied into other papers gives ives the names of nearly a score of bembers members of the two houses of the ohio assembly who were bribed and the amounts they received the sums ranged from 1200 to each and sundry promises of patronage donavin does not say that tha t mr payne personally aided in this corruption b but at he says he cannot understand d it could take place without his knowledge he does not bel believe that mr paynes friends would use the means employed without his consent he points to the tact fact that during the canvass for the election of members to the legislature mr paynes name was not pressed as to be supported for or united states senator and that several democratic members who subsequently voted for him were elected as pendleton men and he shows that the friends of mr payne including the Stin standard dard oil company men gathered at columbus just before tile the sitting of the legislature and interviewed I 1 ter viewed the members who were induced to support him col Dona donavin vinis is a well known politician and journalist he is about 55 scars cars of age agenas has been manager of the new few I 1 york ork world horld and of the baltimore wa sette and has been connected with the he columbus times in which he did some editorial work during the campaign when pendleton Pendle toa payne and ward were fighting for the he once acted as manager of the the tennessee jubilee singers ingers and travelled with them through brough ohio and pennsylvania he is s recognized as a man of at ability but his bis opponents say he has bibulous habits and has lost caste among men of high standing the charges are so specific and detailed and made with such uc open plainness that they ought to be thoroughly investigated we do not think senator payne was under any obligation to notice the accusations of a person like donatini Dona vini nor even of newspapers that attacked him but now that some official notice has been taken of the matter he has properly put himself himsel fl on the record and anu announces ounces his position charges of bribery are often made very freely by defeated political opponents but it is usually very difficult to substantiate them and it if the members who are said to have received money as an inducement to vote for mr pa payne keep ee a close jouthas mou thas as they are ilk likely ely to do col donavin and his supporters 0 rt ers will ill have a hard time in making their heir accusations stick if mr Pay really been elected by the potent force of money whether it be his own funds or those of the standard oil company he ought to be ought deposed from his exalted p place ace and the men who took the money and those who bribed them ought to be prosecuted under the criminal law but there are two sides to every question and the public ought to wait idill they are both developed |
