The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-26
Extracts from the Affidavit and Speech
of the Workingman Contestant.
What Could Have Been Proved of the Way in
Which ThGbe's Majority of 1000 Was
Wiped Out-Some Strong Points.

form for him political services at nomlnasiug
convention"
And this
.T charge that the sole reason why the dspo-.
sition of Col r. w. Nelson was not taken and
presented to your committee was solely because
of the insstance by counsel for the contestee
that the names should be given of the gentlemen
whom he met. who met him in Covlngton,
after the election when il was said that Carlsle
WAS beaten unless something could be done, put
shat before refusing to proceed further with MS
deposition Colonel Nelson had depOsed that they
were close personal and political friends OF
Speaker Carlisle, and gentlemen of high stand
ing and Influential! in Covington.
II charge that the statements as to the con-
ference of certain friends of Mr.. Carlisle held
after tbs election true; that 1t was matter or
common notoriety after the election that such
conference was held; and a reopening of this
case would establish the facts charged with
reference to it.
There are many gentlemen Of stardiug in
the Democratic party other than those who havo
disclaimed knowledge of such conference !.
Neither the qualities nor the abilities Of
myself nor the Speaker enter into the question;
but the same rights your committee granted to
him demand for myself in the name OF law, of
right of justice. and of the people Of the Sixth
congressional district of Kentucky who elected
me their Representative in Congress. and who,
if the action of your COMMITTEES be not reversed.
will be denied their choice at the polls
In his speech before the House Mr.. Thnbe
said
''I do not come here to ask for my seat. Il say
simply, gentlemen, ask for simple justice and
fair play. have memorial here containing
the signatures of 5000 voters-more signatures
of voters than perhaps some members received
votes at their election. Laughter and applause.
All we ask is simply to investigate and learn
just what my majority was IN the district In
fact. / had admitted majority of over 1000
when the polls closed
''There was particular stress put upon the
fact that the contestee's affidavit here.
saw only little synopsis of it. did not know
to what extent it went / should like to have
had time to put in that protest. and to have
etatQa Uha in thn Of Oonf mn IN ra-
eard to this matter of mine of equal standing
in their community with any upon this floor.
But must submit ut NIT it is p1ti. Die spsctaels
to bolster himself up by his own affidavit to
maintain himself in a seat in this House upon
fraudulent title"
Again:
"The very fact that intrusted these letters
to that attorney. Wood, and went to my work
day by day, he telling me that should not lose
any time. that he would attend to it, and
and I did pay him between $3.50 and $500, al
though he states in his affidavit that all that he
ever received was $40. That statement lie false,
and he knows it. 1t is true that received q
small amount from organization in Cincin-
natl. but on the second day after the election 1
paid him, Wood, in the presence of five or six
all the money l had there). S95. and
the 10th Of November paid him $50 more,
and then afterwards sums of $25 and $40. max
ing up the whole amount stated, IN the aggre-
gate being not less than $3.50. But now he
comes and says that Thobe only paid him $43.'
He said in that card there was no question that
great frauds had been committed; that they were
glazing that they could be easily proved when
the time came to take testimony. And. by the
way, in this card which he published he refers
to three or four prominent Democrats who were
heard talking on the street corners, ueing such
language as 'This is getting dangerous for the
Speaker and his party. We must buy the Thoebe
party off, Then, in his own room. he says to
me, 'Th9be we have got them; they are getting
afraid; we can make some money out Of them
This part of the statement he denies. but he
does not deny having the conversation
In the following extracts Mr.. Thoebe pleads
his with manly earnestness and says the
workingmen will not be satisfied without Justice
and fair play:
II am proud Of Kentucky where was born,
but there are many things there that am not
proud of. Twenty-seven years ago was ap-
prentice boy at my trade If had then been in
a lawyers Office reading law perhaps / might
stand little different aow.
But l do not consider it very great honor
exactly to be member of this House. IGreat
laughter Gentlemen, what l meant by the
remark was this: That 1 think the mechanic
who invents something useful, the farmer and
the miner who discharge their duties faithfully,
just honorable and noble and just
as much entitled to respect as any CT tizen Of
this country. 1t every mem Der here were like
the Kentuckan whom we all admire. VIII would
rather be right than be President, these seats
would be filled by the right men. When you
can say that in your long lives of public service
you were never Influenced by pecuniary self
ish motives, but had single eye to the welfare
of your people, then we should have the legisla-
ton we ought to have, and there would be real
lied what IngersolI has beautifully said, that
under this flag of ours the weakest must be pro-
tected and the strongest must obey.
II am not here asking for favors. Simple
justice is all l ask, aud that is all that those
petitioners in my district asking. In seek
ing to reopen this case L do NOT make any cap
ital propose to make any, because | am q
worklngman. l am sorry some people think
they might be under some obligation IN regard
TO their vote in this matter because of the differ
ence between myself and the distinguished
Speaker But do not dwell on that for
menr. The humblest citizen has as much right
and is entitled much as the highest.
IF a committee would go down to Covington
and subpoena gentlemen of high standing there.
and examine them then if We could prove
that conference was held would give up the
fight [ am positive about it, gentlemen. 1t
common talk. Not enough votes were
polled to overcome the large majority of the
worklngmen IN those two COUNTESS which was
z, 062. If my attorney, L. A. Wood, had been
true to me, there is doubt he could
have proven these facts; and because he was
opened, in any way You gentlemen see fit, and
certain that will prove up this case to
your satisfaction. The people there do not wish
to volunteer their testimony, but their testi-
mony be had by a committee. Another
thing. gentlemen: it has been said again and
again in conversation by men of character and
then, look at the man Th9be 1t is better to
say nothing about it and let Carlisle hold the
seat than to have that man Theoe; But,
gentlemen, the people have made in
quries in regard to this man Tnebe, and
they have found that he is not quite as
bad a man as they thought he was. They have
found that he has six children, and that ne SENDS
them to school He has a boy eighteen years
old now in the State of the gentleman from
Georgia mr.. Crispl st Atlanta, working az
bricklayine and another going to school at Lex
ingron own my own home, where was born
and raised, in Covineton, and when / went 70
Indiana some years ago, the first thing was to
Oat a home. there L
have always taken an interest in elections and
in the affirs of this government, and all ask in
Justice in this matter. During our campaign
we distributed some sixty thousand copies of
our platform and the two paragraphs that We
dwelt most upon were these
Fourth-Shouid encourage home industries, make
such liberal appropriations for internal improvements
shall all the Industrial demands of the
try and develop it's resources, and afford employ