National Republican., 1880-03-24
The Manning Infuny.

The Pioneer Press, the leading newspaper o
Minnesota, and an independent aud outspoker
journal, by tho way, is exceedingly dcuuncia
tory of the action Of the House Election Com
mittoe. 1t says OF the report on the Donnclly
Wsshburu case: ut is realized In Il form Sc
prcposterous that IL ceases TO he astounding
1t is simply ridiculous. 1t is impossible to be
indignant over document which is SO intense,
ly amusing
They know Donnelly well up in Minnesota.
Since his retirement from Congress they have
had near view and intimate acquaintance
with him, and have also learned much about
his character while he held scat in the House.
They know his mental characteristics, his per-
soual vanity, his capacity for lying, the moral
obliquity which ObsCuTes his mind whenever
he treats II fact or an argument in which he is
interested, So the picture that is drawn of
him by the Pioneer Press, though standing out
in glaring colors, must be accepted as true to
tho life.
But undoubtedly tho dcnunciatiou of this
Infamous majority report and the indignation
it has aroused ought not to fall entirely nor
tho most severely upon Donneily himself,
Dounclly is not Member Of Congress-ho
has no responsibility to anybody he is sim
ply q contestant, whose privilege it is to con-
cOct any story, to invent any theory aud to
hatch up any kind of testimony that may, in
his Judgment, help his case. He has no more
standing than the hordes of others who haunt
Congressman aud committees of Congress with
private interests and bills for other claims, and
who swarm the lobbics day after day from all
parts of the country But when this contest
fails (as fail it must when tho facts como OUT,
DOnnclly will fade out of the attention of tho
public, and his report, which the Democrats of
the subcommittee have iathered as their own
will receive the scrutiny and the universal
eXoGration which 1t deserves.
,,,lF IInVn Ia no All Itan 3
ti0ns, appointed to guard the will Of the pco.
Pile aud TO uphold the rule Of the majority in
every Congressional district of the United
States, with an official and sworn Tcsponsi.
bilty. 1t appoints from its membership
subcommittee to discover the facts in each
case upon which contests for seats in Congress
rest, aud report the truth to the committee,
and the committee to tho House for its action.
They arc not TO take the statements Of an Inn.
bilious, INSCRIPTIONS dead beat like Ignatius
Donnelly as evidence unless supported by tho
facts They are to weigh evidence, to deib-
crate upon tho muXims Of law involved, to
discriminate between truth and fdlsohOOd.
Their labors involve the very existence Of con.
siitutiOmal republican government A be-
trayal Of their trust or II perversion of the
facts, il crime against society. Aud IL may
be charged upon Manning and his Democratic
associates on the subcommittee that this is
just what they have done. They have ad.
mitted evidence that was not evidence; they
have taken Donnoly's statements of bribery
to bo true, when there is not feather of G,Gt
to base them uponi they have hsincd
tho truth they have mlsined tho law
They have 1agranlly attempted to dislan-
chise thousands Of egal, returned, intelligent
free white voters, and to give o seat in Con.
gress to man who is no more entitled 10 sit
there than Denis Kearuoy. This is de.
liGerate attempt by Manning at the ustigOtion