The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-10-18
Richn,olld lispatlc''l|'|,
rurYnsp Az OCTOBER is. 1877.
The Colorado Case.


The indignation OF the Republican Jour-
mails Of the North at the conduct OF Clerk
An,vs in excluding Mr.. BELFoRD, OF Colo
RADIO. from the list OF members OF the House
q; Representatives. is as unlimited as IL Is
causeless. II ever there was q case OF plain
sailing for clerk Of the House. it was TINS
Colorado case; for the Republican house OF
REPRESENTATIVES had set a precedent less
than four years ago in q case almost precisely
s;r,;,ar 70 which Mr.. ADAMS was bound to
nav that due respect which mere minis
terial officer should always manifest towards
the body or person to whom ne IS indebted
for his official existence. 1t was hardly to
be supposed that Mr.. ADAMS could have the
,,nblrshipr impudcnce to set himself up
&c better Judge OF law and equity, or OF
the proper time to hold congressional elee-
tions, than the learned lawyers, bigoted
part;ssus, and distinguished Republicans OF
the last Congress but one. And yet this IS
the very thing that the northern Republican
papers, without exception so far rs our OBJ
serva,ion has extended, expected MIR.
ADAMS to do on Monday last. That Nor
ToS-likc journal the New York Times COM
mcnccS one of its many TRADES against Mr..
ADAMS as follows:
..Whatever may be said OF the action OF
the clerk OF the House in regard to the con-
tested seats i'm Louisiana and Florida, his
refusal to place on the roll Of membership
the name OF Mr.. Bcliord. the duly-elected
nfnti Colorado.
involves a very dangerous precedent"
That is we'll said. His refusal, be 1t OBJ
served. was not itself ga dangerous prece-
DENT" but "involvcS 4 dangerous prcce-
dent So it does. The organ OF the bloody
shirt told the truth unintentionally. The
dangerous precedent was set by the Repub-
lican House OF Representatives in 1874 in
the cases OF the Hon. BENJAMIN WILSON ana
the Hon. E. T. MARTIN, OF West Virginia.
Evidently, however, the Times had not that
precedent in mind; for it goes on to say
He stated simply that Mr.. Belford had
been deprived Of his seat because he was
elected at a time not authorized by law, but
he made no mention OF the fact that the
election referred to was held under a proca-
nation from the Governor; that 1t resulted
in giving Mr.. Beliord an undisputed ma
jority OF more than eight hundred votes,
and that his demand for seat was based
unon the only evidence OF which the clerk
of the House can legally take cognlZance-
a certificate regular in form and duly signed
bv the Chief Magistrate OF the State
What was the case OF McSsrs. WILSON
and MARTIN: They were elected at the
regular time for holding congressional cleo
tons. They had the proper certificates OF
election. But they were Democrats. Seve-
raj months afterwards two Republicans held
in the same districts private elections OF their
own. They received very few votes-none
worth speaking OF. Their opponents and
the Democrats generally, as we'll as the best
OF the Republican voters, paid no atten-
ton to the matter, or treated the so-called
elections as farce. In some counties
these Republicans received not arote. The
Republican candidates, however, contested
the seats of the Democrats. The case went
to the regular committee. The chairman,
Republican, speaking for majority OF the
committee, reported in favor OF seating the
Democrats 1t was Mr.. TREMA1SE, OF New
York; There was no case, it might we'll be
said, fon the Republicans. TWAS bald pre-
tence-a mere claim set up as basis for
compensation and mileage: Their unscru-
pulous partisanism was all that recon-
mended them to anybody's consideration.
And yet under these circumstances these
bogus representatives OF districts known to
beas strongly Democratic as any in Virginia
were seated. This outrage was consum-
mated by decent men, so called. Not one
northern Republican journal raised its voice
againstthe fragrant wrong. In the Colorado
case Mr.. ADAMS cannot possibly be charged
with having done worse than followed bad
precedent. a
But the Times continues:
ut was not Mr.. Adams's duty to judge
OF the legality of the Colorado election, and
in presuming1to do so he has clearly usurp-
ed function which belonged to the House."
The same paper justified MIR. MCPHERSON,
the Republican clerk Of the House in 1865,
for excluding the representatives from
every southern State!
When the southern people recall to mind
these two out Of ten thousand outrages, no
wonder they feel grateful that Mr.. HAYES
has put an end TO the infamous faction that
committed them.
p,ru,pn cp,Sr Wu1Tp * incorripibIp