Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-02-05
Fift1elh Congress.
TIE unrEU


THE HOUSE.
WAsRIN GToN, Feb. 4-Mr. Guenther Ct
Wisconsin presented q petition of $500
residents of the District OF Columbis
against the enactment OF prohibitory laws
for the District. r ferred.
TIE House then resumed consideration
Of the LoWeTy White contested election
case. Mr.. Moore of Texas, q member Of
the majority of the committee on cleo
tons, spoke fly in support Of the
majority resolution snd commended that
the contestee had failed utterly TO make
proof Of his naturalization.
Mr.. O'Ferren of Virginia took the
same grounds.
Mr.. RoWell of Illinois presented the
case Of the contestee and argued that be
had completely proved his citizenship.
There were so, 900 men in Chicago to -dsy
exactly in the position as Mr.. White.
The records were burned, their papers
were burned, their witnesses were dead.
More than one member of the House,
more than 100 men occupying high posi-
tioDs were In precisely the same position.
1t was said that the contestee was IN
worthy Of belief on account of some
utterSnces upon the stump. "Why,"
said he, at we al had the brand 'liar'
put upon our brows because we some
time msde mistake in whss We say on
the stump, how many of as who talk at
all would go out Of the House with the
word 'liar' written all across our fore
hesds?" Laughter and applause.
MIR. Cochran Of New York (DemOcrst)
was yielded fifteen minutes by Mr.. Row
ell, and as he rose in the center aisle to
speak for the contestee, he WAS watched
by every eye and intently listened to.
He said that in discussing the question of
8 general public policy-one that involved
the sovereignty of the people, the House
Yves not bound by the technical rules
which we're prescribed for tie
regulation Of disputes between Cit
Izens compelled to submit their
differences to tribunals oSgcpizet
for the purposes of settling them. The
House was on broader basis. II had to
inquire whether the people CT the Twelfth
Iauiana district had lawfully expressed
their choice. The question WIS whether
Mr.. White WAS eligible to the seSt to
which he had undoubtedly been elected
He Cochran did not believe there WAS
any lair question Of law before the House.
He did not regard the Record as anything
but s proof OF the judgment of the court
which stood independent of anything the
clerk might do. In this case there wss
no record of what the court had done,
and the House WAS driven to an inquiry
into the facts. Mr.. White stood before
the House upon his oath, declaring that in
1865 he went be ore court in Allen county
Ind, accompanied by witnesses and COM
piled with all the provisions of the law,
and that certificate of naturalization was
issued to him. Holding the view he
Cochran did, there WAS nothing left for
uim to decide but the question whether
ne would believe the sworn statement Of
member of the House, corroborated by
8 character against which not enc word
had been uttered in this debate. Zap
plause The men on the Democratic
side claimed to represent the popular
sovereignty in the fullest meaning Of the
word. They claimed that to their party
belonged the mission of extending the
power Of the people 81 the bsllot.
oox. So far as the people Of the Twelfth
Indiana district could speak, they had
declared cir wish, their will, their COM
mand, that Mr.. White sh 'ulG be their
representative [spplausel, Agsinst this
elections had advanced number of cir
cumstsnces which it was said tended to
inpeach the accuracy Of Mr.. White. He
believed either that Mr.. White WAS
naturaliZed in Indiana or that he had
committed peIjury. He was 8 lawful
member of the House Of Representatives
or his plAce was at the bsr Of the criminal
court on the charge of perjury. He must
look to the character Of the person upon
whose statement he proposed to base his
action. This man came before the House
with thirty years of honorable
life to give weight to his state
ment. BE came here with history
which WAS part Of the history Of his
country. He had held important ffices.
he had discharged the duties of citizen
snip. He had shed his blood for his
country applause and he (Mr. CochraD)
would not cast vote which would make
the wounds he received IN honorable SER
vice bleed afresh by reason of the ingrati
tude Of his associates. [Applause It
would rather be his pride, IS ne hoped it
would be in his power, 10 cast vote to
show thst he who risked his life in de-
Tense OF this land merited q reward which
served him ike an armor invincible to
the shafts OF the enemy Hnen In the
course of his career he had
to defend his character against the
assault. Applause. In what he (C9ch-
rao) sale, he expressed his own loyalty to
the laws. he did not believe that the
political effect of this vote would sway S
single member en- the Democratic side so
far from sense of obligation to his con-
science IS to cause him TO cast vote
dictated by political reasons. But il such
8 suggestion entered the mind of any
man, let him remember that the best Way
to prevent vote in this case from having
any effect upon the Presidential election
was for the Democrats so to comport
themselves in the discharge Of their duty
that no Presidential election would ever
come into the House, but the votes Of the
people would decide it in favor Of
that party which ne believed Was pledged
to every system Of good government
which ought to wiz the confidence OF
electors. Applause. In conclusion he
said: "Belieying as do, while that flag
which Captain White and his associates
ContiNusd on fourth pa9e.