Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-08-03
Cost or Comfesfed Elections.

Cost or Contested Elections.
During the first session Of the Forty.
first Congress, lately adjourned, seven
teen contested election cases were
disposed Of atan expense about 5000,
900 to the government. In every in
stance except that of Switzler, from
the Ninth District of Indiana, the
contestants were radicals, and in all
the cases tried except five, two from
Kentucky, one from Texas, one from
Missouri and one from Indiana, the
sitting members were ousted. Every
radical contestant except Grafton, of
Texas, Barnes Of the Eighth and
Zcigler of the Ninth District Of Ken
lucky, WAS successful in either obtain
ing, or having declared vacant, the
scat which he claimed. In most in
stances the democracts oustcd had
been returned by large majoritcs,
some of the Louisiana members by
seven thousand, eight thousand, ten
thousand, Simpson, Of South Carolina,
by nearly five thousand, while Colonel
Switzler, Of Missouri, was made the
contestant though the return from his
district showed his election by nearly
one thousand. The sitting members
were Of course entitled to draw pay
and mileage during their time of SER
vice. But the House voted to pay to
the contestants, also, whether success
ful or not. The people of the United
ss~ses.ls~HA. .piSJn.llr-naid far two ren
which these contests were brought
To seventeen gentlemen who have
been declared not entitled to seats
the sum of $50, 800 has been paid in
salary and mileage. The process
seems to have been to throw out the
democrats whose seats were contest.
ed, pay them for the time they had
served, and admit the contestants,
who of course draw full pay from the
beginning Of the term. In addition
TO the duplicated pay and mileage
drawn from the treasury in these con.
tested elections, must be considered
the cost of collecting the evidence,
reporting the proceedings for publica.
tion and printing the huge volumes in
which the history Of the cases is laid
before Congress. A careful estimate
places this expense at $3.50, ,OU0 for The
cases tried at the late session Of Con.
gress, making an aggregate of about
100000 at the cost to tho people of
the miserable farce by which The radi-
Gals have succeeded in keeping mp
their two thirds majority in the House.
In other words, it costs the country
just sll, l,763 for every radical foisted
into the seat of democratic member
of such tricksters as Covodc, Cessna
4 Co. A number Of cases arc vet un.
disposed Of which will be decided at
the next session. and which will fur.
nish further opportunity TO the con
gressional leeches to bleed the trcasu.
ry. Nothing but the return Of a clear
working majority Of democrats to the
next Congress, will put an end TO
these robberics Of the government un.
der the gnise of contested elections.
If the democrats succeed in organic.
ING The next House Of Representa-.
tivcs, committee on elections will
be appointed before which contestants
who rest their cause on the frivolous
and contemplate claims on which tho
Louisiana radicals, Wallace of Souib
Carolina. and other defeated capdi
dates made their respective contests.
VIII not dare to show their faces. On
the other hand, should the next House
contain a radical majority, nothing
else need be expected than that scores
OF honestly elected representatives
will again be swindlcd out of their
seats alta cost Of hundreds of thou
sands Of dollars to the government
Harrisburg Patriot