The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-02-08
Ths Debate on the Contest Begun in the H'use
Of Representatives.
Several Of the Democrats Prepared to Vote to
Ssat the CSntssies.
Kr. Cochran, OF New York, Makes IN Flo
qn,nt Plea for the Republican.
Ready to Believe the Word OF a Man of
Unquestioned Integrity in Business
His Reasons for Supporting White.

Mr.. WHO'D, Ol mluuteOboj JILL was poSccd
providing for the holding of terms OF
United States District Courts at Duluth on
the second Tuesday in April, in st. Paul on
the third Monday in jane and the second
Monday in Dece mber, and at Winona on
the second Tuesday in January.
Mr.. Guenther, of Wiscorsip, presented
the petition of 500 residents of the Dis
trict OF Columbia against the enactment of
prohibitoly laws fer the District. Referred.
The House then resumed the considera
ton of the Lowry White contested elecsion.
Mr.. Moore, Of Texas, member OF the
majority CT the Committee on Elections,
spoke briefly in support OF the maj OritY
resolution and commended that the con-
testee had failed utterly to make proof Of
his naturalization. Mr.. o. Ferrall, of VIr-
ginia, took the same ground.
Mr.. RoWell, of Illinois, presented the
case of the contestee and argued that he
had completely proved his citizenship.
There were 10000 men in Chicago to day
exactly in the same position SIS Mr., White.
The records were burned, their papers we're
burned, their witnesses were dead. More
than one member of the House, more than
100 men occupying high positions were IN
precisely the same position. 1t was said
that the cOntestee w6s unworthy OF belief
on account of some utteraDces upon the
stump. why" said he, 'if we all had
toe brand of liar put upon our broTs be-
cause We sometimes make a mistake IN
what We say on the stump, how many OF
Us, who talk at all, would go out of the
House with the word liar written all
across our foreheeds. Laughter and APP
plause.]
Mr.. Cochran, OF New York, (Democrat)
was yielded fifteen minutes by Mr.. 70 vel,
and as he rose in tbe center aisle to speak
for the cOntesiee be was watched by every
eye and intently listened to. He said that
in discussing the question of general
public policy, one that involved the SOW
erelgDty of the people, the House was not
bound by the technical rules which we're
prescribed for the regulation OF disputes
between citizens, when compelled to sub
nit their differences to the tribunals or.
ganized for the purpose of settling them.
The House was on q broader hssis. Ii b al
10 inquire whether the people Of tue
Twelfth Indiana District had lawfully
expressed their choice. The question was
whether Mr.. White was eligible to seat
to which he had undoubtedly been elected.
He (CockTaD) did not believe there was
| any fair question of law before the House.
| He did not regard the record as anything
| but the proof of the Judgment. The
| Judgment was the act of the court, which
stood independent of anything the clerk
| might do. In this case there was no record
of what the court had done, and the
! facts.
NJ. White stood before the House upon
his oaib declaring that in 1865 he went De-
4 fore the court IN Allen County, Indiana,
| accompanied by witnesses, and con- piled
with all the provisions of law and a GER
| tifcate of naturalization was issued to him.
| Holding the view he (Cockran) did, there
was nothing left for him TO decide but the
| question whether he would believe the
/ sworn statement OF q member of the
House, corroborated by character against
/ which not one word had been uttered in
this debate. LApplause.l Men on the DEM
/ ocratic side claimed to represent 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 at the ballot-box. So
far as the people of the Twelfth Indiana
| District could speak, they had declared
/ their with, their will, their command that
Mr.. White should be their Representative.
| [Applause.l Against this command OF the
| people the Committee on Elections had
advanced q number of circumstances
| which, IT was said, tended to impeach the
accuracy of Mr.. White.
He believed that either Mr.. White was
natuIalized in Indiana, or that ne had CON-
mitted perjury. He was lawful member
| of the House of Representatives, or his
| place was at the bar OF criminal court on
| the charge ofpeIjury. He must look to
| the character of the person upon whose
statement he proposed 10 base his action.
! This man came before the House with
thirty years Of honorable life to give weight
/ to his statement. he came here with his
tory which was part Of the history of his
country. He had held important offices;
he had discharged the duties of Cit
| ZeDshlp, be had shed his blood for
his country (applause), and he (Cockran)
would not cast vote which would
make the wounds he received in honorable
! service bleed sfresh by reason of the IN
| gratitude of his associates. Applause 1t
| would rather be his pride, as he hoped it
would be in his power, to cast a vote to
show that he who risked mis- life in defense
| of this land merited a reward which served
/ him like an armor, invincible TO the sh ats
| of the enemy when in the course of bis
career be had 10 defend his character
against the assault. LApplause.l
In what be (Ceckran) said he expressed
his own loyalty to the laws. He did not
believe that the political effect of this vote
would sway a single member on the DEM
i ocratic SIDE, so far from q sense OF oblIga-
| ton to his conscience, as to cause
him to cast vote dictated by political
i reasons, But, IL such a suggesuon entered
the mind of any man, let him remember
that the best way to prevent the vote in
/ Ids case from having any effect upon the
Presidential election was for Democrats to
/ 50 comport themselves in the discharge of
/ every duty that no Presid entail election
would ever come into the House, but that
/ the votes of the people would decide il in
fovor of that party, which, he believed,
was pledged to every sytem of good gov
eminent which ought to win the
| confidence of electors. Applause
In conclusion he said, Believing as 1
do, while that flag which Captain White
and his associates have kept floating aloft
in pride over every part of this country,
floats over my head; while / feel deeply
grateful to the heroes who preserved and
cemented. with their blood, this Union,
under which we live, 1 shall not cast
vote which would be treason to my con-
stituency, and which would pronounce a
soldier of the Union guilty of perjury and
unworthy Of the association of honorable,
men," Applause and cries of vote
| vote" from the Republican side
| Mr.. Wilson, of Minnesota, (Dem.) spoke
in support of the contestee and decla red
that men would be moral perjurers II they
did not vote their honest convictions, ire
| spective of every party considera ion.
Mr.. Cultivate, of Ohio, supported the
majority resolution and then the House,
4 nj Cd