The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-12-10
Letter nom DR.. Murphy.
DURANr. Mss. Dec. 18th. 1879

DURANT Miss, Dec. 18th. 1879.
EDITORS CLARION: Ia late issues of your
paper my name has appeared as one of the
members of the House of Representatives.
In the last issue, just received, it is left out,
and an explanation given that ''the Regis
trars declined to give certificates, and the
House win be called upon to decide the
question"
What question, pray? Certainly not who
got the most votes-that is no question now
every body knows who got the votes. Surely
the question whether the Board of Regis
trars is guilty of felony or misdemeanor will
not be mooted in the House-that question
belongs to the Courts.
But the House has the right to decide
whether we shall be seated, and We make no
doubt but its decision in the matter will be
correct and just
What staggers me, though, is how you
manage To keep the name of j. G. Hamilton
floating for Senator elect of the 18th Dist
rict, after knocking mine into pi wont
the Senate be called upon to decide upon
has qualifications well? Can his claims
have any pre-eminence above mine? Our
votes were polled in the same boxes. | got
a majority of the whole number cast it is
questionable whether he did, as he had tlco
opponents; at any rate | got more votes
than he did. Didn't the Registrars decline
to issue his certificate us we'll as mine
trow they did, and if so | claim only what
| cheerfully accord to him, i. e, that he was
fairly and clearly elected; so was l.
If contestant only is wanting to place US
all on equal footing, another Richmond
will be lin the field in the person of II.
H. Truheart.
Fully assured, that you would in the
premises deal exactly fair with all parties,
| am, very
Truly yours &c,
CHAs. T. MURPHY.
DIR. Murphy is right in believing that
we will IDEAL fairly in the premises.
In placing him and his Independent or
Greenback opponents in the list OF
members elect, we were acting upon in
formation that they had been elected.
Subsequently we were assured that the
result was in doubt, and would be con-
tested by their opponents. So far as
Col. Hamilton is concerned, there is no
contest over his election. He had two
competitors, and received more votes
than both together, as we are credibly
informed, though a plurality would have
been sufficient to entitle him to the seat.
Dr. McGee, his foremost opponent, is
since dead. A contestant in his case is
not wanted, and there is no reason why
there should be one, since it is true, as
DIR. Murphy admits, that he "was fairly
and clearly elected" If the Board OF
Registration have not issued him a Ger.
titicate, or at least certified statement
as to the number of votes which he and
each of his competitors received (exclu
sive of the lost box, we are at loss tc
know why Certainly they will not be
justified in refusing to do so.
We presume the House of Represen
tatives, which is the judge of the quail
fications of its members, will send fol
persons and papers, and will assign the
seats to the members who received s
majority of the votes that were polleC
and counted. The loss of one, two OF
more boxes by the delinquency o
officials should not operate to deprive
the county of Holmes of her constitu
tional right to be represented in the
Legislature.