The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-01-21

4
produced testimony from which it coult
have possibly been inferred that h
could at the present time prove that h
had received majority of the lega
votes of the Sixth District, he Cooper
would have voted to give him an oppor
tunity. But no such testimony had
been produced. 1t had been charged
that there was a conspiracy Immediately
after the election between Carlisle and
his friends for the purpose of fixing uI
the matter for Carlisle. 4 charge that
was proved to be wholly unfounded and
based only on the idle chaff which was
frequently found floating around in the
atmosphere after an election.
He took up in detail the various
charges made in the affidavits presented
by the contestant and argued that each
and every one of them had failed OF sub
sanitation and had been absolutely dis
proved by affidavits and records pre-
sented by the contestee. Witnesses who
were relied upon to prove the contes-
tant's charges had filed affidavits dis
proving them and in view of this fact,
no good result would follow the reopen
ing of the case.
| To reopen the case would bs an injus-
tice to the contestee, an injustice to the
| contestant and wrong to the House. 1t
| would be an injustice to the contestee,
if upon such a thin, shadowy and un-
| substantial showing as had been made in
the case, the Speaker, as a member of
the House should be subjected to unjus-
| tifiable annoyance. Ii would be an
injustice to the contestant, as it would
be an invitation to him to spend his
time and money in seeking proof which
did not exist. 1t would be a wrong to
the House to have its time occupied by
contest the proper determination of
which was so obvious.
AGREES WITH MR.. COOPER.
Mr.. Rowell, of Illinois, took the same
view, and argued that the Committee on
Elections had followed precisely tine
proper cause in refusing to reopen the
case upon the evidence presented to it.
SUPPORTS THE MINORITY.
Mr.. Lodge, of Massachusetts,, spoke in
support of the minority. The pending
case, he said, was too important a one
to be settled by affidavits. 1t was case
which deserved the attention of the
American Congress. Considering par
ticularly the enormous disparity be-
tween the contestant and contestee the
House should proceed with great circum-
spection- The contestant was the can
didate of the labor organizations. His
case had been shockingly mismanaged.
He came now and threw himself on the
mercy of the house. There was a wide
spread belief among the great working
class that the power of corporations, the
power of rings and the power of men
high in authority and backed by money
and influence had an enormous weight |
in all legislative bodies of the country.
1t was a dangerous and unwholesome |
belief. He thought that when a man
belonging to the working class came be- |
fore the House asking for a rehearing it |
would do no harm to any man, or to |
Congress, or to the interests of the peo-
pie, to have that mans case heard. The |
House could afford to temper justice |
with a very large measure of generosity.
On motion of Mr.. Crisp, Thoebe, the |
contestant was granted an hour in which |
to present an argument in his own be-
half.
THoEBE READS A COMMUNICATION.
He read a communication which he
had sent to the chairman of the Commit
tee on Elections, protesting against am
unfavorable report upon his request until
he had an opportunity to examine the
afiidavits presented by the contestee. In
this communication he reiterated in part
the statements contained in his affidavit
filed with the committee, denies the
truth of some of the affidavits filed by
the Speaker, and declares his ability to
disprove the accuracy of others if he
was granted an opportunity. He was
sorry he continued, that the working
classes were beginning to lose confidence
in the security of the ballot. If the bal
lot was not secure what did they have
left: Applause on Republican side) He
was a wOrkingman- He did not consid-
er it a great honor exactly to be a MEM
Der of this House. General laughter and
applause.) What he meant was that a
mechanic was just as honorable and no
BILE as any other citizen. If every gen.
tleman here would rather be right than
be President, these seats would be filled
by the right men. Uaughter.) He did
not propose to make any capital out of
the fact that he was a workingman. He
was not here for favor. but for simple
justice.
THE PREVIOUS QUESTION ORDERED.
The previous question was then or
dered upon the resolution of the majority
of the commit.ee-which confirms the
title of Carlisle to his seat-and upon a
resolution in the nature of a substitute
offered by Lyman, of Iowa, declaring
that the contest is of such importance
to the sitting member and to the people
of the country that it is entitled to
full, thorough and impartial investi-
CATION, and providing that the papers in
the case be printed and referred to
select committee or sub committee of
the Elections Committee, which shall be
authorized to investigate the matter.
SUBSTITUTE DEFEATED.
The substitute was defeated. Yeas,
1a5; nays, 1872 The following Demo
Gratis voted in the affirmative: Bynum.
Grouse, Foran, Mckinney. Shively and
Weaver.
NO QUORUM.
The question then REQUIRED on the