Omaha daily bee., 1886-09-18
Keen IL Before Republicans.

DelOTB Inc TepuDllCAnS OF lne FlTsI NuS-
trict commit the party TO the support of
Church Howe, they should ask themselves
whether man of his record has any
rightful claim upon the support of any
decent republican, Leaving out OF ques
ton his corrupt methods and notorious
vcnality we appeal to republicans to
pause and reflect before they put prem
lum upon party treason and conspiracy
against its very existence.
Ten years ago, when the republican
party was on the verge of disaster,
and every electoral vote cast for
Hayes and Wheeler was needed to
retain the party in power, Church
Howe entered into conspiracy
TO deliver republican Nebraska into the
hands of the enemy. This Infamous plot
is not q mere conjecture. The
proof of it does not rest on surmiso or
suspicion. 1t Is not to be poo poohed or
brushed away by pronouncing it ono OF
Rosewater's malicious campaign sland-
ders.
The records of the legislature of
which Church Howe was u member in
1917, contain the indelible proofs of the
'ltNSOHlbiN IOhotllltJs ttii' nv NSi'''''
can stand against evidence furnished by
his own pen. Briefly told, the history OF
this plan to hand over the country to
TiIdcn and democracy is as follows:
In 1876 Nebraska elected Silas
A. Strickland, Amasa Cobb and
A. ii. Connor presidential electors
by vote of 81 ,01G rs against vote of
1854 cast for the Tildcn and Hendricks
electors. After the election 1T was dis
covered that the canvass of this vote
could not take place under the then OK.
istng law before the legislature con-
vcned. The electoral vote had to be can
vassed in December ut the latest, and the
regular session of the Legislature did not
begin until January In order to make
a legal canvass of the electoral returns,
Governor CARRIER called special session
of the legislature to convene on the 9TH
of December, '1G, Mt Lincoln, for the pur.
pose of canvassing the electoral vote of
the state. The democratic effort to cap
ture republican electoral votes Is historic.
Tildens friends, notably DR.. Miller, had
been plotting for the capture of
one of the electors from Ne
braska and it is also historic that
large bribe was offered to one of the
electors, General Strickland. The call of
the legislature broke into the plan of the
potters, and they found willing and
reckless tool in Church Howe. When the
Legislature convened at the capital,
Church Howe filed a protest which may
be found on pages 6, Z and s of the Ne
braska House journal for 1871 The fol
lowing extract makes interesting reading:
81, Church Howe, member of the legsla-
ture of Nebraska, now convened by procla-
nation of his eXcellency, Governor Silas
CARRIER, for the purpose of canvassing and
declaring the result of the vote cast in Ne
braska for electors for president and vice
president of the United States, hereby enter
my solemn protest against such act, denying
that the governor has power to call this body
in special session for any such purpose, or
that this body has any authority to canvass
or declare the result of such vote upon the
following grounds:
First, This legislature now convened hav-
ing been elected under what Is known as the
old constitution, has no power to act in the
premises, the new constitution of the state
having been in force since November, 1875"
The second and third clauses deal with
technical objections and are somewhat
lengthy. The concluding sentences of
this precious document are as follows
For the foregoing reasons | protest
against any canvass of the electoral vote
of the state by tins body, and demand
that this, my protest, be entered upon
the journal" (Signe6 Church Howe,
member of the legislature of Nebra ska.
Il, Il Al.
call of the governor and there was barely
quorum in the senate. while there were
several to spare in the house of which
Howe was a member The protest en-
tered by Howe was doubtless prepared
by tho Tilden lawyers in Omaha and
Howe nad the glory of being the sole
champion of Sam Tilden. The legisa-
ture ignored Church Howe, spread his
protest on its record and canvassed the
electoral vote in spite of it.
When the legislature convened IN Jan
uary, 1877, the presidential contest was
at its height in Washington. Church
Howe had changed places from the house
to the senate. Early IN the session,
resolution was introduced expressing the
conviction on the part of the senate that
Hayes and Wheeler having received q
majority of the electoral votes were en-
titled to their seats. This resolution
gave rise to very lively debate which
lasted two days. Church Howe asked to
be excused from voting when it first
came up aud was so excused. On the
final passage of the resolution the record
[page 376, Senate journal 1877, shows
the following result; Yeas-Ambrose,
Baird, Blanchard, Bryant, Calkins,
earns. Chapman, Colby, Dawes, Gar
field, Gilham, Hayes, Kennard, Knapp,
Pepoon, Powers, Thummel, Van Wyck,
Walton and Wilcox-20.
Those voting in the negative were:
Aten, Brown, Covell, Ferguson, Hinman,
Holt, Church Howe and North--8.
During the same session of the legisla-
ture, Church Howe's vote on United
States senator for the first three ballots is
recorded as having been cast for Il. w.
Thomas, a South Carolina democrat,
[pages 1913 and 20S Senate journal. Ali
this time Church Howe professed to be
republican independent, republican on
national issues and a temperance granger
10 t.,,, a