Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-07-28
COMMENTED ELECTION CASES.
HOW the House II Doing Justice to Il,
kepu bllcans of the South

~ePuDhcanS VI tne SOutns
The Washington correspondent of the
New York Herald telegraphs that paper
The House OF Representatives committee on
contested elections, under the able leadership
OF MIR. Calkins, has made fair and thorough in.
vesligations, and has acted impartially. This
is shown by the number of cases where the
contestants, being Republicans have been
rejected in favor of Democrats sitting and
having the certificates 1t can not be said Of
the Republicans that they have forced 10
their men on merely partisan grounds Ia
the case of Sir. Smalls, Mr.. Calkins was prob
ably right in desiring to have new election.
but the Republican majority differed from
its Chairman. MIR. Smals is not a very cred.
liable accession to that majority, but he comes
from district which has very great pre-.
ponderance of colored voters, and these would
not, If they had voted, have elected Mr.. Till.
man, and might have, and probably would
have, elected Smalls, as he was their can.
didatc.
There are now three colored Representa-.
tives in the House-Mr. Lynch, from Missi.
sippi, and Messrs Lee and Smails from South
Carolina. There can be no doubt that sub
stantial justice is done in seating these
members, and the Democratic opposition to
their seating is neither just nor wise II the
Democrats were even polite they would
make no contest IN such cases, because they
ought to sec that there IL universal
determination among just men of both
parties in the North that, now that the
Southern States have all their rights under
the Constitution, the whites down there shall
no longer, by the use Of false ballots or by
M
prevent fair representation Of the senti.
mcns or even the prejudices, of the whole
body OF voters In those States or Congress.
sional Districts "a free vote and fair count"
is cry which no party can safely resist.
During the present session the following
contested election cases have been decided,
the contestants being seated VIM. NJ.
Lowe, Grcenbacker, against Joseph Wheel
or, Eighth Alabama District Hofa,io Bsbee,
Republican, vs. Jesse j. Finley, Second Flor.
ida Districts John r. Lynch, Republican
(colored), VS.. James Il. Chalmers, Sixth
Mississippi District Z. w. NJ Mackey, Re
publican, vs.. NJ. p. O'Counor, Second South
Carolina Districts Robert Smalls, Repubi.
can (colored), vs.. George D. Tilllnan Fifth
South Carolina District.
In the case Of James @ Smith, Republi.
can, VS.. Charles NJ. Shelly, Democrat.
Fourth Alabama District, the contestant
(Smith) having died, the committee reported
that The contcstee was not entitled TO the seat
and thatit should be declared vacant.
ln the case of George Q. Cannon, Mormon,
vs.; Allen u. Campbell Of Utah, it WAS de-
cided that neither Of thes. persons was emit.
tied to the seat In the Buchanan. Manning
case the committee has decided that while
fraud was committed by the Democrats, still
this did not vitiate the election of the Demo.
crat. MIR. Manning. According to the testi-
mony OF Buchanan's own witnesses he did
not get majority of the votes cast, allowing
frauds at all the boxes where he charges such
were committed
The case of Samuel Lee, colored Republi
can, vs. John S. Richardson, of the First
district, South Carolina, will be reported in
favor OF the contestant Lee by the
Committee on Elections, and will
be acted on this session. The case
OF Sesslnghaus, Republican, vs.. r. @. Frost,
Third district, Missouri has not been decid-
ed by the committee but il is believed that
the report will be favorable to the contest.
ant The right of judge of election to re-
ject the ballot of a citizen not registered as
required by the law, and az enforced in st.
Louis, hut otherwise legally qualified as a
voter, is being considered by the committee
Should il hold that the judge of an election
has no right TO reject such vote the report
The following cases in the committee were
reported adversely TO the contestants: c. j.
Stolbrand (Republican) vs. u. Wyatt Aiken
(Democrat) Third district South Carolina j.
i. Stoval, Readjuster, vs.. George c. Cabell.
Democrat, Fifth district, Virginia
s. p. Bailey, Readjuster, VS.. John s.
Barbour, Democrat, Eighth district, Virginia;
Paul Strobach, Republican, vs. Hilary A.
Herbert, Democrat, Second District, .Alaba.
ma a. A. MADISON, Republican, vs. W. c.
Oates, Third district, Alabama B. II. Ian.
Ter. Republican, vs. J. F. King, Democrat,
Fifth district, Louisiana Alexander Smith,
Republican, VS.. E. W. Robertson Democrat
Sixth district, Louisiana Samuel j. Ander-
son, greenback Democrat, VS.. Thomas B.
Reed, Republican, First district Maine
George NJ Buchanan, Republican, vs.. Van
H. Manning, Democrat. Second district.
Mississippi 5. W. Mcdowell. Democrat,
VS., NJ. c. George, Republican, Oregon
James Gillette, Republican, vs. Thomas j.
Herndon, Democrat, Fifth district Alabama.