Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-12-23
Bragg, the Braggart.
Washington Sunday Chronicle.

the new members OF Congress at the
present session, the Hon. Mr.. Bragg.
of Wisconsin,, endeayored to make
spectacle of himself by ridiculing the
protest of Hon. W. r. Moore against
the admission of the notorious Gen.
Chalmers. Nobody is better ac-
quainted with the ugly facts in this
case than the Hon. Mr.. Bragg; and If
we mistake not, this same gentleman
tried to kick IN the traces at the last
session because of the partisan per-
formances of some of his Southern
Democratic brethren, even going SO
far as to deliver himself of a violent
harangue in the premises, and Gauss
ing great CONSERVATION among the
party because of his plain talk and
warlike position.
1t is a notorious fact that Gen.
Chalmers is not in justice entitled TO
the seat in Congress which he has
already held two terms through
fraud, it being well known that with
d free and fair election i'll his district
he would have been buried under
Republican majority of $4,000 to
1900; and if Mr.. Bragg was the
sort of person he would have US be-
lieve him to be, he would, instead IF
trying to seek the cheap applause
of the galleries, lend his influence
toward correcting what he must
know is fragrant wrong against the
people that his friend Gen. Chalmers
claims to represent. Mr.. Moore
comes frem district almost adjoining
Chalmers, is perfectly familiar with
the bulldozing ways and means en-
/ ployed by the General to carry it,
and thought it his duty as well as
privilege 10 protest against the ad-
mission of man who had no just
claim to a seat. Because Mr.. Moore
occupies one of the back seats in the
chamber, he found it necessary to ad
vance down the aisle to catch the
Speakers eye when he entered his
protest against the unblushing eff
frontery of General Chalmers in
claiming to represent people who
deny his right and oppose his claim.
He did it in his usual quiet, modest
manner, with no display OF grand
ilouuence," as was asserted. He sim
ply said:
I" Mr.. Speaker, in the interest of
Justice. in the interest Of common
fairness, in the interest of good gov
eminent and the civilization Of the
nineteenth century, especially and
so]emnly protest in the name of the
American people against the adninis-
tration af the oath OF Office to Hon.
James r. Chalmers as member Of
the Forty. seventh Congress from the
Sixth district OF Mississippi"
Whereupon Mr.. Bragg, fancying
he discovered an opportunity to dis
tinguish himself, rose up in his place
and made lamentable exhibition Of
poor burlesque, in the vain hope to
neutralize Mr.. Moore, singing and
successful rebuke. Shakespeare
said What in a name ?" but
i'll this case there is good
deal, and that of the gentle
man from Wisconsin fits him to T.
There was point and solemn truth in
the objection made by Mr.. Moore
against the admission of General
Chalmers; but there was neither
point nor sense in the trifing re.
ioindec afterward made against Mr..
Moores admission by Mr.. Bragg.
I hn. no g
as much right to a seat in Congress
as has the diminutive Bragg, and
although the former is a new men,
Der, he represents a constituency
older than that of Mr.. Bragg, whose
rights they have sent him here to
protect The fact that the very lit
tie man from the Badger State
has served several terms in
Congress gives him no rights
above Others, and should re
mind him that it is customary to
treat new members with some degree
of pohteness, even if they happen to
belong to the opposite party. Gem
eral Chalmers case will be attended
to in due season, and Mr.. Bragg may
find that it will need stronger argu-
ments than counterfeit wit to save
his friend from the just verdict of
the House. Mr.. Moore can afford to
let Bragg snarl and growl, for he is
at best cut blatant blusterer None
but the Democrats laughed" as has
been stated, and they are likely to
soon be given an opportunity OF
laughing upon the other side of the
mouth