Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1882-05-29
THF CONTESTED ELECTION
CASES.

The constitution provides that
''each house" of congress ''shall be
the judge of the elections, returns,
and qualifications of it's own men,
bers. The design of this provision
is to give to each house full power to
judge and determine whether persons
claiming to have been elected or act
ually occupying seats were lawfully
elected, and for this pursose to 90
behind all certificates and credentials
and investigate the whole process of
an election. This power, though ex-
ercised by Legislative body, is es-
sentially judicial in its nature, as well
as final and conclusive in its deter
mination. The revised statutes of
the United States contain series of
regulations which set forth the meth
cd by which case in respect to
contested election is to be conducted.
The object is to ascertain the truth and
secure to the person elected the right
OF holding the office and enjoying its
emoluments, and to the people the
sacred right of being represented by
the person chosen.
When the present congress COM
menced its sessions, in December
last, now more than five months
since, there were some sixteen cases
of contested election to the house of
representatives, for the most part
coming from the Southern States, in
respect to which the contestants had
given the proper notice and which
were referred to the house committee
on elections. That committee has
completed the investigation in sever
al OF these cases, and is prepared to
submit to the house it's report in re-
gard to them. One of the cases
that of Mr.. Lynch against General
Chalmers-has already been report
ed upon and determined. General
Chalmers was ousted from the seat
to which he had no title, and Mr..
Lynch took his place. The commit
tee are waiting for an opportunity to
make their report upon other cases
in regard to which they have reached
a conclusion.
The democratic members of the
house of representatives last week
held a caucus to determine what
course they should pursue in respect
to the pending cases of contested
election; and, although the caucus
had not the hardihood by formal res
OlutiOn to declare that all action upon
these cases should be prevented by
the process of filibustering, yet such
was the conclusion arrived at by a
tacit understanding. Some of the
more conslderate democratic papers
have already warned these democrats
against the impolicy of such course,
since, while wrong in itself, it would
offend the moral sense of the country
and seriously injure the democratic
party. 1t is to be hoped that the
democratic members of the house
will have the good sense to give heed
to this warning. If they fail to dc
so, if they resort to the trickery of
dilitory motions for the purpose OF
preventing action upon these cases,
they will not only confess judgement
against themselves as to the merits
of the cases, but also prove them
selves utterly recreant to the election
rights of the people, as well as to the
house of representative has the right
to pass judgement upon these cases
and is bound to exercise that right
dealing with each case upon its mer-
its according to the law and the
facts, and if the minority resort tc
revolutionary methods to prevent the
exercise by the majority, then every
decent and honest man in the coun-
try will and must brand that minority
J as body of conspirators against the