The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-02-09
Our Washington Letter.
THE LOWRY WHITE CONTEsT-MR. GEORGE
AND HIS HEoRIEs-PERsoNAL ITEMS.
&C. &C,

THE LOWRY WHITE CONTEST-1IR. GEORGE
AND HIS RIEs-PERsoNAL ITEMS
&C., sc.
Especial Correspondence OF the VIRGINIAN.l
The principal work of Congress during
the past week has been the consideration
of the Lowry White contested election
case from Indiana. The sitting member,
Capt. White, is a Republican. His official
majority was 2,484 in a district that
usually gave a Democratic majority Of
5000. Judge Lowry, the defeated candi-
date, contested the election on the ground
that his successful competitor was not
naturalized citizen. White is native of
Scotland, but came to this country in 1854.
He served during the war in the Union
army, was promoted to the Captancy of
his company and severely wounded at the
battle of Shiloh. After the war he was
extensively engaged in business at Fort
Wayne, was elected fourteen years ago. as
member of the common council of that
city and has since continuously resided
had never been raised until within a day
or two of the election of 1886. It'was
then discovered that there was no record
Of his naturalization. When his attention
was called to the omission, he promptly
declared that he had gone through all Of
the necessary forms of naturalization, and
received his final certificate. Where the
certificate was he could not tell, as he had
not attached great Geal of Importance to
it. He remembered, however, that he
received it in 1865, as at that time he con-
templated trip to Europe. He also
| remembered the two friends who accom-
panied him at the time the certificate was
awarded, and these two friends corrob-
Grated his statement. 1t was further
shown that the records of the Court were
thoroughly defective. A hundred or more
cases were cited where the parties natural
lied actually produced their final certif-
Gates, and yet there was no record to show
that such certificates had ever been
granted. The case also possessed partic.
ular interest in another aspect. If the
Republican were unseated and a Demo.
GRAFT substituted, a majority of the Indiana
delegation would then be democratic,
whereas it is now Republican. In case
the Presidential election should be thrown
into the House, Indiana would have the
deciding vote on poll of States.
The Committee on Elections. by strict
| no to1 fou Of linn
White, upon the ground that parol testi-
mony could not be introduced to prove q
fact the record should show. The objec-
tion to his holding the seat was purely
technical. The report of the Republican
minority declared him the duly elected
member. and that he was entitled to his
seat, both in law and in equity. The
argument commenced on Thursday last,
the case being opened on behalf of the
majority by Mr.. Barry. of Louisiana. who
was replied to by Mr.. Cooper. of Ohio,
representing the views of the minority.
At the close of these two speeches, the
House adjourned for the day, with the
understanding that the case should be
proceeded with ON the morrow When
Friday came there were such signs of de-
moralization in the Democratic ranks,
that a pOstponement was decreed-the
majority evidently fearing toput the qaes.
tion to the test. Saturday Mr. Moore, of
Texas, and Col. O'Ferrall, of Virginia,
the committee. and Mr. Rowell of Hi
nois, followed for the minority. Mr..
Rowell consumed but forty five minutes
of his hour, and then announced that he
would yield fifteen minutes to the gentle
man from New York, Mr.. Burke Cock
ran. The announcement fell with start
ling effect on the Democratic side. Cock
ran is the brilliant young Democratic
mem Der from New Y ork, who, in the last
National Convention, so~Eigorously OPP
posed the nomination of Cleveland. AS
he advanced to the centre aisle, all eyes
were riveted upon him. He spoke but
eight minutes, but in that time managed
to deliver singing condemnation of the
position of his party friends, which set
the Republicans to applauding enthusias-
tically. But even this was not all. AS
Cochran sat down, Rowell yielded the
remainder of his fifteen minutes to Judge
Wilson. of Minnesota, Elk Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court of his State, and
one of the ablest of the Democratic law
yers. Judge Wilson addressed himself to
the legal aspect of the case, fully sustain
ing the position taken by the minority of
the committee. These evidences of OPP.
position from quarter least expected.
had a saddening effect upon the Demo
cratic side. They tried to rally under the
inspiration of speeches from Messrs. Outh-
waite, of Ohio, and Maish, of Pennsyl-
vania, but in vain, and when the hour for
adjournment came they were in evident
trouble.
On Monday the argument was concluded
and the vote taken. Forty six Democrats
voted with the Republicans to seat Mr..
White. The vote was 105 to 1S7-among
the Democrats voting for White was S. j.
Randall. but no Virginia Democrat
Last Saturday night attended lecture
by the great socialist leader Henry
George. The audience was small, but
seemed thoroughly appreciative Mr..
George appeared in full dress. He is a
man rather rugged in appearances; of me-
dunn height, square set and with head
that shows the brains inside of it, He is
an attractive speaker. never lacks for a
word uses happy Illustrations and never
permits the interest to lag. His theme
was the beauties of free trade, or rather a
denunciation of protection, and from this
he glided quite naturally to his peculiar
theory for the abolition of poverty. He
recognized in Cleveland's message the
herald of free trade, pure and simple, and
hailed it as the proclamation of new
emancipation. Free trade, he declared,
would but pave the way for the introduc
tion of the new system of government
under which there would be no more pow
erty, no tramps. no want, no wretchedness.
Exactly how this beatifc state is to be
reached, was not clearly explained. The