The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-06-20
WH1rrEMoRE IN WASHINGTON.
he Makes His Appearance In the House
OF Representatives..

The ex-Honorable and Rev. B. F. White
; more, of cadetship and expulsion fame, is back
again in Congress, or very near it. He made
. his appearance on the floor Of the House yes
Z terday, and was, We are informed, "congratu-
{ lated by several of the members who voted
against him. The New York Times, alluding
to bis case, says:
Had the House of Representatives punished
Whittemore's sale of cadetship by expulsion,
would not the punishment have implied the
mans unfitneSs for q seat even II reelected
Does the fact that by misplaced ,ieniency ne
was allowed to escape expulsion 6y resiSna-
tion make bis practical disqualification less de-
eided 5 A sensitive man in his position would
have sought relief from odium In obscurlty.
Not being sensitive, however, he glorifed his
shame by seeking reelection, and his former
constituency degraded itself by re-electing
him. What then 1t Is still incumbent on
the House 20 maintain the standard of honor,
ships Kentucky Democrats refused even 10
renpminate Golladay, who resigned after The
manner of Whittemore, and for similar cause.
Will the House prove itself less strict than the
Kentucky Democracy?
The Washington correspondent of the same
paper says:
The appearance of the redohbtable White
more upon the floor OF the House to-day as
member elect was the occasion OF much COM
ment on all sides to-day. He IS here in ad-
vance of his credentials, but as soon rs they
arrive his case will be presented. Opinion as
to whether he will be admitted is very evenly
divided. There will be warm fight on the
subject: but the House has held. g. least in
one like prior case, that the reelection OF q
member by his constituents, with all the facts
before them, purges the case OF its legal dSa-
bilities. and practically leaves the House no
choice but to admit him. This is the view
takea by some of the oldest and ablest men,
berS of TIE House.
The Washington Star, Republican paper,
says:
Ifthe House of Representatives allows its
action In the premises TO be influenced to any
considerable extent by the voice OF the press.
tits exceedingly doubtful whether Mr.. White M R
allowed to take the seat therein to which he
has recently been elected By his trusting coz
stituency in South Carolina. We do not re-
member more unanimity OF opinion on any
subject Of no more general lmporlaace than
has been the expression against MI. White
more's return; and, what IS especially worth
noting, the most forcible objections come from
the most prominent and Influential Republi-
can Journals. The New York Tribune, for in
stance, heads its protest. Congress. or the
Penitentiary? ?' and its comments are fully, up
to the spirit indicated by lis question. while
the remonslrauces Of other leading papers ii
less Aointed are not less cogent.
For ourselves we have no desire OF Intention
to preludge Mr.. Whitlemore's case. Dnt We
must confess that if his acis were such to
deserve the declaration by the House that he
was .:unworthy of a seat therein. we do noi
see how the mere fact OF his reelection can
purge them Of their offence. or alter his rela-
tiors towards the body of which he was for
mery an '.unworthy" member. 1t seems to
us it has no other course to pursue but 70 re-
fuse to allow the offending gentleman to be
sworn in There is also another aspect Of the
case which should not be overlooked. General ~
Schoepf. a gallant soldier. lost his position in
the government service, at the instance OF
Congress, because he was in some way MIXED
up in the cadetshp business. although 1t WAS
shown that his offices in the matter were
purely OF friendly character. and not in
fiuenced in any degree by a pecunlaIy c9nsid
Grafton or hope OF any. To admit Mr. white
more to Congress while General Schoert re-
mains ostracised, would be not only dis
grace to that body, but an insult TO the coun-