National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1876-07-29
A PARTISAN OUTRAGE.

The action of the House of Representa-
tives yesterday in the contested election
case of Plat VS.. Goode was the crow ming
infamy of body that will only be known
in history for its utter disregard of justice
and fair dealing and for its intolerant parti
san bigotry. All through the present ses-
sion it has been apparent that the majority
who compose the House were bent on
making party capital for the Presidential
campaign, no matter at what cost to the
best interests of the country. In the case
under consideration they have gone bow
shot beyond anything heretofore attempted,
and if their action did not prove to them
the feasibility with (Which the engineer
may be foist with his own petard' we
greatly mistake the temper and love of
fair play for which the American people
are noted.
Goode, Democrat of the old secession
stripe, received the certificate of election
from the Democratic canvassing board of
Virginia, because of a very trifling omission
of the returning officer of Prince George
county, (Which had given Col. Plat a
handsome majority,) in the returns for
warded. After Col. Plstt began the con-
test, the Election Committee of the House
very promptly and very properly gave the
vote of this county to Col. Plat, which act
would very clearly have entitled him to the
seat. Then Goode, rendered desperate,
began to enact the character of the ''arttul
dodger," and by the introduction Of new
issues, and all manner of partisan appeals
sought to induce the committee to report in
his favor. The Committee on Elections is
composed of eleven members, six of whom
are Democrats, yet, to the credit of Messrs.
House, of Tenn, and Thompson, of Mass,
both Democrats, they united with the four
Republicans in report to the House, de-
claring Col. Plat, the Republican contest
ant, entitled to the seat. The leaders of
the party, however, in that body had, as
the sequel proves, no idea of permitting
such an act of iuStice to be done, and when
Ran. Tucker, the apologist for treason and
the defender of secession, arose in his seat
on Wedno sday and cracked the party whipt
over his followers, it was apparent that the
continuance of Goode in the seat to which
he is about as much entitled as we are,
was to be made test of party fidelity, and
the result has proved that We were not mis-
taken. That Plat was elected to Congress
from the Norfolk district in Virginia, no
man in that district doubts, and the Demo
cratic majority in Congress are eqIally
well satisfied of it, but the appeals of the
Democratic members from Virgins, aided
by the illustrious Blackburn, that eff
Goode was turned out, there would be
an end of the fraudulent devices in that
State, whereby Republican majorities
"were overcome" proved too much for
any lingering sense of justice that maysby
accident have remained in the bosoms of
the majority party in the House, and the
gallant Plat was sacrificed on the altar of
party necessity.
We are conversant with the whole his
tory of the contemplate series of frauds by
which the Norfolk district has been robbed
of its rightful Representative in the House,
and We defy any unprejudiced man, no
matter what his party relations, to read
the printed record in this case without IN
hCsitatingly coming to the conclusion that
the action of the House in awarding the
seat to the brazen usurper, who has for
months held it without a shadow of right,
was an unmitigated outrage on the people
of Virginia, as well as the contestant in
the case. We propose to say more upon
this subject at another time. and if, in ven
tilating, as we shall do, this whole affair,
the Democracy find it bed of thorns,
they will have the sweet consolation of
knowing that they made it for themselves.