there was the corrupt use of money sufficient to
change the result."

I then entered upon the details of the charges and testimony
submitted to the committee, and concluded as follows:

"It is not sufficient for us to state that the case made by this
printed testimony is not strong enough to convict. It is a question
whether it is sufficient to excite a suspicion, because upon a
suspicion a Senator's seat and his right to hold a seat here may
be inquired into. Therefore, with due deference to the distinguished
and eminent gentlemen who treat this case as if we were now passing
upon the guilt or innocence of an accused with the view of a lawyer
and the strictness of a lawyer, it seems to me they have confounded
the stage of this inquiry. It is now an inquiry only in the hands
of a committee of our body to advise whether or not, in these papers
or in any that can be produced, there is cause for investigation,
or whether there is reasonable and probable cause that can be
produced. If so, then the inquiry goes on. The final judgement,
however, is only arrived at when we shall have completed testimony
of a legal character, when, with grave and deliberate justice, and
with the kindness that we always give to our colleagues here, we
proceed to render our judgment.

"I have said more than I intended to say when I rose. I will now
add, in conclusion, that I consider that I perform a duty to my
state, and especially to the party that I represent here, and all
we can say to you is that we have believed and do now believe,
mainly upon the statements made by Democratic editors and Democratic
citizens, for they know more about it than we do, that upon the
belief generally held in the State of Ohio that fraud and corruption
did supervene in this election we ask you to make such inquiries
as will satisfy your conscience whether that charge is true or
false. If it is true, you alone are the judges of it. If it is
false, then you should punish the men who started these charges
and you should vindicate the men who have been unjustly arraigned.

"In any view I can take of it, I believe it is the duty of the
Senate of the United States, as it regards its own honor and the
future of our country, never the leave this matter in its present
condition, to be believed by some and disbelieved by others, to be
made the subject of party contest and party chicanery, but let us
have a fair, judicial, full investigation into the merits of