Daily Republican., 1882-11-22
WEDNESDAY. NOVEMBER "a. 's9.
The ChaI ners-Manning Contest

Whether General Chalmers or MI
Manning will make the better repre-
sentative in Congress from the Second
District Of Mississippi is not the ques-
tion. 1t is whether the will OF the peo'
ple shall be fagrantly defeated by
technicality so trivia. that to seek OF
take advantage of 1t is simply TO resort
to brazen and contemplate p"Au
cal trickery. We have no sympathy III
the least for Chalmers and II ne ls
cbaated ont of his seat in Congress, the
result would be, so far as he Is con
cerped. but an act of retributive justice
which woald only serve him right, for
he would be defeated by the same con-
&emntible means which he employed
AGAINST his competitor, Mr.. Lynch, at
Ghe previous election and by which he
continued to hold during a greater part
of the term Of the last session OF Con-
rress, sat to which he was not en-
titled, and out of which he ought TO
have been kicked long before he was
Rrt there ia a broader view to be taken
of this question than the character OF
the respective candidates. Had MT
Manning. though prominent Demo
crat, received a majority OF the votes
cast. there would have been bus rev
regrets amongst reputable Republicans,
but as he did not come within a thous-
and of his election, be should not De
counted in by trickery, though his po-
litical and moral character were as
nure as driven snow. Because trick
ery Was practicsd in behalf OF Chat
mers before, is no reason why 1t should
be practioed against him now. We
have never seen it denied or questioned
that he received over . thousand votes
more at the late election than his oppo-
nert. The certificate Of election was
given to the latter on the petty techni-
cal plea that 14O0 votes were re-
Aurpel for ~. R ChAmbless. 1t Is
mt denied that Chalmers name was
correctly spelled in the ballots ''ast.
The incorrect spelling was the mistake
or the trick of one ofthe election clerks
and the over virtuous Secretary OF the
State was quick to take advantage OF
this clerical error and gave Mr.. Man
ming the temporary benefit Of 1T by
making ont, in violation and contempt
Oh Jue OrauL VI Lno CVGIU Nuo SLs "h ~
the people as expressed ~ the polls a
certificate that he was elected. NOT
withstandiug all the high attributes o'
character claim ed for Mr.. Manning, We
have not heard that ne refused to &C
cept the certificate Of election, though
he knows it should not be his, The result
promises to be a prolonged contest II
Congress, which can be productive
only of q mischievoUs waste OF time
and money. But grave responsibility
rests upon Congress. Will! it sanction
such plain blaring fraud? If it doe'
1t will be establishing very danger
GUS precedent for the future II it de
Oidss that Mr.. Manning shall retail
his seat, then it will make fraud easy
All that will be required to cheat Ia
gally elecGed member of Congress ou
of his seat and give his certificate t.
another NOT elected, will be for one 0
the clerks either intentionally or b.
mistake to misspell the nams Of tn
candidate elected or to insert in lie1
thereof the name Of some other persol
not known as candidate as reOeivin
anumber Of votes, enough to destro,
the majority Of the successful candi
date.