The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-01-13
sExAToR HARRY WHITE.


If any reasonable doubt has heretofore ex-
listed that Harry White, the radical State
political demagogue, his conduct in the Sen
ate last week in reference to the right Of
Hiram Findley, OF Somerset county, to his
seat as a member of that body. is not only
PT-ima facie evidence of the fact. but is abso-
lutely conclusive of the truth Of the charge.
The district is composed of the counties of
Somerset, Bedford and Fulton. Hiram Find
ley of Somerset, was the democrat ic candi-
date, and Edward Scull, Of the same county.
was his radical opponent in the election of
last fall. Findley was elected by majority
Of % votes. 1t so happened that when the
board of return judges met in Somerset the
Judge of the election from Allegheny town
ship. in that county, did not produce the
official election return of that township. but,
according to our recollection. did produce,
either through his own ignorance or that of
the election officers Of the township, the tally
paper, which showed that Flndlay had re-
ceived majority of forty votes in that town
ship, and was therefore elected by t,0enty-
three votes. By throwing out Findiay's ma
jerity in that township. Scull's majority
would be just seventeen The three return
judges Of the district met regularly at Bed
ford. and signed legal certificate declaring
Hiram Findlay to have been elected Senator
by the maj 'rity stated.
1t must be remembered that there never
has been on the part of Scull the slightest
pretence that there was a solitary illegal or
fraudulent cote cast for Findlay in Allegheny
township; but, on the contrary, that his
majority of forty was legal and honest
Findlay goes to Harrisburg with the certif-
cate Of election, just Harry White himself
did from this district one year ago. Scull,
the defeated candidate, who in his paper in
Somerset (for he is or was then editor of the
Somerset HsrGld) admitted squsrely that he
had been defeated. also goes to the State
Capitol, and he finds Harry White and the
notorious Tom Howard, a radical Senator
from Allegheny county, his willing and obe-
dert instruments in base. illegal and fraud
ulGnt effort to force him (Scul) into seat
in the Senate, to which majority of the
honest and legal voters Of the district had
refused to elect him. This nice little politi-
cal game was played by motion by White
that the radical Speaker of the Senate should
appoint committee of three members to re-
port whether Rindlay or Scull had prina
JGcie right to the seat. Tom Howard was
placed on the committee with White, the
third member being Mr.. Davis, the young
and talented democratic Senator from Berks
county. White, as chairman of this arranged
and previously packed committee, made his
report on last Friday, awarding the seat in
the first instance to Scull. and thus putting
Fiudlay in the position of contestant. Nor
row B. Lowry, the radical Senator from Erie
county. to his honor be it SAID, denounced
the report disgraceful and dishonest
Without taking vote the Senate then ad-
jourued until Tuesday Of this week. Before
our paper goes to press we hope to be able
to announce the result Of the vote on this
White-washed report.
For the present weawill simply remark
that this is the first instance in the legisla-
tive history of the State, at least within our
knowledge, in which a regular certificate Of
election has been ignored and treated as
though it had never existed, and to Harry
White and Tom Howard belong the disrepu-
table fame of having first made the discovery
and of having reversed and set aside all for
mer precedents.
We believe that there are enough honest
republicans in tho Senate to teach Harry
White and Tom Howard that there is honor
and justice enough left in that body to exc
cute the plain provisions of the election law
to repuGiatP demagogues and to do full JUS
tice to high minded. honorable man like
Hiram Fiudlay, even though he may be bold
and fearless enough to be democrat.