New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-21
CARLISLE'S CLOUDED TITLE.
TIE DEMOCRATS SMOTHER AN INQUIRY.
REVERSING DEMOCRATIC PREcEDESr-oNLf Ola
DEMOCRATS FOR FAIR PLAYA LIVELY pIDNi"
fnx rEIrnR ApH TO TIE TRIBUNE

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DEMOCRATS FOR FAIR PLAYA LIVELY pEDNi"
fBY TELEGRAPH TIVE rRrBuNEI
WASHINGTON Jan. 2e.-By vote OF ioH W
t25 the Democratic House to-day refused 10 show
the allegations affecting the title OF Joinn VI
Carlisle to his scat in Congress to be lnVes's'.u
The votes in favor of Inv estigatlon were c'S' W
ll6 Republicans, 3 Independents ana Oeino-
Gratis The six Democrats who STOOD ior i"'r
play in behalf of the candidate OF woriuheihen
were Messrs Bynum, Indiana; Foran, ONO; hare
Texas: Mckinney, New-IIampshire Shively, In
diana: and Weaver, Iowa. The three mdepend-
ents were Anderson, Iowa Hopkins, Virginia;
and Smith, Wisconsin. All of the votes to stitie
the inquiry were cast by Democrats, among whom
were Davidson of Alabama and Elliott OF South
Carolina, both OF whose seats ore contested on
the ground Of fraud in the election Inc resolu-
ton proposing an Investigation was Daseu hot
only upon afhdavits filed by Thobe, but upon q
petition memorial signed by some 1000 quail
fed voters of the lid Kentucky District;
Among the Democrats who voted In the negative
were Mr. Crisp, Of Georgia who received /, 1o4
votes Mr. Turner Of the same 5tate Who reeelve e
received lee votes or course the action OF
the House on this resolution was final. Speaker
Carlisle and his friends haye resisted every at
title. BY party vote they have been successful
and his title 20 the seat which he holds must
be forever clouded. He has -, deliberately
ness of the maiority-seven-by which
he has averted an inquiry and its possible conse-
Quenees. will not move him to demand reopenng
of the case. He will he content TO 60 on 10 the
end. it seems resting under the consciousness thau
l25 members Of the House over which he presldes
including six members OF his own party-haVe
deliberately recorded their opinions that his title
is doubtful and should be investigated. lie has
received a "vindication" at the hands OF his
party friends by a slim majority OF seven Votes.
CARLrsIR's PAST UTTcRANCEs.
Mr. Carlisle and his friends dare TO face a
,pto fact
concerning the election. How different is the at
titude of Mr. Carlisle now from what it was nine
years ago. when on the presentation Of memorial
signed by twentythree residents OF CINCINNATI
charging that frauds had been committed which
affected the titles OF Representatives ButterWorth
and Young 10 their Seats he said:
mean to say Just ths-that under the Constitution
OF the United States this House has the absolute and
uncomfortable over at any Hme and under any
clrcums anccs to inquire into and determine the cleo
lions. returns and qualifications Of It's own members,
from Ohio aIludes Uhe act providing for contrasting
elections to the House, s mere practice act, IL
mothod OF proceeding In certain cases-that is, IN
cases where there arc regular contest. IN respect
and in the nature OF things could not, affect the
Constitutional power which belongs to this House,
and which belongs inherently TO every legislative
body 10 Judge of the elections, returns and quail
fcatOns OF It's own members
How different tho conduct Of Mr.. Carlisle and
his friends in this ease from the conduct oil
Mcssrs ButterNvorh and Young on the former
occasion, MAJOR BatterwOrth rose in his place
am heartily in favor Of the adoption Of the rcsolu
ton. All ask of this House Is free, full
from unworthy members, but as warning TO evil;
doors that If there shall be found faint of fraud
Seats an ask is that we be unscacd as unworthy
to sit upon this floor
And Mr. Young said
nv d ris GG 20 sy has sad and give
free consent on my part TO an Investigation that
ton and to say thai do not want to be here unless
have clear title to the seat
Neither Mr.. Carlisle any Of his friends uttered
such sentiments to-day. On the contrary with the
six exceptions noted the Democrats stood like stone
wall against the inquiry, they have done from the
beginning. Mr. Carlisle and his fellow Democrats
swiftly granted the petition of twentythree Demo
cratic residents of Cincinnati for investigation OF
the election of two Republican Representatives nine
years ago, when Mr.. Carlisle himself acted as chair
of the investigation, and they stubbornly refused
today TO grant the petition Of 1000 electors In Mr.
Carlisles case. But then his opponent was only
working mana "greasy mechanic"
CHAIRMAN CRISP OPENS THE DEBATE
The debate was opened by Chairman Crisp OF
the Elections Committee lie took the ground that
all the allegations contained in the a1lidavits in
behalf of Thobe had been refuted by the anidavits
submitted by Carlise's counsel, reinforced as they
were in regard to the most important point in con-
troversy by the original poll-lists of eight pre-
cincts in Carroll County in respect to which
forgery had been charged. Mr.. Crisp appeared to
entertain doubt that these poll-hsts were gen
uine or that all the allegations in behalf OF the
contestant were false He laid good deal OF
stress on the affidavit of l.. A. Wood, the attorney
first employed by Thoee who testilies that Wood %o
&" sold out TO Carlisle's friends Mr.. Crisp also
dwelt at length on the letters written by General
Sypher to third party about the case, before ne
became counsel for Thobe, in order to show that
the contest was inspired and maintained by IN
huences outside the district and not by Ihobe him.
self in good faith. The letters themselves had no
bearing whatever on the merits of the case itself
aud they were not even legally authenticated, as
productions of Svpber The introduction OF them
today by so good lawyer as Mr.. Carlisle seemed
10 indicate considerable anxiety among MI Gar
isles supporters to put their best foot foremost
even at the expense of legal consistency.
Mr.. Lyman, of Iowa. followed in strong speech
in support of the views of the minority signed by
himself and Messrs. Lodge, Hank and Johnston OF
Indiana in the behalf of the reopenlng OF the case
Mr.. Lyman reminded the House that when une
afhdav its TO refute the allegations OF IhObe 1t was
promptly and unanimously granted by the com
mittee while the motion to give the contestant
the same privilege In order that he might furnish
afIdavits in reply to those submitted Ill behalf OF
Mr. Carlisle was promptly rejected by party vote
in the committee. lie also informed the House
that within an hour after the reading of the affi-
davits in behalf Of Carlisle and before members
OF the committee had had an opportunity TO READ
and examine the afidavits for themselves, the
case had been declared closed, a motion 10 reopen
il 20 allow the taking Of further testimony nav
ing been previously rejected by majority OF the
committee IL, :;
Mr. Lyman declared that in his opinion there Is 5
ground to suspect that the po,llsts submitted
10 the committee by Mr. Carlisle's counsel were
not the original papers examined by ThoDes AGENT
in the office OF the County Clerk OF Carroll county
Mr. LYMAN confessed that on the record as maze
M and Submitted TO the House Ihobe appeared 70
have no right 70 the seat, but that record IN ms
opinion left grave doubts as to the election OF
Mr. Carlisle He did not believe that the House
on the record as it stood, could afford 10 refuse
20 investigate the case
DEFENDING THE COMMITTEE REPORT
Mr. Cooper. Republican member OF the COM
mittee who had voted in the committee ior tnc
resolution declaring that Mr.. Carlisle was elected
ord e entitled 10 his seat. followed MIR. LYMAN
in a legal argument based on the record as made
I'M by the committee. He took the position tna'