Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-04-02

ll1AaioritieA Gtolba seatsa WITHOUT
fan yotller title ea right, ,ssss that
thsshave bet hsest>leaeetesi, but
(tsMf tbeSs saEa kadidassaaspolitics.
"SIessrs. Hoge and dtIWaliace are
now in Washington. Tbcy have
no shadow Of claim: But they
base their heIes=ppr,n. partisan
feelings and legislation of Con-.
gress. ,3dGl
The record Of 7faets,exhibit thu
tal!acy: OF their ease. Its not true
that there. was pot y fair anq full
vote i'll the Dlstriet. ...,.,,, ....... VT
For Instance, in the Third Com
gressional DISTRICT. the vote for tho
Eorricth Congress Was in all 22.09+.
For the Forty.frst Congress it
was 20,54o. showing a falling off of
but 1854 votes. The Democratic
candidate had q majority Of over three
thousand votes, SO that oven if al
who had not voted Tor the Fortieth
Congress, had voted at tho election
for the Forty first Congress-, and had
cast their sufipagcs without EXCEPTION
for Mr.. Hoge, Mr. Reed would still
have been elected b. majority OF
1,454. ......
Where then is the ground Of con-
test, or:how can there be any eYos-
tion ~ to the right2
But again, if we refer to the Fourth
Congressional District tho absurdity
OF the protest is more apparent.
For tho Fortieth Congress there
were but 81, 900 votes cast in oil. For
the Forty,Gcst Congress th,ro wore
23,905 votes cast, un increase Of 2.s96
votes. With what taoe, then cau it
be said that voters were kept away
f.om the polls by resson Of inlimida-
tion. The records show this allega.
ton to be false. The vote was larger
than at tte previous election. The
Democracy triumphed by over 1900
majority.
The real cause Of offence is this
that for the Forty-frst Congress the
Democrats prevailed where the Re.
publicans had before held the sway.
These facts are too plain for con.
troversy. Mesars. Hoye aud Wallace
arc aspirants for Congress against the
will of thoir constituents, expressed
at the ballot-box.
Their reliance is upon the Radical
character Of the Committee on Elee.
tions and of the House. Their OBJ
ject ie, we, the defeated candidates
are of your own political faith, The
representatives chosen by tho people
by m&joritics Of over three or foul
thousand, are Democrats Therefore
before Republican Congress we arc
entitled to the seats. . .....
Gan there be any other argumen;
advanced? Isnot this, perhaps in plain
bat still after all in truthful language
tho only poiu. in their case, ....
And in tlas relying upon the par
tisan Legislation OF Congress, they dc
not appear to have been wide Of thei,
mark.
They have found warm advocate
in Mr.. Halbert E. Paine, . Ropresen
tative from Wisconsin, who himsel,
holds his seat by a bare majority o.
42a votes over his Democratic oppo
nent.
But Mr.. Paine is for excluding
Democrats, no matter. by, what ND,
ljority elected. ''''.'.'. q; ,.@~
Congress, on several occasions, scat
cd members who could not take the
test oath. But in the case of South
Carolina different rule for partisan
purposes is adopted. ''''
Both Mr.. Simpson and Mr.. Reed
had served in ths Legislature of till.
State before the war. They were
fairly elected. But they were Demo
Gratis. Suddenly it is advanced tba,
they nay not bs able TO take the test
oath. :, t...... '''''' - -. q u
And 10 and behold, Mr.. Paine rise.
tin bis seat and moves to suspend the
rules tor thu in: reduction and: adop
tian'of 7s'resolstiqn providing that in
}all' contested. election cases referred to
the Conmittse on Elections in which
ii shall be alleged BY any party to The
case. or MON mher OF the House tha.
either claimant is unable to take The
test oath, it shall bs the duty Of the
committee to ascertain whether such
disability exists, and df found 70 exist;
the 0ommistee shall no. report. to- tho
Hoase; aad sh'Nr got! tu,thry eonsiae,
Ielaias'ef'hs penson;so aisqu~li6sa,. Nth.
oct 5ussAtr o4ass nf;tAe Hoase; and. ,at
iccmpesssstieni shah be aIlowsdito ap
fclalnant twhoshaH havehssn inslisablt
70 ths ofacs of Representative 1T .the
fafaeof'elscsiohS and wAess DISABILITY
tSshS III I, ileo "a