, 1869-11-01
SOCIAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION

rArKR HEAD III Hon. u, l. pAw,,

Contested Etetssonss
rArKk HEAD 1T HON. q. l. DAWES.
The Constitution Of the United States makes
eAth h1uhr OF Congress The supremc ridge Of
cit tcttons. Ttturt*, Anl qualitca:1ona Of members.
TEe7c CAB, therefore, be 10 1aw prescribing d
bandfDG mode OF procedure In contested elections
and no nsobasltty Of uniformity III such cases AZ
they aztae. Tnls power has no aaainE7. II ron-
cfues the power Of determining the political
character oi each house, a1u the lain OF measures
and of attaintssrssions, and, It may he, Of the
government 1tseAf.
TIC trainers Of the constitution were obliged TO
vest this power IN cougrrsa. No other DEPART
nett is 70 constituted t1s. 1t could dtscharxe THIS
duty, md to have Rlyen 1t to any outs:de court
Hon3h have been tn cteste IN clrment moro non.
erlul and Prone to destroy than 10 preserve; ono
which woai tc exposed to every tnnnenrc, aud
rsrtake ot eyerJ weakness which couli be Imputed
to coEgre.', sud which wou1d be essentially tue
ssme- II It wefn appointed. It woullt he absolute,
and could dtciatc to ali the other departments
This ras act the result OF chance, and the pu,y
wenhtr Is that It has been the cnusc Of 40 little
&ulsehiel.
Ths 6er&:s has never established any code Of
procedure, but hBs Investigated each case ia the
manner which seemed Ut tho tIuae 1aD,t cougcni-
tnt. The reference was formerly 10 a select coul-
mittee, bni has besn OF !Ate N The Judiciary Cou-
tnfttes. whose reports hzse rtlcsted verE Important
lr9a1 9ues'aons. The right Of member Of Stale
Legislature to vote for = Senator cau never b+s
questioned. and consequently cascs Of contest
have generally turned morr on lsu than on lpct,
In thc uousc Of Representatives the procedure
hns been 10 CONSTANT change and contllct with IT,
tflt During the nra session Of ihe First Conxrcs4,
tltc!al counlittce tonE the pIoofs an,a reported
them to the IfoHsr; s'rneglc to rccommn them,
with Instructions to report tho fasts, fsi}ct anu
The Tnasc c1usltncd shu evtdencc and settled tho
rstt itseif. The committee rrported tnc facts Of
the Errttn carr+ atst IN effort to hare testimony
fA1cn in the 1ace rncfe tre cicc,lon occuyye,i,
A1 10 t,lro'l 4re rrtnsri failed AZ the arAt scs-
slon Of tue Stcohd Congress II was ordered that
The roofs be tAktn undcr oath by \ JulSr Of the
tnttetl s'Htcs 0F oi lhc a.atc Whsrc the contest
srott, a.tl that thtac should be returned 10 tho
tfDGIe fbr hctlon. Al the yetT nc1t fcaston Of
C0rg'eks the coulul!ttcc rcpnffci thc facts, aud
n, It cot rna'on; thr parties wcfc thrn head 1t
thr har NJ IN" l1arsr. and tho lloaso 1ectdcd til:
ca,c, Tho committee wcsc authorized ta tltA
ca1c 10 stnt, Tor papcft and Aocnmtuts tor thols
,nforratap and IN tho next erh.ipn tner wrrc a,s.
thortzen tn fAke hrro.tt!ona OF ftuse who could
Dot sstrtd tn pcrfcn an.t TO pstscr11e Tho mode,
Seeing tho esil at this uucestAn ani unpst-
a'le.ed sE1i1c OF tlorcnaEe The tucsns,csx sndea-
vursd INN tins 10 stru~ 10 establish ouc ty ltS
arprsx,matsov to tho rulcs and forms OF or 4luary
caRr'A
Ii 1;oi. snd sga'u In 1,aa aud tho following
ytnr, traoutlons 10 this effect wcrc !attoj1ccJ.
hut wcrr Irscr acted cpo1. 4 droa:c on similar
rrscn,lson', offered hJ NJ Harper, Of sonta Caro-.
Inns, IN December OF that 5eas, dIscloscd tho cou.
A.1tutonAl difficulty Of raaalpg law on tho sub
lect. wien each succeed:ng Cooxfess eoula dr.
rcttc ~ith atJ part OF the wh01e Of 1t nj rlcas-
urc. Scvtrtheiras, = limited act "prcscTshlp7 4
uhIfCFm tuo<'e Of tHkinR Testimony Ant compelItuc
Wltfttt*es.'' "a tssse'l gu 4anuar5 H. l7s3 sntt
ifs E'r3uc extended 1T the rc1t aeaIi1u VI Con.
Rrtts 10 leo1 FIotu 1874 10 1Rs0 thero WA no law
tus the sLtIeca. aao casca wfrt coI'iuctel u w,l
x!th .tJ lt1f~ rc u1s 21i the Testimony pcua yoi.
~ taiJ 10 1slo fn1l tu remedy inla ta'tcd, and
In isis rsosutions to kppunt committee OF elco-
tons ~ irf. ann = bnecial committee 10 cxxntnt
thc decision. Of The !louse uhd reposs thereon
n4et a'nt'nr fate. TIC R4rac was The casc i'd
1ssn. In 1874 II ~As Iu,poealhte to aacerfatn Whist
had tr~rh dunn In rIecton ropteSta Without seafcr.
lnR the journals Of Congress 10 tha, time. In
thu Wn tcr1sc1 aud enlarged IN lscA f,uf1uu Ill
this tlsEn fhr rssntsts became more snd Moru lut,.
:ss*.sn. M 70 tas ss.v.u.aae. Of ua3ot.s.ea 10 ts9
iesnla.I0u IN Account Of tho partisan character
OF thc eon!eht AID It ~ lu SPITE Of the cx1as,nG
modes q oeatek WITH eontcatcd eiccssoas that
thr Eotftomehi iTtnmphtt2.
In 1851, Id act YVES PACED prescribing ths node
Of GtA&1nit evidence, which Ii sf1H In force. The
erection Ill a1ouE1s OF coLlest within thlrsf
DAYS 1itet The result Of TIC election Il declared
and the latter haa tnts1y days more tn which to
stpIy- The tes'non5 OF bosn sides Eust pe akea
within tfxt3 days more. bes1rc Judges n1t 0tncf
0Qct5s pa0,ed III the 1eL The magistrate srals
NJ " ~ seSas y =, .ns css!s 2! Gosssess: y
report 10 the unuse for lnnN action. THIS would
oe u exc. lltpi &c. With a fl amendments II
ees. not M rsos'de for compelling .i:n:sse. 70 a.:
non resident IN The district Of conte't, nor 1or
taking ats!ou when the holder Of ce1tncaic is ao-
sens and can1ot be rracned with pe.soaal SER
ttffot a n +,p,t too
1t .o<s uus Ett
The Iarai, zipg wessress Of III Isxs npon ,hr
tbenL Ats congress mar *. aide their nrpr.s.
iprs II rlraSnre, AID their fr1mels ooIy hppsd
"a "a 9s'a f. ~ oscs
have bonae streIgtn, but this nas g.yeu way 10 ne
eest:y or feohssncEee. and some ines to pa-1y NJ
Sos9 pst re- saSqsh
tee tr ElecuoaR, bAs LATELY obtained ieayc Of fae
fioaet 10 eo oas lhLo The datEcla pf contest Tor
the we.k which tnr law requires saoald ne done
ts The rsrt1ea tas ns-lses n sdvance. Tnt resalt
II, u 81 eaen case ls coming to ne mere partisan
acsto1s Of paHy,> and taei7 ac:l1n il ia
". ss &c pasts Is: s.S : asse s1 ss ssasssf
~ - 8 e e.ssd here a Be- aea ne .cs % e a.
tttt4! or nhpos:son. Tie prostitution oi this II.
ful u + tno~n BY tae ta-rease IN the naGoer Of
csses within tic last lew tears. "fair there
we've only eixty Cases duItug Tie dFst si1ry-tre
5tAsA Of the kosefpmens tle1e have been more
tt1E that EDUabef w1kntn the past ten yeAlh over
tsen'5 OF which &c nov peadng. This explains
Why the ninonty never contest Aeabetg are
cansn*sed tn favor OF the opposlte sides, ana
those ~ho ast 10 iudSe enlist tnemselres accord
tLSiy IT sd<axee-
TIE raE1lsaa character Of the committee,
eoufrg lion III manner OF Appointments, Il re-
that ii rna2l coprss Of maia1tY o1 toe political
pA1tJ 1ullhz 2ne tiouee.
In Inc Ef7ush PzrlaEen. under the Gsaart1.e
Act, cu given day, every member HM
required to ee IN atsepdancc, and III the
1;1a,ss 1sa = "efs pa1e-d IN ~ s!assss sguslly
particular cara md rue onutestsars struck one
na.Le siter another rom the LIST Until they were
Feducrt 10 thirteen, @ho ara awuen the same ~ =
1.eIstfoQT hours aud couoletei ,her 5udEtnent
without III adjournment Of Longer than twenty
louf no1st, unJefa hv reEmik4oQ OF the HoQse.
1hei1 decatt ton WAa tuaA 1t N&a found tns3 pru-
usl, And Inc Speaker owj2opointk &cnet1l CON-
ntitcc On Gectauns. Won&e nsnes the House 3p-
proves. This committee Reiects : committee 10
~ each case, who're names the House and the
then sworu and ftJ the cate IS de-cnoed Ahoye,
aud tncrr otchsoo u 4. Il In Fenus,lsnn.ar also,
the CbE.ptt1ee Of Elections II drawn pJ pauos.
and III dtc1slon Is n1st.
An amendment to the constitution u necessary
to hstrR about = radtcal reform. bat some In
p,oyetuent may be had ny chknGtnE the manner
Of appointing the committee, and hT such pub-
Iic sent,nens ~ wpuId pat IN end 10 parry ex-
4cttouA
thus public sentlmens u necAasszJ, II rembess
now content ttenselses wuh simply rroot1lnz
their names xud lcaytnR tho dl8cuss1uu Of csSo
to the pAFtlsz directly interested; thu9 makin& It
N eorr Of political pastteA. worktnE oRt taelr
ends xpd Inv osvnx tho Institutions uf the country
n