Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-03-08
Unprineipled Legislation.

Two cases Of contested election have lately
been decided in the House Of Representatives
on principles quite in keeping with those which
seem to govern the general action of the ma
iOrity in that body. The first was the case Of
MeSsrs. BALDWIN and TRowBRIDGE, Of Michi-
gan. \ law Of that State authorized soldiers
abroad in the army to vote outside of the State
in elections held under the State laws. Mr.
BALDWIN received a majority Of the home
vote. His opponent, Mr.. TRowBRIDGE, received
the soldiers vote in camp and received the GER
tifcates. The Supreme Court Of the State de-
cided the State law unconstitutional and the
votes of soldiers to be illegally cast. The
House Of Representatives has, however, de
Cided that the soldiers vote shall be counted,
and gives the seat TO Mr.. BALDWIN.
1t is well to observe that the Supreme Court
of Michigan-which decided the vote to be IN
constitutional-iS composed Of Republicans.
The member who was refused seat is De-
mocrat, and the favored one, ADMITTED on this
principle, is Republican.
The second case was that of MeSsrs. YooR-
HE'S and WAsHBURNE, of Indiana the former
being the regularly returned and sitting men,
Der. He, like Mr.. BALDWIN, stood in OppoSi-
ton to the majority, and was elected from his
seat for no other reason, that we can see, than
that Of his opposition. The Washington cor
respondent of the New York Express, speaking
of the transaction at the time, said The eX-
pulsion Of Mr.. VOORHEES, has created consider
able indignation here. 1t is regarded-as it
undoubtedly was-a most unjust and impolitic
affair. FOrty-fve Republican members refused
to vote on the final queStion-believng, as
many of them assert, that Mr. V. was fairly
elected. The necessity for increasing the par
tvs vote, as suggested by Mr.. STEVENS, was
the only reason for turning him out, and upon
that ground alone he was expelled.
While the Radical managers fear the presence
ola man like Mr.. VOORHEES,, they stand ready,
as the St. Louis Republican remarks, to seize on
any pretext for putting out an opponent. Im-
mensely strong, ISIS their party in the House,
these managers still grudge the party opposed
the slightest show there. Mr.. VOORHEES, was
turned out without the shadow Of an excuse,
besides the naked one that his removal would
make room for a plrtizan Of their own. And
il has now come to this; The Radical MAORI
ty are resolved that, as far as possible, there
shall be absolutely nobody in Congress to OPP
pose their measures, no matter how utterly
hostile these measures may be to the best in
terests of the country. This is why they per
sist in barring out the Representatives from the
Southern States. What an example Is this
setting for future majorities We wonder the
New York Tribune does not see it in this
light, and caution its men from setting such an
example.
rump Congress now declares eleven States
unit to be represented in Congress. These
States happen TO be Southern States. By and
BY a majority in Congress may-and as things
are going will be likely to--declare some other
"A Northern--State or two equally unfit.
This latest style OF maintaining party ascen-
dency, by DISTINGUISHING whole communities or
by turning out of Congress everybody repre-
senting a minority, is an invention of the Ra-
deal managers, with STEVENS, SUMNER, It
ceteri, in the van. Is there no Republican
press in the land discerning enough to see how
this invention is working and to what it tends
Is there no Republican press patriotic and
courageous enough to proclaim its convictions
when it does see this