The Indianapolis journal., 1886-04-15
ONE DEFEAT OF FRAUD,

ONE DEFEAT OF FRAUD.
The question of seating Hon. Frank Hurd
in the place of Mr. Romeis, elected from the
Toledo district, came to vote yesterday, and
it was adverse to his claims by 16S to los, a
very pronounced verdict against the claim.
There is a double victory in this. First, it is
triumph in favor of respecting the will Of
the people as expressed in popular elections.
1t is backset to the too prevalent custom Of
seating men not elected. This is a victory
that will compensate for the expense of the
sitting Congress, were it to accomplish moth
ing more, and is something that may be re-
garded with honest pride It is something to
rise above party prejudice, and this number
of honorable Democrats did. In the second
place. the vote was a victory over free trade.
Although the question Of free trade had moth
ing directly to do with that at issue in the
seating of Mr.. Hurd, the champions of that
policy made it an issue, thereby making a
fight in favor Of Mr.. Hurd because he was "a
brilliant free trader" and because his aid was
needed in the House to support Mr. Morrison,
chairman of the committee on ways and means.
The friends of this policy made a desperate
fight to get him seated for the purpose named.
The rebuke they got will serve to give them
an idea that they are not near the realization
Of their hopes.
The Journal gladly gives credit to those
Democrats who had the manly courage to
vote in favor of sustaining the verdict
of the ballot-box. It had come to such
pass that if candidate were defeated by a
narrow majority he still had reason to hope
that he would be seated if only his party were
in the majority in the House. That such
fact is scandalous is too apparent to require
argument. 1t is we'll that it has been so sub
stantialy rebuked, and it is to be hoped that
there will be less of it hereafter The proper
place for such contests is in the courts which
are open to all corners, and in which it is more
likely that event handed justice will be meas
ured out.
The Journal likewise congratulates the
country on this substantial victory in favor of
the American idea Of protection to American
industries. 1t is apparent that the theory of
free trade has made no progress in the recent
ceived by this thing and who refuse to sur
render to it. 1t is reasonably certain that the
There are too many evidences that it is the
countrys best safeguard against impoverish-
ing competition, such as would ensue in event
the products of foreign mills were admitted to
this country on even terms with the products
of American labor. This position has never
been and can never be successfully assailed.
1t is apparent that the advocates of
free trade have received another set back that
they will not soon forget The voters of the
Toledo district retired the brilliant free trade
leader" and now Congress has emphasized the
verdict. The remarkable action of this re-
markably brilliant man. in going upon the
floor of the House and making an impassioned
personal appeal to save him from his fate was
not enough, and he goes back to Ohio with
new conceptions of the fact, So plain to 9th
ers, that this country will not consent to the
abandonment of that policy that has done so
much to develop the industrial wealth of this
country. Altogether, yesterday was grand
day for the cause of good government, and
for the maintenance Of that policy of protec-
tion so essential to American prosperity and