The Hartford herald., 1880-03-03
Washington Letter.

pace with Il pretty strong indication
that IL won't tire ont ~ soon as has been
predicted. During the Last few DAYS
matters Of Il little more interesting and
sensational character have been coming
to the front, and, all things considered,
life at the Capital is growing less mo-
notonOIIs, from political standpoint at
least. An event very rare in any Con-
grcss The expulsion of member
threatens to- shortly occur. Mr.. Acklen,
of Louisiana, stands accused of scri-
ous breach of honor among members,
in presenting to the House what he rep
resented to he the report of Il commit
tee, and asking To have it received and
printed. These things are always ac-
cepted on the word of member, and
when il was discovered that the paper
presented was not committee report
and that Mr.. Acklen had no authority
whatever To 80 represent it, there was
great Indignation. An investigation
was ordered and the result reported
places Mr.. Acklcn in II very bad situa-
ton. He is Democrat, but nearly ev-
cry Democratic member believes he
should he expelled, while on the Repub-
lican side he has several very active
friends who favor milder treatment.
Mr.. Acklen's career has been little
checkered since his election to Congress,
and he has been accused of some UNI
manly things both here and at home, i'm
consequence of which some newspapers
have dubbed him the Louisiana Goat"
yet he has generally managed to White
wash himself. 1t is not known wheth-
er he had any corrupt motive In the
matter now pending, and an investiga-
ton into that feature of the case is being
made by the judiciary Committee. If
any bad motive is found, he will GER
tainly be expelled.
The contested election cases that have
occupied the most attention so far are
Curtin vs.. Yocum i'm Pennsylvania and
Donnelly VS.. Washburn i'm Minnesota.
Both are practically decided. The Rad
ical press is making terrible howl over
the finding of the subcommittee in the
latter ease, because they say Wash
burns majority was 5000. But when
the report of the full committee is
made, think it will convince all fair
minded men that it is not partisan and
that the sitting member secured all his
apparent majority by means which give
him no legal or just claim to the seat.
iit itNoiu tNlutlitt vi ttt
grossest frauds perpetrated i'm WASH
burns interest. An example of the
kind of testimony before the commit
tee is this: Washburn came into Min
neapOlis from the country with ma
jOrity against him. He il confessedly
i'm the city, and yet he over
came this adverse majority and ran up
II majority for himself of $500 in seven
nraainats Nf th.a .itx- x..h tha tlnr
Republican majority never exceeds $50.
This was done by resort to the statute
that each voters ballot and name on
the registry should be numbered, so
that it might be known how each man
voted. This law facilitates bribery and
had been declared unconstitutional by
the Court, and Judges of Elections had
decided the evening before the election
day that they would abide by that de-
cision. Governor Washburn, the con-
testant's brother, and the latter's book
keeper, Hall, are said to be convicted of
bribery, and it will be held that w. ID.
must have been privy TO it.
This is but one of a number of pieces of
testimony on which the subcommittee
base their finding.
The new rules of the House are still
pending. Closing the open debate in
Committee of the Whole did not bring
IN early disposition of the subject as
was supposed, and there have been i'll
iicatiOns that the whole revision would
finally be defeated on account of some
)f the amendments. Thegreatest dam
ger has grown out of the contest be-
tween the Appropriation Committee |
md some of the other, less important |
)nes. The first-named committee de- !
'ires to retain the power it has always |
lad. while four or five Others are fight
ng for greater importance by securing |
/ division and distribution of the bills |
money. The older and |
wiser members, like Speaker Randall |
md General Garfield, oppose the |
:hange, but by combining the strength |
md influence of these little, unimpor-
ant committees against the Appropri- |
atoms Committee they have come very /
hear doing considerable damage. Any |
,ne experienced in legislation will see
It glance that the effect of distributing |
he control of the appropriations in
;reases the danger OF raids upon the |
Treasury, and it will be noticed that the |
obby is for the change. Another
hing that threatened to aid in defeat
ng the revision was the attempt of the |
to amend the rules so as to |
prohibit attaching riders, containing |
POLITICAL legislation, to appropriation !
jills. A few Democrats took position
II favor of these amendments at first, |
md things looked little squally, but |
,fter the speech of Frank Hurd who |
hOwed these Democrats how much |
hey We're indebted to this privilege for
he legislation in favor of Constitution
Il liberty alreday obtained, they were
lot so ready to play into the hands of |
he Radicals.
AS indicated three months ago the
courtesy of the Senate" is strained to |
he utmost i'm the report of the Senate
committee on the Ingalls, case. Ii finds
hat bribery and corrupt means were !
by the friends of Ingalls, to
ecure his election to the Senate, but
hat these friends Were acting in the
most disinterested way, on their own
nook, so to speak, and that poor Ingalls,
lnew nothing of the crimes committed !
n his name and for his advantage. The
does not say what it thinks 4
,f the corrupt proposition made by /
ieneral Ingalls, TO Governor Anthony.
But, perhaps, Senators generally think
hat in matters of this kind it is better
% let bygones be bygones. Possibly
many of them know the obstacles
to be encountered in obtain
ng reelection, and recall the means
escorted to i'm their own cases. The
inst step towards such result as has
been reached was in the delay of action
intil ingalls, had ample time to "tix"
he worst evidence against him. That
his election was bought and paid for
with Jay Gould's money, those who
know most about it still have no doubt.
PHONO.