Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-03-16
Speech Of Hon. M. G. Kerr
,---T OF INDIANA, r. aI ~
In the o. S. House Of Representatives, Fet
IA, 1871, on the Sheafe>T >TiIlman
+ @ contested seat. ssfrgis
- .- (Concluded.) t.al a.

o.. t ar (Concluded.) -Ea Is.
Now, in reference to the gen
eral charge of intimidation, | de
sire to say to gentlemen of thi.
House that during my experience
as a, member of the Committee OF
Elections | have heard these
charges made so often, and in the
course of my official service here
| have SO many times been com,
PEELED by the orders of this House
to investigate in detail the char.
acter and foundation of these
charges in several pas Of the
South, that / have arrived at the
conclusion in my own mind
that in most of the cases these
charges of intimidation and vic.
lence are the merest, shallowest,
and most unworthy, unmanly, and
contemplate pretexts for the set
ting aside Of elections and deny.
ing to the people the sacred right
Of representation in the person OF
their choice. 1 have come to
know that in nine cases out of
ten, and as to this district, l have
come to believe, that all of these
charges are unsubstantial and en-
tirely insufficient to justify the
action generally based upon them,
or the proposed action of this
House against Mr.. Sheafe, and that
they are only appealed to by the
sitting member to justify the con-
science Of the House in commit.
ting in his behalf an outrage upon
the people of his district and upon
the people of the country.
There were some outrages COM
mitted in this district, as the tes,
timony shows. But the testimo.
ny fails to show that they were
political outrages, or that they
were committed for political pur-
poses, or that the organization by
which they were committed was a
political organization. That or
ganization had no reference in its
inception or operations or history
to the conduct of these elections.
And l say, as the solemn conclu-
sion of my judgment, that it did
more harm to Mr.. Sheafe than it
did him good. And the result of
this contest shows that it has done
for Mr.. Tillman more good than
harm; for it has enabled him to
get a seat 10 which he was not en-
titled, to which he was not elected,
and by the judgment of this
House to retain that seat in viola.
ton of the rights of the people of
his district and of the right of
representation of the people of
this country. a ~ a
What were those outrages
They were committed mainly by
a lawless organization, always op.
posed. and denounced by Mr..
Sheafe, an organization for the
purpose of breaking up combina
tions of horse thieves, petty
thieves, criminals, and enemies of
the rights Of property and the
peace and order Of society in
Tennessee. What created the
necessity for any such .fhing?-
The Republican reconstruction
policy is the fruitful fountain
out of which have flowed most of
these organizations and outrages
in the State of Tennessee, and il
the South generally That policy
was always inherently wrong anc
vicious it violated right princi
Piles of government, denied obvi
Gus and inalienable rights, tool
power from the good, intelligent
and patriotic, and gave it to tn,
vicious, ignorant, and selfish
wrested local self.government from
the citizens, to whom it belonged
and gave power to political parti
sans and adventures, removed
subordination from the coloret
men, corrupted their judgments
!: misled their hopes, and mad,
them idle and worthless. AnC
just so long as by your conduc
here you encourage bad men AM
enact such bad laws and put pow
er into the hands of such I'M
! quitous, selfseeking place. hunter
: in the States of the South as il
great part now control the destin,
of the people there, my word 70
it, you will see these wrongs an,
outrages continued and repeated
|, But they are not political. 1t
only true as to one or two outra
ges proved in this record tha
!, they transpired during the imme
diate conduct of this campaign.
But in order to make out pre-
I text here the sitting member ha
, ransacked the history of that con
gressional district, and indeed t