The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-02-09

/ those hot personalities that seldom favor g
debate upon the tariff or a currency bill usually
punCtuate the long-drawn-out contest in which
| the House exercises its constitutional right as
| sole arbiter of the qualifications of its own
| Members.
! The Election Committee had decided that
/ the contestant Lowry in this case was not en-
! titled to a seat because White received some
$500 more votes than were thrown for him.
/ The majority decided that White also was not
entitled to the seat because he was Scotchmanr
and had never been naturalized. They proposed
to declare the seat vacant, and on this issue
went TO the House.
An audible smile broke over the House when
Barry, AlssisSippian and an ex-Coniederate,
! opened the debate in a speech of an hour to
! show the benghted HOLSTERS how an election
] ought TO be carried on. He was clear that
| White was a foreigner and not entitled to his
seat. That he had been in this country since
boy, had repeatedly held local Office, that he
! had been promoted from private to Captain OF
/ his company, and had shed his blood for the
/ Union at Shiloh, had no bearing on the case In
his mind Mr.. White had sworn that he was
naturaiized at a certain time and place, and
produced two witnesses to prove it, but all of
10 avail. He must produce the record. he
could not do It,
There vas promise of flibustering on the
/ Republican side if the Democrats should make
s solid party question of it, but all at once the
| situation changed.
Burke Cochran, the famous young orator of
| Tammany Hall, took the floor and electrified
the House with his maiden speech, in which
the committee was crushed and Whites "call-
ing and election made sure. This was on
Saturday.
On Monday of this week the debate was re-
sumed 10 packed galleries and full House.
Gen. Patrick Collins on this day further scat
tered the already demoralized friends of the
committee. He declared that the committee
I had mistaken the issue. The question was
what was the fact2 Had the Judge admins
tered the-oath of citizenship, not had the clerk
| made record of It? That was the issue. 1t
did not matter whether he had certificate of
| marriage. He was married. 1t did not
matter whether he had his discharge from
the army. He had been discharged. The
vital point was the fact, and not the existence
Of certain evidence Of the fact.
In reality, there being no evidence that
White had not been naturalized, and sufficient
evidence that he had, except the record, the
House voted by about 80 majority that he was
entitled TO his seat as a Representative. The
mistake from strategic standpoint made by
the majority of the committee, was too late to
be remedied. In House where there are two
Members born In England, six In Scotland, six
In Ireland, four in Germany, three in Canada,
two il Norway, one in Sweden and one in the
Isle of Man, it did not do to attack the integ-
rity of naturalization, and say that it could
not be established short of production of rec
ord evidence In fact, it became a personal
matter to about half the Members whose pa
rents were one or both of foreign birth.
So intense was the feeling that parties were
almost lost sight of before the debate con-
cluded, and after the eight hours of solid talk a
vote was taken amid the widest excitement
In which the galleries could scarcely be re-
pressed upon threats of expulsion.
This was the first exciting episode of 80 far
dreary, hating session, and came in as a well
come relief to the faithful who have waited for
weeks for something TO turn up"
"HERE's YOUR MULE"
The Representatives reached for" az the
boys used to say, Comrade James Johnston's
scalp last week. Aman named J. III. Higgins
who claimed to have been loyal, and who lived
in 1864 near Dalton, Ga, has claim before the
House for s., 500 worth of supplies taken by our
army. Among these were four mules taken by
the 9th Ind. Cav, to which Comrade Johnston
| belonged. The Representatives attempted to fix
the mule-stealing on Johnston, but he protested
that he did not belong TO the regiment at the
time, and tried to shove the responsibility off
on Comrade Joseph Cheadle, whose company
appropriated the animals. As Cheadle is now
absent on siek-leaEe, he will have TO bear the
imputation until he can clear the matter up,
which be viii doubtless do by showing that it
was really Johnston who got away with old
-
free to say that had I been Higgins / should
have moved my llules to very safe place the
moment / knew that either Johnston or Cbea-
die was in Sherman's army and coming down
that way. l might also mention that Col. C. G..
Matson commanded the 9Th Ind Cav. at the
time that Higgins lost his mules and he has
the regular Indiana eye for fine mule; bat
SO far he has managed to escape suspicion.
VETERANS BLOOD UP.
/ I'M
Seventh District of Wisconsin, was Captain of
Co. d, 31st Wis, and is one ofthe ablest and most
conscientious Members OF the House. Some
weeks ago he introduced resolution to reserve
from patent to the Pacific Railroads any Of the
land not yet transferred to them, and has been
pushing the adoption Of this by the House
8 This excited the antagonism of man named
John Boyd who is lobbying for those roads
and he began, it is alleged, the industrious cir
: culation Of reports charging corrupt reasons for
Capt Thomas's action against the railroads
, Thomas was much annoyed by hearing Of these
d and had Boyd brought TO the main door Of the
House, where be met him, and in the presencs
of large crowd denounced him as se0undre
and liar. Boyd tried to reply but Thomas
: grew angrier than ever, and informed him tha
if they were not in such public place he woulC
= thresh the ground with him. Several Repre-
sentatives gathered around Thomas and sue
: ceeded in getting him to enter COMMITTEES
I room, when Boyd improved the opportunity Il
b slip away.
} TARIFF-TIEKERIK6.
The so-called Tariff Reformera have beer
8 very industrious during the past week, holding
Il consultations and considering schemes. Ii j
reported that a majority OF the Ways and Mean
Committee are inclined to approve of plal
proposed by the Democratic Executive Com
mite Of North Carolina, which is, in effect, T.
take off all taxes tobacco, except those OF
cigars, cigarets and cheroots, and 10 reduce tn
!. tax on fruit brandy from 80 TO 30 cents a gal
lon. These are reductions which the people 0
! that State are reported to be earnestly in faYo
: Of The wool tax is a sore problem TO tn
: Tariff Reformers on account Of the vigorou
!. opposition 10 reduction made by the wool-g grow
4 ers from Maine TO California An attempt hs
: been and is being made to play off the woo
: manufacturers against the wool growers b.
promising free wool to the former, with tn
! continuance Of the protective duties on manu-
! featured woolens which they now enjoy.
d UNIoN-REBEL SOLDIERS HOME.
" Hon. Benz. A. Enioe, Of Tennessee, is th
IS earnest advocate of a bill introduced by hin
g last week 10 convert the Hermitage-th HON
Is Of Andrew JacksOn-into home for disable
20 volunteer soldiers Of the Union, and also al
70 honorably discharged or paroled soldiers an
Is ! sailors VINO served in the army or navy Of th