Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1856-03-27
KANzAs CONTESTED ELECTION.
SPEECH OF HON. ]. A. BINGHAM.

AdFehO 70, 1000.
On the Resolution reported from the Commit.
tee Of Elections in the Contested. Election
case from the Territory Of Ksnzas.
Mr.. BINGHAM said: Mr.. Speaker, |
agree with the gentleman from South Carroll.
na, Mr. BOyce, that in the investigation oI
this question we should have regard to the Law
of the land that We should ask nothing. and
that we should take nothing in violation OF the
law. am impressed with the proprety oi
that remark and, sir. it is because would
have the law vindcsted-it is because would
go As far as he that goes lurthes! in the sup.
port and maintenance of the supremacy of the
law, that ask the House to confer upon the
committee the power to send for persons and
papers. The committee, in making this re.
quest Of the House, Ouly ask that they may be
permitted to show the truth in regard to the
great questions arising out Of the Kansas elec.
lous, which agits;e the public mind, The
truth can wrong no man. The interests of the
nation, the supremacy Of the laws, which have
been violated in the elections in KanEss, de-
msnd that the truth should be known in this
case; and it is for that reason that ask to have
this power conferred upon the committee.
do not understand the gentleman from
South Carolina as questioning the power Of
the House to give authority to the committee
compel the attendance Of witnesses before
Il for the purpose OF investigating these qles-
tions. It's power that has never been ques-
toned, and one that has been exeicis ed before.
It is not claimed on the part OF the minority Of
the committee. as l understand it, that the
power is not within the discretion ofIhe House.
The only question, then, is, whether case has
been made out which. in the judgment Of the
House, would authoriEe this investigation, and
whether thisis the beat mode Of conducting
that investigation That is all there is Of it.
That is the length and breadth o! the entire
question.
Mr. Speaker, the fact is apparent, that one
or the other Of the Delegates here claiming q
seat as the representative Of the people Of Kan.
zas Is here in violation of the organic law Of
the Territory, The fact, take it, is apparent
aud srlfeVident. The most credulous man 10
this Hall cannot believe that free and intelli-
gent people, knowing their own rights, and
daring TO m .nttin and vindicAts them, would
so far forget themselves, and so far forget the
laws under which alone they are secure in the
protection Of their persons and property, as to'
violate them so grossly and h'grantly as to
hold two elections for congressional Delegates
the same year and in tbs same month, when by
the laws Of the Territory they should hold but
one. The most simple and the most credulous
will not believe that the people Of the Terrific
ry Of Kanzas, knowing that by the organic
law OF the Territory, they have the right to
elect but single Delegate to Congress, have,
in violation Of the express letter of that law,
undertaken to elect two Delegates in the same
year, and to the same Congress. No man
will dispute the fact, that tVo distinct elections
for congressional Delegate were held during
the last year within that Territory, nor will any
one be bold enough to dispute the further fact,
that ct each Of those elections q vote equal in
number to the entire legal vote of that Terri
tory was cast. The sitting Delegate comes
here claiming a vote of some twenty nine hun
dr.d, He who is called the contestant, but
who is not contestant at all-the other claim
ant OF q seat--comes here sustained by some
twenty y.ei yht or twenty-nin hundred vOtes,-
tits a notorious fact, that greater legal vote
than that did not exist within the Territory Of
Kanzas on either Of the days on which these
elections we're held. to wit: the lst and the
9th of last October. And is any man TO be
told that the people Of that Territory assem-
bled on the first day Of last October, and cast
all the votes within their control for the sitting
Delegate, and then went through the farce only
eight days afterwards of meeting again and
casting all their votes for his opponent No
man, cir. can be made to believe that.
It strikes me, on this view Of the case, that
IL must be seen and felt that, 10 one or other Of
these elections, the organic law Of the Terrific
~ was wsntonly trampled on and disregarded.
Il must also be apparent that, at one or other
Of these elections, the election was s9psrintsnd.
81 and votes cast by adiffereut people altogeth-
or from that which sapsrinteadsd and cast the
votes at the other election. 1t concerns all the
people Of .his land to know the truth of this;
to know whether the organic law for the gov
srnmeat Of that Territory has been de6ed. set
al naugAt, and overturned BY armed invasiOEs
Have the people Of Kansas chosen the sitting
Delegate, or hare they been conquered by an
invading army2 Is the sitting Delegate here
without the consent Of the people, in violation