Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-04-27
RADICAL RASCALITY.
speech Of Hon. John ID. stiles, Of Penn
sylvania. delivered In the House, Oh
"wednesday, April 10, 1910.

"Wednesday, April 10, 1870.
The outrageous conduct ofthe Radi
cal majority in Congress in turning
Democrats out of their seats is fully
set forth in the speech Of Mr. Stiles
below:
Mr.. STILES Mr.. Speaker, the ac
tion of the House upon this case i.
without precedent in the history oI
congressional proceedings But forty
minutes are allowed for discussion in
support ofthe minority report. Never
before, within my experience, has the
House refused full discussion upon q
great question involving the right OF
member TO retain n seat upon this
floor. 1t is well known that mum.
Der of gentlemen desired to be heard
in defense Of DIR. Reading. Our ap-
peal for time has been denied.
desire the country TO know that free
dom Of debate has been denied in the
American Congress, and that great
right, with others equally valuable to
every American citizen is PROSTATE
in the dust
We now have under consideration
the third and last contested election
case in this Congress from Pennsylva.
mia, State have the honor in part
to represent In all OF these contests
a radical has been the contestant, and
democrat primd fdcie entitled TO a
scat. In one case, however, through
fraud and treachery, the name of one
of our representatives, General Foster,
failed TO be included in the list of
members, and his district remained
wiuuOut representation untn naJor-
iiy here, in violation of the evidence
aud in utter disregard Of well estab-
lished usage and law, thrust the pres
ent member Of the twenty-frst district
into the vacant place | do not pro
pose so much TO discuss the merits of
this case as do to speak Of the mode
by which people are disfranchised
and members Of Congress are made
and unmade by partisan committee
and a partisan Congress. am not
so vain as to believe for moment that
any argument can change a single
vote upon this or any other case in
volving a question Of adding a radical
member and unscating conservative
member
Such appeal would find no favor,
coming from this side OF the House,
and | leave the able, exhaustive and
well considered argument of my col
league Mr.. Randall without ventu-
ring to go over the entire case. Such
task would consume mach time,
more than has been allotted to me.
The testimony covers over four hun.
dred pages, and it is easily seen by a
casual glance at it that the mass OF
irrevelent and unimportant matter
thrust into the record by the contest
ant is intended to cover up the plain
question involved as to who received
a majority of the legal votes. The
sitting member was returned as elected
by an actual majority of l0l votes,
and by reason OF a fraud committed
by radical election officer that ma.
jority was reduced TO Al votes. The
contestant has laborcd most assidu.
ously TO overcome that majority, and
after the labor Of a year aud a hall
the committee report that the con.
testant is elected by majority Of 72
votes.
It is remarkable that it is not more
If Dr. Reading had been returned by
1000 majority IL could have been
overcome as easily as any other mum.
ber No democrat is TO be allowed a
scat here where il is possible TO dis.
place him. Thus far not single
report Of the committee has been
favorable TO n political foe. The
spirit Of prescription and partisan hate
has never been so startling as now
and il is only wonderful that any Of
us on this side of the House are per.
mittcd TO quietly sit here as reprcsen.
tatives of the people. One victim
after another falls before the scorching
blasts of party wrath; one less to-day
and one less tomorrow, and so on
through the remainder of the session
that when adjournment comes you
will have nearly solid vote in The
House ofReprcscntatives ofthe United
States. You can afford TO be botl
liberal and just II was boastingly
said upon this floor the other daJ
that you had more than three iourihi
Of the members Of the House. Pre-
vious to the meeting of the presen
Congress New York paper containe,
the following dispatch from this city
"CoHgressioBai Roll call - Mr. McPhrmou
clerk Of the House, has made ro-call for o.
4th Of March. After excluding Representative
from Georgia and Louisinnn. aud several name
where scats are contested, the number foois vi
one hundred and thirty seven republicans nn
sixty democrats, thus giving he rrpubhcan
more than iwo.thirds."
IL had been declared that the radi
cal party must have clear two.third
vote. 1t was not then known wha
the policy of the President might bc
General Grant had kept his owl
counsel, so that neither friend or 70
knew what was to be expected fron
him As a safeguard it was neoossar,
. ] fo pfnrantvn tho Honpa tnodx. ih u.ng