eable duty. The election of my colleague, Mr. Payne,
as a Member of the Senate, after an active contest with Mr. Pendleton,
gave rise to charges of corruption, not against him personally,
but against those who had charge of his canvass in the legislature.
The succeeding legislature of Ohio was Republican and undertook to
examine these charges by a committee of its house of representatives.
The charges made and the testimony taken were sent by the house to
the Senate of the United States, with a resolution requesting
further examination and that the election be vacated. The papers
were referred to the committee on privileges and elections, the
majority of whom reported that the charges were not proven, and
asked that the committee be discharged from further consideration
of the matter. The minority of the committee reported in favor of
the inquiry proposed. I felt it to be my duty to the people of
Ohio to insist upon an investigation, but in no spirit of unkindness
to my colleague. It was the first and only time I had occasion to
bring before the Senate the politics of Ohio. My relations with
Mr. Payne were friendly. I knew him, and respected him as a
prominent citizen of Cleveland and regarded well by his neighbors.
I believed that whatever corruption occurred at his election he
had no personal knowledge of it, and that his honor would not be
touched by the testimony to be produced.

On the 22nd of July I made a long speech upon the report of the
committee, reviewing the evidence presented by the Ohio legislature
and insisting that it was ample to justify and require a full and
thorough examination by the committee. I disclaimed any desire to
reflect upon the motives, or the honor, or the conduct, or the
opinions, of the Senators who differed with me, saying:

"I believe from my own knowledge of the history of events in Ohio,
as well as from the papers sent to us, that there is a profound
conviction in the minds of the body of the people of Ohio of all
political parties that in the election of my colleague there was
gross corruption, by the use of large sums of money to corrupt and
purchase the votes of members of the general assembly.

"Now, that is a fact. Whether sufficient evidence has been produced
before you to justify this belief is for you to say. Whether
sufficient has been said here to put you upon an inquiry, the fact
remains that the people of Ohio believe, that in the election of
my colleague,