Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-01-20
CONTESTED ELECTIONS.

The Republican members of the present
congress have been diligently engaged in
sowing the wind. Their party associates
in the next congress may find themselves
compelled to reap the whirlwind.
When the Forty seventh congress met in
December 1881 there were nearly a score
of contested seats, all but two of them be-
ing claimed by Republican candidates who
had failed to receive a majority of the
votes cast at the election in the previous
November. There were scarcely the slight
est grounds for the contests, the sitting
members having received majorities suffi-
GENTLY large to Offset any irregularities
that might have occurred at the polls. The
simple fact that the contestants were Re-
publicans and the sitting members Demo
Gratis, was sufficient to induce the commit
tee on elections and the house to reverse
the decision of the people at the polls. The
facts were grossly perverted in the formal
reports that custom has required from the
committee, so that the worse appeared the
better cause. At any rate, without excep-
ton the decisions were favorable to the Re-
publican contestants, and the party major
ity in the house has been considerably in
creased since the first sitting of that body.
The cases are not all yet disposed of, but
the same reckless disregard of justice
characterizes the action of the committee
is before the people put the stamp of dis
approval upon their conduct. Though but
six weeks of the term of the present con-
gress remain, partisan interest is as con-
spicuous in the committees action in the
pending cases as ever.
In the Forty eighth congress the boot is
on the other foot. The Democrats have a
clear majority of from sixty five to seven
ty. There are already more than the usual
number of contests of which notice has
been given, the contestants in these in
stances being mostly Democrats. A few
of them have an abundance of evidence to
sustain their claims, though many have
exceedingly trivial grounds of contest. If
the next congress shall prove no be as
blindly partisan as the present one has
been, there will be terrible weeping and
wailing and crashing of teeth. It would
be but retributive justice if the same policy
was pursued, though it would be hardly
creditable to the Democratic party to fol-
low so bad an example.
It's long lane that has no turning. The
Republicans have acted as if they had a
perpetual lease of power-as if the day, of
reckoning would never come. Their greed,
their disregard for the rights of their op-
ponents, their contempt for the will of the
people as expressed at the ballot box,
their utter obliyiousness of anything save
partisan advantage have caused a feeling
of disgust to spring up in the minds of
the people, and they have been emphatic
ally repudiated, and will never again be
permitted to control the affairs of the
nation. They have had one oppor-
tunity to redeem themselves, but
instead of doing so have been guilty of far
greater excuses since than before the brief
season in which the Democrats controlled
the house.
There is some danger that the Demo-
Gratis, smarting under the wrongs and in
justice inflicted upon them in the past,
will try to 'get even" by committing other
wrongs of like character. While all fair
minded men would rejoice to see punish
ment melted out to the rascals who have
made such a shameful misuse of their
power, it goes without saying that such a
policy would be exceedingly short-sighted,
and result in evil from whatever stand
point it may be viewed. The Democrats
should be actuated by a higher motive
than that of revenge. It has been the
boast of the party that it was the party of
the people, and faithfully represented
what the people desired. In the Forty
sixth congress they acted with exemplary
fairness in all contested election cases,
even when another course might have given
them temporary advantage. The same
course should be pursued in the future. A
vote gained by fraud can be of no lasting
benefit, as the Republicans have found to
their sorrow. By following the dictates of
justice in all such matters nothing will be
lost in the long run.