The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-22

They were all sworn to recount the ball
lots cast for sheriff, and nothing else;
and the ballots were delivered to them by the
clerk of the Circuit Court for that purpose and (
that alone. Now short time before recount
ing the ballots cast for sheriff commenced Mr.
Wm d. English, the father of the contestant,
employed Mr.. Brown to recount what he termed
the spring back ballots and Notwithstanding
Mr. Brown had been appointed and sworn to re
count the ballots cast for sheriff only, he ac
cepted the employment of Mr. English for
pay, as he testified in the case
No sooner had the commissioners thus
appointed and sworn, commenced the recount
of the ballots cast for sheriff than Mr. Brown
sec rety, and without any previous notice what
ever to myself or any other Republican, and
without the knowledge, as he swears, of either
of the other commissioners, and while I was abb
sent in Washington, pretended to and swore he
did recount all the ballots cast for Congress- for
which he was paid by Mr.. English, the father of
the defeated candidate for Congress. He
further testified in the case, that while so count
ing the ballots cast for Congress- he
Kept q memorandum of the ballots
counted for each and that the next
day after the conclusion of the recount of the
ballots cast for sheriff, he drew up a written
statement, purporting to be conclusions drawn
from said memorandum and sometime after
wards, as he testified, lost or destroyed the mem
orandum, keeping only his written statement. IN
which he stated that had received ninety-nine
less votes In Marion county than had been re-
turned for me by the board of canvassers, there
l.
defeated in the district by twelve majority He
swore he kept his written statement because he
thought it might be useful in the
contest and never made known Its contents to
anyone but Mr.. English, his employer, as he
said it was his duty to tell him. The best guide
to his evidence In the case would have been the
memorandum he swore he had kept; but that
was lost or destroyed, as of no value, so that no
one could have an inspection of it For obvious
reasons, he had prepared written statement
showing that had received ninety nine less
votes in Marion county than were returned for
me. Although there were over p, 900 votes
polled in Marion county at that elee-
ton for Congress, which had been carefully
counted by the several inspectors and judges,
and tallies thereof carefully kept by the clerks,
which latter were equally divided in politics and
their additions again verified by the county
board of canvassers, yet Mr.. Brown testified
that no one had aided him in arriving at the re-
suit he did, or in any way verified his additions
or conclusions and this, too, in the face of the
fact that he had kept that memorandum of the
vote on Congress while he was at the same
time performing the duty of recounting the
ballots cast for sheriff. He was paid
for his services in recounting the votes cast for
sheriff by the ltigants in that cause. and was as
he swore, paid by Mr.. English ST. to keep count
Of the spring-back ballots cast for Congress He
had acted in double capacity under two em- +
ployments for pay, and had lost or destroyed
the only evidence of his recount of the ballots
cast for Congress-; yet the House of Representa-
tlyes, IN violation, not only of all law and prece
dent but against the sworn returns of 400 voters
who were witnesses thereto in their respect
i've precincts accented The nnantbor.
lied. unsworn and secret reco,,nt os
Mr., Brown who was acting under pay for one,
who was interested in having not the truth, but
a favorable result. 1t goes without my saying
that the testimony of a witness nnde,. s,,ch ciy
cumstances mrsE NECESSARILY ha warned Tbaro
is not Justice of the peace in all this country
who would even have admitted such testimony
IN evidence, much less to have been SO dishonest
as to be guided by it in Determining ~
&c 900 voters; vet {. majority Of the Demoerats
in the House, under the party lash. shut their
eyes to the truth to decency and TO.
right, and voted to unseat the Renresentafiye
of your choice The case was first referred to
the committee on elections. consisting Of fifteen
members, majority Of whom were Democrats
Then, to facilitate matters. the case was re-
ferred to subcommittee, consisting of Ave
members. three of whom were Democrats II
was well known that three out of the Ave NOM
bers of the subcommittee were favorable to me
and that majority report could NOT be nro
cured from that committee against me if ali
were present: So taking ADVANTAGES of the ah
sence of two of the members known
to be friendly to me if indeed
the absence Of the friendly Democrat was
not procured the case was forced to A vote at
an unexpected time. two voting against me- and
one for me. SO that but two members from the
subcommittee reported against me to the oen
general committee Then when the case camenn
in the general committee there was a bar, quorum
voting and but FIVE voted against me or onlv
one-t6ird Of the general COMMITTEES. and that
FIVE made report to the House. recommendine
that be unseated and that Mr. ENGLISH be
seated For several days before the case was
taken up in the House a system Of lobbying com
menced. unknown before in election cases In the
House Of Representatives. The first vote taken
was in nv favor and then a motion was made
to reconsider. when ilibustering commenced
and an adjournment was secured after which
ali Democrats who were absent from fha HoI,sa
were hunted mn. and those known to he fr;andlw
to me were reouested to remain awav from
their seats and not vote at ali. some Of whom
did remain away. and after 4 death
struggle in House where there was
over seventy Democratic majority.
was unseated by a majority Of onlv two and
Mr.. English elected by the House 70 take
my seat Shall the outrage 90 unpun-