The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-04-15

tor Palmer believed the. peoples mot
to should be: Special privileges for
none: equal rights for ell "
After an executive session, the Sem
ate adjourned.
The House.
Mr.. Morrison Ill. |, from the Com.
mi:tee on Rules, reported a resolution
granting leave TO the Committee on
Public Lands, at any time during the
present session after the morning
hour, to call up for consideration bills
reported from the committee for the
forfeiture OF land grants to railroads
and other corporations, to prevent
speculation in the public lands and
for the reservation Of public lands for
the benefit of actual bona fide settlers,
the same not to interfere with prior
special orders or with revenue and ap-
preparation bills. Adopted.
The House then resumed considera-
ton OF the Hurd-Romeis contested
election case,
Mr.. Hall [ la. thought that as far as
the charge of bribery made by the
contestant was concerned. the verdict
to be arrived at from the study of the
evidence, must be the Scotch verdict
OF mot guilty." but as it was clearly
shownin one or two precincts that IL e
laws OF Ohio had been violated, and
in one instance intimidation had been
resorted to on behalf OF Romeis, he
had II come to the conclusion that
there had been no legal election in the
Tenth District of Ohio.
Mr.. Ely INA supported the
claims OF Romeis, and his speech was
supplemented by Mr.. Hopkins Ill ],
while Mr.. Green N. C. devoted his
remarks to a denunciatiol of the Re-
publican side OF the House for decid.
ing election cases on party grounds.
Mr.. Pettibone Tenn. attacked the
credibiity OF Mr.. Grt tmanp, the
chief witness for Mr.. Hufd, and quoted
from the testimony to show that no
reliance could be placed upon his
statements.
Mr.. Breckenridge XVI, in review
ing all the points in the case, had
come to the conclusion that Mr.. Ro-
meis was not entitled to the seat. II
the historic fox who stood at the
mouth Of the lions den, he he itating
where he would accept an invitation
to dinner, had listened to the argu-
ments Of the lions friends that he
should not attach too much import
ance to an individuals tracks that led
into the den, he would have listened
to arguments as convincing and con.
elusive as the arguments Of the friends
OF Mr.. Romeis, but it was the fact that
all the tracks lei in one direction
into the den that preserved the fox
from The celebrated feast. So it was
in tits Cas- all the tracks pointed to
a violation of the law. The purity OF
the ballot-box should be held sacred
and the way to make 1t sacred was that
when it spoke the voice of fraud, when
it was made TO utter lies, those who
got the benefit of it should be driven
from the halls of Congress; aud il
should be written all over American
jurisprudence, "This voice shall be
Loyalty heard and its august behest
shall be- Loyalty obeyed."
The floor was then accorded TO the
contestant Mr.. Hurd to speak in his
own behalf He took his stand far
back on the Democratic side of the
House, at the desk which he occu-
pied during the Forty Congress
and from which he delivered his
speech upon the tariff question. The
iaattention which characterized the
previous discussions was suddenly
transformed into attention as Mr..
Hurd opened his argument with the
statement that would rot have ad-
dressed the House, but for the
fact that he wished 10 show
10 this body and the Amer
ican people that he had good cause to
claim that he bad been elected in the
Tenth Ohio District. His sense OF
duty to himself, to his friends and to
the constituents who had so often hon.
ored him, compelled him to speak to.
day, nor did he overlook the inteTes
which the public had in the ques-
ton he would discuss. Before and
beyond all interest which either the
sitting member or himself had in the
controversy was the interest of the
public. 1t made but little
difference who the legislator
was provided the source
of mis- power was pure and uncontam.
mated lastly, above the question, and
greater than the question, as to who
wes the representative, was that other
question, HAS the election on which
he relies been iair?' for without pure
and free elections the republic was like
the splendors of tropical chimes when
the fragrance and the color had de-
parted, He would indicate the pen.
atty which seltishness had attempted
to impose on the honest advocacy of a
cause believed to be true. He would
point out the means by which mos
nopoly and ill.gotten wealth had tried
to throttle free discussion. He would
show the attempt that had been made
to thwart the will OF the people in oae
district at least, and whatever the re-
suit might be he would not consider
the occasion lost if il enabled him Il
arouse public attention to the grea
dagger which was broOding over GU
free institutions, and the purchasing o
ballots by corruption, and in the en-
slavement of labor by terrorism at thu
polls. Mr.. Hurd then went into al
examination of the testimony, only
giving his attention first to the case o
Precinct b. In this precinct he argueC
the return was false and had been fatal
ly impeached, and there had beef
irregularities there such as to leav
the result in an uncertainty in whicl
il was impossible to ascertain the tru
result. Between the close Of the cleo
ton and the close OF the count twelv
tickets had disappeared. Not onl.
had there been violation of the Law
/ in the exposure OF the ballots, bu
there had been an actual tamperin
with them. There had been fraud q
the ballot-box, and to place fraudi
the ballot-box was to throw a corps
into fountain-the outpouring
would thereafter flavor Of death. Fo
this reason alone the precinct shout
be thrown out. But, again, there ha
been bribery at this precinct, and
conspiracy had been entered into {
debauch IL because he was a free
trader. The sanctity of the ballo
] h,I 49,. sv,-.I.1 ,vl -