Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-08-03
Cot or Comiesfed Erec,ions.


During the first session Of the Forty.
first Congress, lately adjourned, seven
teen contested election cases werc
disposed Of atan expense about $780,
900 to the government, In every IL.
stance except that of Switzler, from
the Ninth District of Indiana, the
contestants were radicals, and in all
the cases tried except Eve, two from
Kentucky, one from Texas, one from
Missouri and one from Indiana. the
sitting members were onsted. Every
radical contestant except Grafton, Of
Texas, Barnes Of the Eighth and
Zeigler 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 onstcd had
been returned by large majoritics,
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
States have virtually paid for two rep
resentatvcs for tho districts from
which these contests were brought
10 seventeen gentlemen who have
been declared not entitled to seats
tho sum of s52, 300 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, aud admit the contestants,
who Of course draw full pay from the
beginning Of the term. In addition
10 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 puhlca.
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, ,OO0 for The
cases tried ut the late session of Con.
gress, making an aggregate Of about
$1,000 at the cost to the people Of
the miserable farce by which The radi-
Gals have succeeded in keeping mp
their twothirds majority in the House.
In other words, it costs the country
. just 81 l,763 for every radical foisted
into the seat of n democratic member
of such tricksters as Covodc, Cessna
& Co. A number OF cases are yet 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 clear
working majority Of democrats to the
next Congress, will put an end to
these robberics Of the government an.
der the euise Of contested elections.
If the democrats succeed in organiz-
ing The next House Of Representa-.
tivcs, q committee on elections will
be appointed before which contestants
who rest their cause on the frivolous
and contemplate claims on which the
Louisiana radicals, Wallace Of Souih
Carolina. aud other defeated capdi
dates made their respective contests.
will 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 swindled out Of their
seats alta cost Of hundreds of thou
sands Of dollars 10 the government
Harrisburg Patriot.