North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-03-21
THE .BUCKSHOT" WAR.
THaDDEUs STEPHENS, THIRTY YEARS AGO,
v.'.- Z" ..'.. AND NOW. f.t ?


II is known to our readers that Thaddeus
Stevens is the recognized leader of the Re-
publican party in the House Of Represen-
tatives Of the "Rump" Congress. But, in
view of the length of time which has elaps-
ed, it may not be so generally known that
this same man was the acknowledged lead
er of another "Rump" House many years
ago; and, therefore, we propose to refresh
their memories by brief recital Of a few
of the most prominent incidents connected
with the last named memorable body
We desire to do this with view of show
ing that his whole public life has been
characterized by a total disregard of the
popular WILL as well as of individual rights,
His first public act which gave him any
notoriety, was the inqnisiti0nat committee
he had organized in tbs Honse of Repre-
sentatives at the State Capital in 1885, OF
which he was chairman. The object OF
this inquiSition was to extort from men
connected with the institution of Masonry,
an exposition of their principles including
the SECRETS of the order, which it was al
legged they had SWORN to preserre 1nuaotate.
To this end many of the most prominent
statesmen of the Commonwealth were drag
ced before this Star Chamber, and held In
" durance vile" for weeks, and compelled TO
submit to every indignity that malice could
invent. II d they been the ver'eSt cr1na'-
mails, they could not have been subjected
to gretaer ignominy.
Among those who were thus outraged
NAV be mentioned the lamented Governor
Wolf and Skunk, and the Hon. George NJ.
Dallas-nor did even the sacred desk es-
cape the persecution ofthis tanatical ante
mason. The Rev. Mr.. Sprolls, an eminent
divine of the Presbyterian church,was drag
oed by an officer Of the House before th''
"modern jugernot," as he appropriately
STYLED the Committee, and put under the
torture. with view of compelling him to
divulce under oath what he kew about
this ancient and respectable institution -
But he, following the example OF the dis
tinguished statesmen we have named,spurn-
ed the miserable tyrant, who would thus
have him violate his honor. These men
we're only released from d'"es' by the uni
ted votes of the Democratic members, with
view of the opposition. Thus ended tins
diabolical anti masonic tScyens inquisition.
We next find this man. Thaddeus Ste
vens, in 1888, at the head of wicked con-
spiracy to overthrow civil government in
our peaceful old Commonwealth, by ignor-
inc the clearly expressed will of the peo-
pie at the ballot box: and but for the in
donitable courage of the Democratic men,
bers of the Legislature. the hellish plot
would have succeeded. and "the election
treated as though it had never been held" D"
There were two Senators and eight mem
bers of the House who had been fair y cleo
ted by majority of some seven or eight
thousand, who this "bold, bad man. at
tempted to exclude from their seats, and
substitute in their stead set of men, who,
it was VIGOROUSLY known, had been reject
ed by the people by an overwhelming ma
iority. This being an important chapter
in the history of the man whose acts we
are criticising our readers will bear with
us if we 60 little more into detail.
At the period last referred to, 1888, the
county of Philadelphia elected two Sena-
tors and eight members, of the House, sep
arately from the city, and country was di-
vided into seventeen election districts, ten
of which were Democratic and seven oppo-
sition. a.f
When the return Judges met it was as
certaired that the Democratic ticket was
elected, whereupon the seven opposition
return judges seeded, and set up little
convention of their own; that is, they made
ont a certificate, setting forth that the
Whir members had received the number
of votes set opposite their names IN the
districts represented by those seven judges,
excluding the ten districts represented by
the Democratic judges, which comprised
much the largest proportion of the votes
of the county.
This minority paper was forwarded to
Harrisburg, as was also the certificate sign
ed by the majority, and at the meeting OF
the Legislature tle former was the only one
presented in either House blythe Secretary
OF the Commonwealth. To attempt de-
tailed statement of all that occurred dur
ING that memorable struggle between those
who determined, at every hazard, to main
tain the in Tiolability of the ballot box, and
those who wickedIy assailed it, would re
quire more time and space than we can
now appropriate. But, suffice it to say
that, upon the motion of Mr.. Stevens, the
opposition members of the House went
through the form of elccting Speaker,
and before the Clerk of the House had
called over the names of the members, to
ascertain who was present, the tellers ap-
pointed by Mr. Stevens announced that
Thos s. Cunningham was duly elected
Speaker.
None, of course, but the opposition mem
bers participated in this revolutionary
movement, and they numbered bu fifty
one, incnding the eight spurious men from
Philadelphia, whose claims to seats was
based solely on paper signed by seven
out of seventeen return judges, and which
did, not possess even the common form OF
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