Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-03-14
Ogio Statesman. u ] /.
Row Hon. ID. w. Voorhees, was
Cheated out Of His Seat.

| NOW hhOns Ds w, VOOruePS Whi
| Cheated Ou1 of His Seat.
The committee for increasing the radica
majority in the House by all means, fair ol
| foul, have not covered their tracks well
! They cheated A. G. Baldwin, of Michigan
| out of his seat in Congress to give 1t to s
blatant radical. They have cheated ID. w
| Voorhees,, of Indiana, out of his seat to give
| it to another, and are still at work increas.
| ing their majority. But they have worked
| in the guise of committee on Elections
The following extracts from speech of Mr.
| Voorhees, show that the mask was torn of
somehow and their real character exposed
not to say avowed: ..e' o..
Mr.. .VOORHEES-Iw will suppose that the
seat of member of this House is contested
in the usual way; that the case is reached
and taken up by the committee of Elec-
tions; that full and elaborate argument IL
heard by both parties to the contest, eX-
tending through three days; that all the
evidence is in, and so far as the contest and
the sitting member are concerned, the case
is closed and submitted to the committee.
l will suppose that the sitting member is
politically very obnoxious to seven out of
the nine members of the committee, and
has no charitable constructions to expect
at their hands; that he informed them in
the argument of the case that all he ex-
pected or asked was simply what the law
and the facts would compel them to give
that bare naked justice, after all doubtful
points have been ruled against him, was
all he sought to confirm his title to his
seat. 1 will suppose that after the close of
the argument, the committee, of its own
motion, and against the wishes of both par
ties, took the whole matter under advise
mont nnrinn nnorlU fba Af
week, at the end of which time its men,
bers announced themselves ready to- vote.
/ will suppose that thereupon the roll of
the committee was called for the yeas and
nays, and that every member of the COM
mittee, with but one exception, answered
that the sitting member was entitled to his
seat; that the one dissenting vote was Civ
en- by the chairman; that then, for some
reason of which we are all profoundly ig-
nOrant, this action of the committee in IA
vor of the sitting member was withheld
from this House, and that after the lapse of
nearly another week, during which time
no more evidence was taken, no more argu-
ment heard, and no further notice given,
at least to the sitting member, different
conclusion was reached, and the contestant
declared to be elected by the very same
men who few days before had solemnly
declared that he was not l need not stap
to characterize such proceeding with epi-
thets. 1t will find its proper estimation in
the minds of all honest men here and else
where. Nor need pause to inquire into
the motives which governed such conduct.
There is no eye so blind as not to discern
them, and no heart so calloused by partisan
prejudice not to be panied at their exhibit
ton. Yet such has beenthe action of the COM
nlittee on the case nOlO under consideration. -s
AIg-aH Ft n - lr. r
Now let him answer direct question:
Did not this committee, with the exception
of the gentleman himself, once vote, Feb
ruary lst, upon the roll call of its members,
by yeas and nays, that was entitled to
the seat | now claim, and this, too, after
full discussion and lengthy advisement? l
demand an answer, and l dare him to
make it.
Mr.. DAVIS-Does the gentleman sup
pose that l am going to violate the rules of
this House and state what transpired in the
committee room? Laughter on Demo-
cratic side.
Mr.. VOORHEES-Bu for the sake of ar
gument, suppose we admit all that Mr.
Washburne claims. Suppose we admit he
has proven that he ought to have received
ahundred more votes than he did. Does it
follow that therefore the votes which were
cast for me, and concerning which there is
no question of illegality raised, shall be to-
tally rejected? viii you disfrauchise
thousand legal voters on such grounds? {?
What is the object in contesting an cleo
ti0n? Is it not to ascertain who has the
most legal votes by recount upon all the
evidence that can be furnished? Who
doubts IN this case as TO lohere the legal mdiOTt-
f1I T'ho III
tense that he receiUed more uoteS than I did,
nor as many, accorClingto his o1n estimate, by
near four hundred; but you are asked to en-
force an arbitrary and technical rule, found
ed neither in law or justice, in order to re-
duce my majority by taking away votes as
pure and legal as any which ever upheld an
election. The true rule of law is as it is
found in the statutes of Indiana, and l am
defending my rights here according to her
laws as well as the laws of the States and
Federal Government generally. l quote
from Gavin 81 Hord, statutes OF Indiana,
page 3lS:
No irregularity or malconduct of any
member or officer of board of Judges or
canvassers shall set aside the election of
any person, unless such irreguarity or
malco1duct was such as to cause the con-
testee to be declared elected when he had
not received the highest number of legal
votes; nor shall any election be set aside
for illegal votes, unless the number thereof
given to the contestee, if taken from him,
would reduce the number of his legal votes
below the number of legal votes given to
some other person for the same ofice.n
Sir, where is the evidence of Irregular
ity or malconduct on the part of any Off
Ger connected with this election, Which
caused me to be declared elected when /
had not in fact received the highest num-
Der of legal votes? There is not a SYLLABLE
of such proof. Where is the evidence that
| received illegal votes, which, if taken
from me, would reduce my majority of five
hundred and thirty-four to a minority p
Nowhere. AILoto me the 0otes aohOse leGaIity
no one questions, and dllotO the contestant all
ne claims to haze recetued, and am content.
Mr.. Speaker, / have but little more to
say, and but one favor to ask You know,
andI know, and this House and the coun-
try know, that have the legal majority of
votesj butt the report of the committee
is to be sustained, let it be done on its true
ground. have been your fair foe. / have
met you In open, honorable warfare, and |
am entitled at least to candid hostility at
your hands. have neither skulked nor
lodged on this floor and ii a sacrifice is
required to appease the political Moloch
which has SO long presided here, you have
the proper victim. He will NOT
shrink from the blow. God being nv helm
er, this political gibbet shall not be 4 mat.
ter of reproach to me or mine. If YOU wish
tos'purge Parliament" and rednee this al
ready fractional Congress to- still greater
uniformity of opinion, you hold the ak, and
defy its edge as well as the malioa III fha