Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-06-07
RADICAL DISREGARD OF LAW
AND IsEGFEE.

The Washington correspondent Oh the
Baltimore Gazette writes ''Thc Radi,
Gals are determined, by fair means or
foul, to retain The Presidency for another
four years. To this end they are now !
shaping legislation and holding calcuses,
But if, after having taken absolute cen
troll of the question Of suffrage, they tad
themselves defeated at the polls, they
have another scheme BY which to secure1
the White House to the Radical nominee.
A mere pretence that there has been some
irregularity in the election in any State
viii be the signal for Congress to take the
entire election in hand, and TO proceed to
elect a President irrespective Of the will
of the people. The contested cleo
ton cases decided by the House during
the present session furnish no end to pre-
cedents for this course. Out of some
thirty cases, in every instance but one the
House has elected member and rejected
the man the people had elected by large
majorities to represent them. For Con-
gross to elect President in . similar man
ner would only be to repeat on a large
scale what has SO frequently been done
on a small scale. The violation of law
and of justice and principle would be no
greater. -sa-s 49, "a. 5f
The latest infamy enacted in Congress,
was the turning out of Mr.. Simpson,
Democrat, and admitting to his seat Mr..
Wallace, Radical Mr. Simpson repre-
scented the fourth district of South Caro-
lima. At the election he received IA, 00S
votes to 9,S07 for Wallace, his Radical
opponent Wallace contested Mr.. Simp-
sons's seat, and persistently urged his
claim before the Committee on Elections
on the ground that he was in sympathy
with the majority In Congress, while
Simpson was Democrat. When the
question was before the House of Repre-
sentatives on the 9th ult., Hon. James
Brooks, of New York, gave the following
history of the affair, the recital of which
should bring the blush of shame TO the
check of every man who continues to
give countenance to party guilty of
such villaiay:
''On the early assembling of the House,
and almost Immediately after the reading
! of the journal, when quorum of the
House was not present, and without q
moments consideration on the part of
| members, the gentleman from Pennsyl-
vania, (NIr. Cessna acting as chairman of
the subcommittee of Election, awaited
| himself of the confusion and disorder to
smuggle q man into this House as
member use the language deliberately
and to place us in such parliamentary
position that it is impossible, under the
decision of The Speaker, to have any dis
| cussiOn of the case or to retrace our steps,
| but by general consent which Mr.. Cessna
will not giye.) That is the fact, and !
wish that fact to go before the country.
No quorum, no order in the House, but
general disorder and confusion, without
any understanding or discussion whatso-
ever on the subject, a misunderstanding
to be from South Cardinals forced be-
fore this House, to be sworn in by the
Speaker, who has only 9,S07 votes,
against a Democratic candidate, who has
loss votes. Talk TO me, hereafter, as
member. from New York, of fraudulent
elections Never in the worst wards OF
New York, amid the most depraved of
its population, was fraud perpetrated
like this, which the House perpetrates at
its bar to-day, in attempting to smuggle
in here q man having 5000 votes against
Democrat having IA, 900 votes. Let my
colleague from New York (AIr. Davis, }
who is now in my eye, before he attempts
10 correct the frauds in New York cleo
tons, let him correct the fraudulent cleo
tons made here IN this House, from
Kentucky, from Louisiana, from
South Carolina and elsewhere. There
is not a fraudulent poll in all
New York; there is not repeater; there
is not a sCOundrcl there who deties the
law, or the constitution of the country,
there is nothing there in the way it is now
attempted to defraud US, who are in
the minority here, by forcing upon this
House another member elected by nobody
from nowhere, having no constituency,
and representing nothing whatsoever. Sir,
| denOunce these frauds from the Com
mittee of Elections before the country
with all the vigor am capable of. This
is no longer q representative government.
The House no longer represents the peo-
pie of this country. 1t is a packed Con-
gress. 1t is a fraudulent House. 1t is
elected by device and cheatery and con-
trivances such as have been exhibited this
very morning at the bar of this House,
here upon this fioor-a man with 5000
votes against a Democrat with Il, 600
votes, struggled in here without a word
of discussion whatever"
The precedent has ROW been established,
says the New York Journal Of Com
D1ercc, that the majority in Congress
may exclude members elect whom they
don't like, and admit their rivals. This
dangerous principle is capable Of indef-
mite extension. and if pushed much
further, as it probably will be, will result
in making complete farce Of all Con-
gressional elections, and enabling what
ever party has control of Congress to
pack that body with its own tools. 1t is
one of the dcadliest of all the blows
struck at popular government in this
country. There is not an honest man of
any party who docs not feel that it is a
wrong aud an outrage, whether it makes
for his side or not. 1t is no satisfaction
to Us that it will return some day. like a
curse let loose, 90 plague its inventors.
OF the $50 members constituting the
present House of Representatives, the
Democrats have now only remaining
g. With bayonct power there has been
thrust into that body from Alabama,
Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Missouri.
North Carolina, South Carolina, Tcnnes-
see, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia,
forty-nine of the true carpet-bag and |
scallywag stripe. With fair expression
of the popular will, it is safe to affirm
that full thirty five of that number would