The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-03
The Proceedings in Detail.

To the Western Associated Press
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2.-Mr. Wilson, of Iowa
presented the credentials of Mr.. Smith, member
elect from the Seventh Iowa district, to fill the
vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Mr..
Kasson, and Mr. Smith took the oath of Office
Mr.. Follett as a question of privilege, pre-
sented tho following preamble and resolution:
I do impeach Lot Wright, United States marshal
for the Southern District of Ohio of high crime and
misdemeanor; charge him with usurpation of power
and violation of law, in that he appointed large
bers of general and special deputy marshas to
at the several voting precincts in Cincinnati at the
election for members of Congress, Oct. IA, 1884,
and armed said deputy marshals with pistols and
other deadly weapons, said to be furnished by the
War Department of the United States govern
ment; in that large number of the deputy
marshals appointed and armed notorious
criminals and known to be of vicious and brutal
dents of Cincinnati and the State of Ohio in that said
deputy marshals, acting under his orders and direc-
tions aided abetted and encouraged fraudulent vot
ing, intimidation of voters and gross outrages upon
the elective franchise and the rights of the honest
voters of the city in furtherance of the interests of
political party and its candidates. Therefore,
Resolved, That the committee expenditures in
the Department of Justice be required and directed
as soon as the can reasonably be DONE to inves
tigate such charges and report to this House fol-
lows;
First-How many deputy marshals general and
special, appointed and authorized by said United
States marshal to at the several voting precincts
of the city with the and residence of each, and
the voting precincts to which each was assigned.
Second-What citizens if any, of the several pre-
cincts asked the appointment of such deputy mar
shals with the names of such citizens and the
sons, if any, assigned for such request.
Thrd-Whether any, and if so, how many, such
deputy marshals have prior to such appointment,
been accused or convicted of crimes were men of
known vicious and brutal habits and reputation2
Fourth-Whether said deputy marshals were under
direction and control of parsans and used the powers
vested in them in the interest of any political party,
aided fraudulent voting in the interest of such po
htica party and its candidate?
Fifth-What number and what kind of pistols or
other deadly weapons put into the hands of the
deputy marshas, who furnished the weapons, from
whence were tney received, why furnished, and how
many such weapons have been returned together
with the of such deputy marshals have failed
to return the weapons furnished theml
Sixth-What amount of money has been paid such
deputy marshals and by whose order, and at what
rate per dayl
Seventh-Any other matter or thing connected with
germane to the general subject of such investiga
ton.
This committee is to have full powers, and the
expense of the investigation are to be paid out of
the contingent fund.
THE DEBATE.
Mr.. Foett said the simple question presented
the committee for investigation was whether a
certain officer had or had not performed one of
the highest possible duties of an officer of the
government-the protection of the ballot--in
pursuance of law, or in violation of it, that only
uiu ne ueSlrS Jne house SnOulu DC INFORMED
upon.
Mr.. Keifer thought, before the House should
prepare to impeach the United States marshal in
Cincinnati it was important it should know the
whole situation surrounding that officer when he
undertook to provide that there should be a
peaceabe election, where all persons of all races
might go and cast their ballots. At
the very time when these deputy mar
shals were appointed in Cincinnati,
there were going about the streets of that city
officers, or men pretending to be officers of that
municipal corporation seizing simply be-
cause they were colored men, locking them up
by hundreds, and keeping them there till the
polls closed on the 14th of October He might
not be entirely correct, but the newspapers
st ated that in one station-house in Cincinnati
three hundred colored men, against whom moth
ing was alleged were held through election day
in order that they could not go to the polls and
vote. He would like to amend the resolution so
to widen the scope of the investigation. This
would help the House to decide whether the
marshal had acted wisely and prudently in the
light of the great responsibility thrown upon
him, when he appointed the unusually large
number of deputy marshals He said no peace
able, quiet citizen was ever injured by having g