Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1882-06-07
= PARLIAMENTARY RIGHTS.
From the Detroit Evening New

closed the contest for the South Carroll
ma seat by ousting Dibble, the Demo
crat, and seating Mackey, the Republi.
can contestant.
The merits Of the contest between
Mackey and Dibble are of little conse-
quence to the public, as the country
has become so accustomed to see the
majority in all cases favor their own
man, regardless of the merits, that it
pays very little attention to the facts or
principles involved. As a matter OF
historical curiosity, however, it may be
we'll to recall such of the facts as the
committees have permitted to become
public. The contest arose between
Mackey and O'Connor in the election
of 1880. The latter was declared elect
ed by the authorized judges, received
the governors certificate, and was en-
titled to take his seat on the prima
facie case thus made. Mackey entered
contest, alleging fraud in the election
and counting. Pending contest, O'Con-
nor died, and the governor of South
Carolina ordered new election. Dbl
bic ran as the Democratic candidate !;
but the Republicans, taking the ground
that Mackey was entitled to the seat by
virtue of the first election, stood on
that, and made no nomination. Dibble
was, therefore, elected without opposi-
ton, received the certificate and took
his seat. When the contest came on in
committee, the Democrats took refuge
in a precedent made by the Republicans
when they were formerly in majority,
in Louisiana case, the circumstances
being exactly the same, but the politi-
cal connections Of the contestants being
exactly reversed that is to say, it was
a Republican who was first declared
elected, and Democrat who contested
on the ground Of fraud; it was the Re-
publican who died; it was the Demo-
Gratis who stood on their original con-
contest; and, it was Republican. who
was subsequently chosen at special
election without contest. In that case
the Republican majority took the ground
that it was impossible to determine the
first contest without the presence Of
both parties to it that the death of the
sitting member, therefore, made the
seat vacant that the second election
was valid and determined all rights in
the matter. The Democrats presented
this precedent, but it was quietly
brushed aside by the majority of the
committee, who denied that the merits
of the dead mans claims must settle
the matter. On these merits they adj
mittcd testimony of fraud, violence, etc,
documentary and verbal, prepared to
report in favor of Mackey. Seeing that
prccedents were of no avail, the opposi-
ton antagonized the report with charges
of fraud and forgery in the testimony
on which the report was founded, and
demanded an investigation Of these
charges, claimed that they had already
been considered and dismissed as frivo-
lous, and came into the house with
their report two weeks ago. The oppo-
sition thereupon antagonized the report
with dilatory motions, and by breaking
quorum from time to time, there being
so many Republican absentees as to de-
prive them Of constitutional majority
when the Democrats abstained from
voting.
The deadlock thus occasioned con-
tinued until Monday last, when the
Republicans, having whipped in quo
rum of their own men, adopted sum-
mary method of breaking it, AS the
rules stood, dilatory motions were in
order. An amendment to the rules de-
claring contest for q seat q question
of the highest privilege was reported
and that, too, being antagonized by a
dilatory motion, the speaker, who was
fully prepared, read q decision declar-
ing an amendment to the rules also
question Of the highest privilege.
Under this decision, and under the
new rule adopted in pursuance of it,
through scenes of the most violent dis
order and confusion lasting all through |
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, dur
ing which members frequently shoolep
their fists in each others faces and all
but came to blows, the majority whip
ped the matter through the house and
reached vote on the main question
yesterday.
AS we said in the beginning of this
article, long usage has accustomed the
public to Indifference to the merits of
contests for seats in Congress, and there
will be few tears shed over the ousting
of Dibble and seating of Mackey on
their own account. We can therefore
pass that contest and score it up in the
record as simply another Of the many
instances in which an American political
machine has determined question
solely with view to its own interest.
But at the point where the man Keifer,
the political creature whom Robson,
the thief elevated To the sneakershin