Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-06-26
Tho Curtin-Yocum Contest.

lleVed that the report and conclusions
of the above contested election case
would have been reached before this
time. But this has not occurred, and
in oEder to answer the many inquiries
made concerning it, we have conclud-
cd to give our readers the information
we could gather in reference TO it. 1t
has been said by some that on account
of the testimony taken in the case be-
ing in so bad shape, through the
bungling management of the attorneys
who had that part of it in charge,
that the committee could not under
stand nor straighten out the mixed up
evicence This we can assure our
readers from the most reliable source
is not the case at all. And whoever
originated such an assertion drew
largely, for his conclusion, upon Il
perverted Imagination. Mr.. Etters,
the clerk of the committee, who has
gone over all the testimony, had no
such fault to find with it, and he is
the only person who has examined the
entire case. In his preparation of it
for the printer he had occasion to
strike out, or rather take from the tcs-
timony, large amount of supertiuous
matter in the records and documcnta-
ry evidence, which was considered by
the committee nat necessary to be put
in the printed copy, but which is pre-
served by the clerk for the use of the
committee if occasion requires it.
The true reason why the case has
not been disposed of up to this time
is, first, the indisposition of the com
mittee TO take up any contests during
the extra session of Congress, the ex-
ira session having been called, as is
well known, to pass the appropriations
for next year. Another reason, and
perhaps the principle one is, that the
appropriation for public printing for
the year having been exhausted, Mr..
Defrccs, the public printer, refused
to print any matter except such as
was absolutely necessary for the daily
use of the House and Senate. True.
the Iowa cases were before the com
mittee, and passed upon by the com
mittee, but the report has not been
presented in the House and probably
will not be at this session. 1t might
be in place here to state that the com
mittee have decided against the contest
ants in these two cases and Mcssrs
Carpenter and Sapp, two Republican
members, will retain their seats, which
shows that this committee is a fair
one, and not n political machine to
seat every Democrat who may contest
a seat in Congress. But notwithstand-
ing the indisposition of the committee
to consider any cases, at present, the
case of Curtin vs. Yocum would have
been taken up by the committee, if it
could have been printed, and. Mr..
Etters, the clerk, worked faithfully
and hard to have it in readiness be-
fore Congress adjourned.
The case has made all the progress
it possibly could under the circum-
stances. There are several hundred
pages of it printed already, and it is
the only one in the printers hands,
and no other will precede it, as he has
instructions from the proper authority
TO print it as fast as possible. After
the appropriations for next year are
applicable, which they will be after
the 1st of July, the printing will be
done in a very short time. Should
Congress adjourn, the committee has
authority by virtue of a resolution
passed by the House to prepare this
case during the vacation, so as to have
il ready by the time Congress meets
in December.
The anonymous "Not a Rebel,
who airs himself through column or