The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-11-01
A PLAIN ANSWER
TO A. II. COFFROATH BIENNIAL
LII.

General CampoeIrs Votes to Abolish
Polygamy-Forty--fo Democrats
Vote to Sustain It-Poiygamists For.
ever Disqualified from Holding Ofii-
&c by Republican Votes, of which
Gen. CampbeIl's was One
Two years ago, on the eve of the
election, the friends of Mr.. Coffroth
got out lying circular or last card y
TO the effect that Gea. Campbell,
when member of a previous Con-
gress, had voted against the Arrears
of-Pension bill. We, at that time,
showed conelusively, from the Con-
gresstonaL Record, through the col
umns of the Tribune, the absolute
falsity of that charge. OF course, in
this campaign, we expected that Mr..
Coffroth and his friends would resort
to their old and favorite method OF
electioneering-that of downright
lying. In this expectation we have
not been disappointed. The Somer.
set Democrat, a paper controlled by
A. Ii. Coffroth and ostensibly edited
by his nephew, A. III. Coffroth Jr., in
its issue OF Tuesday published an
article headed in conspicuous capi-
tails, as follows "Campbell's Record
He votes to Sustain Polygamy.
From the same source from which
we demonstrated the falsity of the
Democratic roorback of two years
ago, We now propose to show the
falsitv of this one also. The article
states that in the early part of the
present Congress the question of po-
lygamy was one of the exciting sub.
ljects before it, and that Gen. Camp.
bell voted in faver of its continuance
This statement is so utterly at va
rance with the truth as it appear.
in the Congressional Record that the
charge is an insult to the intelligence
OF the readers of the Democrat, as
well as 10 the public generally. Let
us see what are the facts as they ap
pear in the Record.
On March 13, 1882, the House o.
Representatives having under con
sideration Senate bill No. 353 t.
amend Section 1852 of the Revised
Statues of the United States, com
monty known as the Edmunds bill
for the suppression of Polygamy, tn,
eighth section of the bill was read, al
follows
That no polygamist, bigamist, o
any person cohabiting with NOR
than one woman, and one woman
cohabiting with any of the person
described as aforesaid in this section
in any territory or other place owe
which the United States have exclu
sive jurisdiction, shall be entitled T.
vote at any election held in any sucl
territory or other place, or be eligibl
for election or appointment TO, or b
entitled to hold, any office or plac
of public trust, honor, or emolu
ment in, under, or for any such TEL
ritory or place, or under the Unite
: States.
Mr.. Mills, of Texas, Democra
I moved to strike out this section
/ On this motion the yeas and nay
l were called, and the vote was Yea
A nays, 1913 not voting, %. Gel
Campbell voted nag (see Congres.
: ioaal Record, XLVIlth Congress, /:
: session, page 1870 ; that's, he vote
5 to retain the section of the bill whie
T, disqualifies polygamist, or ma
J, having more than one wife, froI
g holding office under the Unite
!, States or voting. But how did NJ
I Coffroth's political friends vote o
1 this question? Forty.four Demc
e Gratis, and not a single Republican
voted to strike out this section, an
Il here are their names as found in tn
Congressional Record of March |.
1882, page 1876:
Yeas-Atherton, Beach, Belmon
Blanchard, Buckner, Cabell, Gale
well, Carlisle, Chalmers, Clark, Cool
Cravens, Dibble, Dibrell, Evin
Garrison, Gunter, Herbert, Hewitt
A. S, Hewitt. G.. W., Hooker, Hous
: Jones, Geo. W, Kenna, Knott, NJ
. Millin, Mills, Money, Muldrow, n,
Ian, Pbister, Reagan, Robertso
{ Shackelford, Shelley, Singleton,
: r., Thompson, p. B.. Tillman, Tucl
{ er, Upson, Warner, Welborn, Wi
liams, Thomas, Willis.
: Now, what does this show? VII
! ! was in favor of Polygamy, Gener;
i Campbell, or Coffroth's polite
friends ?
\ The next vote recorded Is on u
: passage as a whole of the bill to SUI
press polygamy. The vote wa,
Yeas, 1879 nays, AZ; not voting, )
: Gen. Campbell voted ;, ca that is,
: favor of the bill to suppress polvg
! my see Congressional Record, pas
4S77.) Again We ask how did NJ
Cofiroth's political friends vote
= Forty-two Democrats and not a sil
Gle Republican voted against II
. passage of the bill, and here a
:, their names. as found in the Co
J oressional Record for March 13. lSS
! page 1877:
. Nays-Armfeld, Atherton, BE-
@ mont, Blanchard, Buckrer, Cqbe
Q Caldwell, Carlisle, Chapman, Co
, verse, Cook, Cox, VIM. r., Craven
|, Dibrell, Evins, Garrison, Guntt
. Herbert, Herndon, Hewitt, A. :
I Hooker, House, Jones, Geo. W. Ke
!. Ma, Knott, Manning, McMillin, Mil
: Money, Phister, Reagan, Robertso
n Shackelford, Shelley, Singleton, ia
4 w, Thompson, ?. B.. Tillman, Tue
er, Upson, Warner, Welborn, vi
+ liams, Thomas.
e We repeat our other question
r view of he records, who are i'll fav
of of polygamy, General Campbell
s Mr.. Cofiroth's political friends?
b The foregoing facts from the re
/. ords show conclusively that GeneI
d Campbell did not vote to susta
E. polygamy. On the contrary, he '
l. ted in favor of the bill to suppress
oi at every stage of its passage. thoul
y the records show that many mel
OF bers of the party to which Mr. G.
n froth belongs sought to render t
10 bill Intellectual by striking out t
At eighth section. and also that th