The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-11-10
Contested Seats.

In the late elections, several Democratic
candidates for Congress Were elected by
small maiOrijies and the clo~cncss OF the
vote has given their Republican opponents
hope that the seats may be successfully
contested There are rlmor> that there
viii be one scat contested in Indiana: ncr-
baps two in Pennsylvania: and the friends
of General Schench have said that he will
challenge the validity OF Campbeli's cleo
ton.
Whether these projects for contesting
seats originate IN belief that the elections
nave not been honestly conducted. or in
an expectation that the majority i'm Con
gres> viii decide a party interests dictate.
without regard to facts and law. may be
lie, rInined by -rndry admissions OF Re
publican CongreSmen and newspapers,
and the simple truths which here follow.
Prior - the year 1861, there were but
one hundred and five cases of contested
seats in the House at Washington or less
than N average of three in each Congress.
or period OF two wears. These contests.
says Congressman Kerr, of Indiana. did
not IN the aggregate, cost the people over
Sl1U,0h. including COMPENSATION to con
festaDts and all incidental expenses TO the
government
Since March T. ISL. there have been
eighty nine cases of contested seats, or an
average oil eighteen contests To each Con
gres-. These contests have cost the people
S'J0,0p. The money has been paid ont
70 defeated candidates, 10 itincralng cleo
ton committees, for the printing of cvi
d-nce, and other incidental expenses.
Two rtasons readily suggest themselves
for this multiplication of cases of con
tested elections since the Republican party
came into the possession of the govern
ment on i. that our civil war, and tine
extreme parii>anship accompanying il.
stimulated dishonesty in managing elcc-
tlons and onother reason may be found i'm
the partisan character of the decisions
made by Congress in deciding between
claimants.
The Republican majority in Congress
has been rcbUked by the New York JrB-
1Se' the Chicago IribgHe the Springfi ld
HtpgJic"H, the New York Ereninq Po~t.
the Cincinnati Conhserctd, and other Of
me most prominent newspapers of the
party in the couatry. for its gross dis
regard of law and justice in lis awards
upon contested seats
In tie speech of Air. Kerr on this uestion.
lying before us, number of cases are cited
oI llagani wrong in making such awards.
but - l. unnecessary 10 reproduce them
here, because confession Of such wrong has
been made and rebulle oft been administered
by Republican authorities which Will he
accepted by all honest Republicans a, con
elusive ON this point Mr. Dawes a
Radical member of Congress from Na-sa-
chusctts, Speaking upon the general subject
OF contested elections before the Social
Science Association, in New York. about n
year ago, said All traces OF a judicial
character these proceedings are fast fading
away Zach case is coming to be Il mere
partisan struggle
II by unseating some half dozen Demo
Gratis. who have been ftrIv elected. the
Republicans can retain twO-thirls major
Ity IN Congress, the temptation NAV prove
irresistible. Judging from the past his
Tory ot Republican Congresses. regard for
official oaths and the rights of claimants
VIII prove no bar to such action There
will be an earnest desire 10 have y lose
number than eighty Democrats in the
next Congress. How viii that desire on
eraies Do the Witnesses We have brouoht
forward-alI good Republicans-ans answer
the question?
80 far as Schenck and Campbell are con
cerned, the rejection of the votes OF the
inmates of the Soldiers Home M DAYTON
viii furnish no valid grounds for contest
The unanimous decision Of a full Repub-
lean supreme Court Of the State had
declared the soldiers IN such institutions
not TO be voters. \ Supreme Court. how
ever, whether OF State or the limited
States, Is a thing of contempt i'm Congress
-Chicago Times.