The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-12-23
CONTEsTING ELECTIONS.

ing bettered, but every now and then some
defect achieves a little more notice than
usual, and we wonder that particular at
tention and a corrective had not been di-
rected towards and applied to it, before.
Previous to President Garheld's long i'll
ness, when the matter became quite
prominent, we doubt if one citizen
in ten had any thought but that
the various questions which might
arise touching the Presidential
succession, were amply and clearly pro
'lded Tor by the Federal Constitution ana
Statutes. Now, however, it proves to be
one of the least understood, most dcbatable
and dangerous subjects before the present
Congress. We might cite other instances
oil IKE character were it necessary for the
discussion of the subject in hand, but it is
not. Suffice it to say that our yenerated
fabric Of government like the simplest
forms Of authority under which the barba-
ran lives, is by no means perfection, and
affords in its practical applications
continually an insight into its weak
points that it is the part Of true
craftsmanship to correct Immediately.
We are informed by the public prints that
there are seventeen seats in the House OF
Representatives. contested this. session.
This is an unprecedented number and is
only fortunate as an occurrence, in that it
NAV hp tho r,.aps Of oa1l;n,, oors;In -, In N
to another of our governmental impe fec
tons. Not a session of Congress rolls
around but the House and its committees
must be annoyed and harrassed by lot of
hungry contestants, who, in nine cases out
often, know full well there is no Justice in
their demand, but who hope by partisan
aflidavits and the influence ofparty and the
lobby to get in or failing in that,
at least draw Congressman 5
pay during the period of their con
test. And the number has been steadily
growing. Most OF the present contestants
are Southern Republicans, and it is barely
posi- lie a goodly number of them may be
let into the House on the charge of fraud
intimidation and what not, which they all
make. But it is not in party or political
sense that we desire to speak of thissubject.
1t is the opportunity or right of contest
generally that We refer to. And we con-
tend that in practice this right
has degenerattd into so troublesome
and costly exercise to the general
government that one of two things ought to
be done Either the right of contest before
Congress ought to be taken away altogether
or the manner and policy governing its ex-
erciso heretofore, ought to DO greatly
changed. The first proposition would vir-
tually deprive the House of its privilege to
judge Of tho qualifications of its own mem
bers, and would not probably be wise or
practicable, and it is useless here to discuss
it further, but the second certainly suggests
itself to US as Of the utmost importance as a
measure for Congress to act upon
and entirely feasible As the matter
now stands the greatest latitude exists for
the would-be contestant, and if he be, as he
generally is, a NEEDY" man, Il positive in,
duccment is held out to him to renew 4
conflict settled by the people, before the
Committee on PRIVILEGES and Election, in
the House of Representatives at Washing
ton. For if there exists the slightest basis
| for his claim, and it is no trouble to build a
basis, the expenses incident to the contest
| a Sl
ccssful or not, or more accurately stated two
men are paid congressman wages from the
same district at the same time. The con-
tests before Congress this session Will foot
up at least 40,0G0or $4,000 and the inyes-
tigation all the time but the repetition of a
matter passed solemnly upon by lGS,OOO
free and wide-awake citizens Is not thi,
an abuse, all incentive to vexatious and
costly conflicts, source of political corrup-
ton and an imposition on the people? And
yet the evil could be easily remcdied. Let
Congress by statute declare that certain
broad and patent and just grounds,
such as experience and wisdom
might suggest to it, must first
be clearly laid before the right
to contest is granted, and then, among
other provisions needed TO fully cover IL @
case, that under no circumstances should
any compensation of whatever character be
granted to the successful party in the CON
test, but as cases in courts certain costs
should fall on him, and our word for II, tbi,
character of man would be less seen around
the National Capital, and those only who
were thrice armed with just quarrel would
ever torment the House and retard lcgisls-
ton by the persistent pressing OF
their claims for another's seat. Az
ded to this We believe the existence of more
stringent rules in this particular would
prove the means of producing greater hon
esty and purity in elections in the various
Congressional districts of the Union, for
very obvious reasons. The nearer the cleo.
ton itself approached finality of the mat.
ter, by the rules of the House, the greater
watchfulness and energy and cautisn would
1t occasion on the part Of candidates, and
these things in turn would render i'm.
possible many things now INDUCED at such
times, ofa questionable nature and arising
mainly from belief that the corrupt fes
lures ofthe campaign are easily reviewed by
Congress and in fact afford new avenue of
success. in case Of a first failure. For these
reasons we most earnestly desire practical
reform in this matter and trust that the
present contestants will meet such n rcbut.