Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-06-15
C5e qailp G9rmitlt.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE Is, 1881.
HOUKS RECORD AS A CONGRESS-
MAN.

We charged few days ago that at the last
ported, five times out or six, in the list of
those mot voting" when the roll of the
House was called We stated then that we
had only partial file of the Congressional
Record for the session, but we have enough
10 convict him of the charge of habitually
neglecting his duties as Representative in
Congress, and when we obtain the complete
Record, and do not make good our charge,
we will agree to retract everything we have
said against him. We further charge now,
that this habitual neglect of his
duties was the result of dissi-
patton, which, for large pro-
portion of the time, rendered him unfit to
be seen on the floor of the House, or in de-
cent society r.... #..
Last week he published five-column
card in Gibson's paper (and his OWN in
which he announced that he would take no
further notice of newspaper attacks, but in
that paper of this week, Gibson being away,
he has written a number of editorials in his
own defense, and has caused his sweet
scented private secretary to write others.
In fact all the editorials in the paper of this
week are devoted to that subject Hence,
when he said he would take no further no.
uce of newspaper attacks" he meant that
he would not do it boldly and over his own
signature, but that he would do it behind his
ward and law partner, AS he provides
Gibson with his bread and butter, he thinks
he has perfect right to use him as he
chooses.
The paper, as usual, abounds in abuse
falsehood, misrepresentation and jealous
attempt is made to hide the shortcomings
of the head of the political and law firm
of Houk d Gibson. We do not
pretend to be able to compete with this firm
in dirty blackguardism, nor have we any as
pirationS in that direction. We have incur
red their enmity because we would not veal
their collar, and we are proud of it. But
While we do not expect to compete with
of their highest accomplishments, we dc
not intend that they shall deceive the public
longer as to the distinguished" services O.
their chief. Now Judge Houk claims tina
whenever absent from his seat in the House
last winter, he was either paired at the tim,
with some one who would have voted differ
entity or withheld his vote under caucus
agreement to "fillibuster," and that in so do
ing he was acting in accord with his party
No one knows better than himself that thi
is only part of the truth-a very small
part-and that it is intended to con
ceal the real facts from his con
stltuents, in order to break tn,
force of most damaging charge. From tn,
copies of the Record before us. we note tn
following, and promise our readers who re
side and vote in this Congressional distric
that when we have received the Record com
plete for the session, they shall have full
history of his stewardship.
Congress met on the It'll day of Decem
Der, and the roll-call shows that Judge Houl
was in his seat. On the 18th, one weel
afterwards, the matter of the electora
count came up, thing of vital importance
to all the people. No quorum appearing, {
roll-cal was ordered, and Houk's name ap
peared IN theGst of absentees. He was paired
The same day the refunding bill was called
up by vote of 1876 to 80, Republicans vot
ing IN the affirmative. Houk absent anc
paired. The same day, resolution was in
troduced in the House to elect Nowlin, {
Virginia Democrat, postmaster of the House
Mr.. Conger moved to amend by inserting
the name of H. NJ. Sherwood, Republican
and gallant ex-Federal soldier, covered al
over with wounds received while in the ser
vice of his country. There was no fillibus
tering here. One hundred Republican,
voted for Mr.. Congers amendment, anG
l1S Democrats against it-''not voting" 70
among them L. c. Houk. He was paired
with Casey Young. Where was he? Ex
Federal soldiers of the End district, dom
you think he ought to have been there II
vote for Sherwood?
On the 18th Of December, the fortidcA