The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-22
A BATTLE IN THE HOUSE.
THREE DAYS IN THE ROAR OF
ORATORICAL ARTILLERY.

Whites Naturalization Papers-The
Hon. f. c. Barry, OF Mississippi, Fires
the First Gun-Judge Moore Dis
charges His Texan Howitzer-Col.
O'Farrelrs Defamation Recalls the
Days of Patrick Henry -Rowell, the
Light Swordsman From Illinois
Bourke Cochran, the Great Tammany
Gun, Goes off With Telling Effect
The Old Guard OF the South Face the
Battle.
WASHINGTON, Feb. l6-The contested
election case Of Lowry against White in
the Twelfth Congressional district of Indiana
merits more than passing attention. 1t was
the first pitched battle of the Fiftieth Con
gress. The ground had been deliberately
chosen and the lines carefully drawn. The
combatantS were about evenly matched.
Picked troops alone entered the field There
was much ditching and counterscarping
Mine after mine was exploded and the bat
tlefield was at times hidden III dense smoke
For three days the roar of oratorical artil-
cry was incesSant. Everything was brought
into play. The crack of the forensic Cat
ling of Massachusetts was drowned in the
reVerberations of the old brass mounted gun
of Tippecanoe. Tammany's cannon added
to the tumult and awakened unexpected
echoes from Minnesota and New Jersey. 1t
was a great fight. Personal sympathy aud
party policy seemed t. override the plain
letter of the law, and Grand Army button
proved more potent than the carefully pre-
pared arguments of the best constitutional
lawyers.
The fight was waged over the conflicting
reports from the Commute on Elections.
This committee is the only one not appointed
by the speaker. As Mr. Carisie's own seat
was contested, he left its selection to the
House itself The Republicans chose six OF
the fifteen members and the Democrats nine
1t is the only committee on which the name
OF the talented young statesman, Henry
Cabot Lodge, appears. The Speaker appar
emily entirely ignored him. The Democratic
caucus put the Hon. c. +. Crisp of Georgia
al the head of the committee. 1t was a
deserved compliment to his ability as
lawyer. The Hon. William G. Cooper of
Ohio headed the SIX Republicans. The com
mittee promptly settled the Carlisle election
case. There Was some trouble in the House
over the Enforcement of is action. The
Republicans refused to vote on the ground
that the case had been closed too soon, and
the Democrats had some difficulty i'll pro
curing a quorum, but Mr. Carisle's title to
his seat was finally confirmed The commit
White was a Grand Army man and Re
publican candidate for Congress in Demo
cratic district. Through either his own
popularity, OF the unpopularlty of his OPP
ponent, he received about $500 ajority.
White got the certificate of election. The
Constitution of the United States makes all
persons Ineligible to Congress who have not
been citizens for seven years. White is a
Scotchman and Lowry an Irishman. Lowry
had his naturalization papers, but White
could produce none. He said that he had
lost them. There was no record of a court
to show that he had ever received them. He
tried to prove that he had taken them out,
and that they had not been recorded His
statements, however were so contradictory
that the committee split ON party lines The
Democrats returned report declaring the
seat vacant, and sent the case back to the
people of the Twelfth Indiana district The
Republicans made minority report con-
firning Whites title to his seat.
The battle in the House opened on Feb. g
1t was agreed that eight hours should be
divided between Republicans and Demo
Gratis. Mr.. Crisp, as Chairman of the COM
mittee, allotted the time allowed to the
Democracy, and the Hon. j. Fl. Rowell of
Illinois was the Republican timekeeper
The fight began with discharge of grape
and canister from Mississippi. Mr.. Crisp
gave an hour to the Hon. f. G.. Barry of
that State. Mr.. Barry is a slender gentle
man. with dark eyes and dark hair, resemb-
ling in face and figure Mr.. McAdoo of New
Jersey. He has clear voice and the man
ner OF lawyers aptly described by Judge
Baldwin in the Flush Times of Alabama"
He is seated well back in the hall He was
fortified by a breastwork of law books
from which he drew frequent supplies of
ammunition. The members settled down in
their pivotal chairs, faced the orator, and
,et,.i L., IA
plain speech made by a plain man, and
marred by no attempt at eloquence 1t was
founded on the Constitution and framed by
legal statutes Mr.. Barry claimed that
naturalization could be proved by the
record of the court alone, and cited many
precedents In this case nobody attempted
70 prove that such record ever existed
AIdeed, ii was admitted that no record of
Capt Whites naturalization was ever made
until the day before his selection to Congress,
when he certainly took out his final papers
Mr.. Barry was frequently interrupted by
Republican sharp-shooterS. He lodged the
bullets with remarkable dextelity, and
came ont unScathed. 1t was a speech made
noteworthy by the fact that the words
p5'intd fdcte and aOac pro tiHc were the
only Latin terms used.
When Mr.. Barry resumed his seat a tall,
light-complexioned gentleman took the floor
on the Republican side of the chamber He
had gray hair and whskers. In manner,
gesture, and delivery he was far more
spirited than the Mississippian. He mixed
little shrapnel with his ammunition and
aimed his gun with great precision. He
grew eloquent in descanting upon Capt
Whites var record and showered the
Democracy with the acid of sarcasm He
he'd that the House was law to itself, and
not bound by the precedents of other tri0-
unals A. II was admitted that the captain
had taken out his first papers, it was reason
able 10 suppose that he had followed it up by
being naturalized at the proper time. This
was record enough, when backed by Capt
Whites assertion that he was naturalized
In 1865, 1t would not do to brand the old
soldier with perjury by declaring that he
was not entitled to his seat. Mr.. Cooper
used up his hour III analyziLg the testimony
adducei in support of the Captains state
ment. Mr. Bland of Missouri took two or
three shots at him in the course of his speach,
and Gov. Long of Massachusetts came TO
his rescue. The speech was a creditable
one, and served as a foil TO the assault OF Mr..
Barry.
The fight was renewed on Feb, 4. 1t was
evident that Mr. Cooper's eloquent appeal
to Capt Whites record i'll the war had
touched the hearts of the Grand Army
veterans on the Democratic side of the
House. There were whispered consultations,
head shakings, and indications that it would
require heavier artillery and more rapid
discharge Of the guns to hold the Demo