The Red Cloud chief., 1884-03-07
The Chalmer Manning Case.

In the contested seat case in the
House of Chalmers against Manning
the committee reported in favor of Civ
ing neither a seat, thus forcing a new
election. A majority, however, of the
ing Manning on the ground that he
holds a certificate. The public will
readily recall the facts of this case.
Chalmers is the notorious butcher of
Fort Pillow" He has been twice seat
ed by the Democrats after former cleo
tions. Notwithstanding they were car
ried by the most outrageous b~ulldozing.
frauds and false counting. This time
Chalmers rnn as an Independent. while
Manning was the regular Democratic
nominee. The district is the famous,
or rather infamous, shoe-string district
of Mississippi. so notorious for its many
murders of Republicans by Democrats.
As an independent Chalmers promised
the colored Republicans to protect their
rights, and many of them voted for
him. He was elected b. a large ma
jority beyond any doubt. But the Clerk
of one county seat sent in 3 false and
fraudulent return Civ NO the votes cast
for Chalmers I .'Champless;" and on
this the Democratic Secretary of State
made haste to give Manning a certit-
cate Of election. Then q State court
interfered. decided that Manning was
not elected. and issaed an order forbid
ding the Secretary of State TO so certi-
fy. In defiance of this order
of the court the Governor issued
a commission to Manning. In Man
ning's reply to the declaration of
Chalmers he s9uarely admitted that the
votes put down in the false return to
.'Chambless' were really cast for
Chalmers, and the return was "a cler-
ical error" of which he would take no
advantage. He did not claim that the
Governors commission was valid; and.
when Congress met, he did not file his
pretended commission or certificate,
and therefore the Clerk did not place
his name on the roll. Yet a minority of
the committee, supported as the debate
shows by a numter of Democratic
members, are in favor of giving Man.
ming the seat to which he was not
elected, and to which Chalmers was
elected. on the thin p%retense that Man
ming holds a certificate. and Congress
has no right to re ect II 90 behind q
certificate no matter if it is dripping
with fraud, and Notwithstanding Man
ming himself does not claim hat the
certificate is valid. The ma orty of the
committee, composed Of four Democrats
and six Republicans, reported in favor
of seating neither of the contestants.
on the ground that neither claimant
presents a genuine prima tdcie title.
The facts are that Manning was not
elected; Chalmers has no certificate;
and the election was 50 vitiated by
frauds. violence and irregularities that
the Republican party was entirely sup
pressed by bulldoZing. but for which
neither Chalmers nor Manning could
have been elected. A resolution was
offered BY MIR. Curtin, of PENNSYLVANIA,
to recommit the case to a committee to
inquire if either claimant had a certificate
legal in form: that is forgive the seat to
Manning if his certificate is techn cally
correct in form, and then let Chalmers
contest and GUST him. if he can. BY and
by after the usual style. after Manning
has held tie seat, and drawn pay, and
misrepresented the district till m
where near the end of the term. Among
the supporters of this proposition was
MIR. Randall. Its design is to follow the
policy OF always seating the regular
Democratic nominee from the bulldozed
districts of the solid South: because if
the Democrats give way in even so out
rageous a case as this. they may let
the bars for the admission of Re-
publicans on similar grounds .-Detroit
Post and Tribune.
When Thomas Avery, of Bethany.
Pa. was shOveiirg a snowdrift from
the back part OF his yard he discovered.
buried in the snow, a hen which had
been missing for ten days. The hen
had packed the snow d wn and made =
room the size of u iushel basket Be-
yOnd the loss of flesh incident to the