Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-05-13
Andrew G.. Curtin.

DEMOCRAT, that we deeply deplore the
result reached on last Tuesday, by the
National House of Representatives in
the contest of the distinguished gen.
tleman whose name heads this article
and the sitting member, Mr.. S. III.
Yocum. 1t will be very difficult to
convince the Democrats of the Goth
Congressional District of Pennsyl-
vania that Governor Curtin was not
legally elected to speak for them in
the councils of the Nation. There is
a deep seated and firmly rooted con-
viction EMBEDDED in the minds of thir-
teen thousand true aud faithful DEM
ocrats in this district, which precludes
the possibility of leading them to
believe that the judgment of the
lower branch of Congress is either just
or conclusive as to the right of An
drew G.. Curtin to he a member of
that body. The evidence submitted
was of such a character IL TO make
Tuesdays action almost inexplicable.
Certainly, if the Democratic majority,
on the eve of an important presiden-
tial election, wished to ALLEVIATE and
render luke-warm large and inhuen-
tial body of Democrats, the vote on
the Curtin-Yocum contest is susceptible
of intelligent explanation. The ablest
lawyers on both sides of the House
concurred in the opinion, that the tes-
timony was absolutely conclusive, as
to the claim of the contestant. There
never was at any stage of the investi-
CATION, the slightest doubt expressed
by the really responsible members of
the House as to the fairness and just
ness of Governor Curtin's demand, on
behalf of his constituency, for the seat
wrongly and fraudulently filled by
another. 1t would reflect no addition
al honor upon n man-whose name is
emblazoned, for all time, upon the
pages of American history Us one of
the grandest figures who ever made
patriotic self-sacriiice and devotion to
state and country virtue to be emit
lated and venerated-to occupy seat
in the Congress of the United States.
The full measure of his honorable am
bition was filled to overflowing, and
in every household in the land the
name of the great War Governor was
spoken with bated breath, while the
MANNED soldiers, stricken orphans and
grateful benifciaries of the magnificent
charities he inaugurated for the bene-
fit of those who had suffered while
fighting to the death for the flag he
loves 80 we'll could find no words with
which to pour forth their boundless
gratitude to the man, who spent the
best years of his life in their behalf.
When the party TO which he had given
his allegiance became so corrupt as to
make il dishonorable for an honest
man to be identified with it, Governor
Curtin resigned the commission which
he held at its hands, as the Minister
Plenipotentiary to one of the proudest
and most powerful courts of Europe,
and returned to his native country TO
join with Sumner, Greeley, Doolittle,
Trumbull, Palmer and others in a re-
volt against its methods. He at once
heartily co.operated with the Demo
cratic party. In 1872 he gave his
cordial and enthusiastic support to
Charles r. Buckalew, the Democratic
candidate for Governor, and also gave
his adherence to the Democratic Ma
tional ticket. From that time until
the present he has consistently advo.
Gated the men and measures put forth
by the party of constitutional freedom.
In 1876 he carried the banner of
Democratic reform through the great
States of Indiana and Ohio. Thomas
A. Hendricks was unstinted in his
praise of the admirable manner in
which Governor Curtin conducted the
campaign in his State, and attributed
to him much of the success which
crowned the cause of Democracv In