The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-03-05
Contested Elections.

The vcnality and corruption, and unscru.
pulous partisanship of our radical congress
have had such debasing influence on public
morals that crimes in thousand shapes on
the part of our public servants now scarcely
attract attention which, before the advent of
black republican rule, would have consigned
those guilty of them to contempt and infamy.
Such are the monstrous corruptions of Sena-
tor Harlan, who, entering the L. S. Senate a
poor man six years ago, Is now millionaire :;
such are the receiving of presents and be-
stowal OF offices in return by President Grant;
such are the acts of congress robbing the su-
preme court of jurisdiction that its own gross
ly unconstitutional acts may not be declared
void; such are the open receiving OF brides
by members of congress and legislatures,
through the corrupt lobby system, so that the
exact sum can be calculated to a nicely that
is needed to pass any measure through con-
gress or any radical Legislature, no matter
how gross and glazing may be It's Infamous
ness. And so we could 90 on enumerating
instances by the column Our present pur
pose, however, is only to call attention to the
infamous practice that has grown up in con.
gress under black republican rule, of deciding
all contested election cases on purely partisan
grounds. The instances can he named by the
dozen where the democratic or conservative
claimant was so clearly elected that even the
committee on elections had to report in his
favor, yet in every case the radical was adj
mitted to the seat. Voorhees, of Indiana, was
ousted from his seat with an unquestioned
majority of 500 in his favor; Young, of Ken
lucky, was ousted, though he had beaten his
opponent at the polls three to one; Switzler;
of Mo-, was ousted, in the face of 1900 major
ity in his favor, &C., sc.
This thing had grown so scandalous, that
even so Unexpectedly radical,a sheet as the
Chicago Adrance has raised its cry against it.
We copy from the Adcance of Feb. "a:
The rule, not yet formally adopted but now
usually followed by the majority in Congress,
Of deciding contested election cases on pnrelv
partisan grounds instead of on their merits. ia
shameful and scandalous To assert that Demo.
Gratis would do the same thing were thew in the
majority is An excuse wholly worthy the prac.
tice ITSELF and one that will yet breed trouble
for those who use it. Take the case of Mr..
Greene, the fairly elected Democratic member
from the Eleventh District of New York, who
has just been unseated to give place to his Re.
publican competitor. Van Wyck. Mr. Dawes
exposed the partisan character of the Commit.
tees report on this case, and Gen. Paine, chair.
man of the Elections Committee, showed bevond
question that after throwing ont not only every
fraudulent vote claimed to have been poled, but
the entire vote in all the precincts wherein
fraudulent votes were cast, still Mr. Greene was
clearly entitled to his seat. Yet the House vot.
ed, III t" 81, to Dust Greene and seat Van Wyck.
Mr.. Paine was so impressed with the gross in.
Justice of the act-only one of many with which
his official position has connected him-that he
has sensby asked to be relieved from further
service on the Elections Committee, which takes
the lead in this disgracefu and suicidal policy.
Such conr.e, if long continued and not rcbuked
and repudatel, would and should DESTROY the
strongest political party that ever abused
great opportunity.