The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-12-13
BuTTERWoRTh PRESENTED
Congress Asked to Investigate the
Ballot BOX Forgeries.

WASHINGTON, December 12-ln the House,
Immediately after the reading of the journal,
Mr.. Butterworth of Ohio. rising to Ques-
amble and resolution:
Whereas, On divers days during the month of
October, 1889, and at other times since that date,
there appeared in the Cincinnati Commercial
Gazette and in other public journals what pur-
ported to be an exact copy of a certain contract
alleged to have been made and entered into by The
several parties whose names were appended
thereto, There her ~ follows reproduction of the
alleged ballot box c0ntfaci], and
Whereas, OF the persons whose names appear
on said paper. all, except one, were at the time
Cox deceased. are still members of this House
and of the Senate OF the United States. and
wnereaS, 5ala conttact SO as autnvn at,
gestons and nsinuations that the said members
and Senators whose names appear on said alleged
contract and scheme to defraud the United states
in he matter of the proposed purchase of GER
tain ballot boxes. which charges are an assault
honesty of each of said several members and
Senators and. if true, render them unfit to sit as
members of Congress; therefore,
Resolved, That Committee five members OF
this House be appointed by the Speaker to make
full and thorough investigation and report with
ings thereon, to the House. said committee, when
appointed, shall ascertain and re Ort: First, by
whom said alleged contract was prepared, and
are forged, or genuine; second, il forsed, what
person or persons, If any, were directly or iDdi-
rectly aiding, abetting, assisting or knowingly
forgery, and for what purpose and intent; third,
whether any OF the members whose names ap-
peared on said alleged co tract had, or have
either directly or indirectly any unlawful, corrupt
or improper connection with or interest in the
ballot boxes which are the subject of said alleged
contract.
The resolution further provides that the
aV.ntf ftnn nCIn huxr attth 70 Ao1 fnr
persons and papers, administer, oaths, etc.
Mr.. Butterworth himself read the pream-
BILE and resolution, and then stated that he
had but word to say. in reference to the
matter. The publication had first appeared
in the Cincinnati Commercial-G Gazette on the
4th of October, but in that publication the
name of James E. Campbell alone appeared.
1t had been current rumOr, however,
throughout the state that the names of his
honored colleagues, Senator Sherman and
Mr.. Mckinley, and his own name as well as
the namas of others, were on the paper. As
soon as attention was called TO the matter 1t
was developed that the contract and sigma
lures were fOrgeries, and the editor of the
Commercial Gazette promptly so stated in a
double loaded editorial. But. notwithstand-
ed about that, Notwithstanding the exposure
of forgery, the parties were interested in
the contract and that, because GER
tain individuals had been caught
on both sides of the political line, it was
thought well to suppress 1t. He (Mr. Butter
WORTH had called the attention of the editor
of the Commercial Gazette to this fact. and
he again, in a double-leaded editorial had
said that such statement was unauthorized
and unwarranted, and that the paper had
been suppress ed, because 1t had been forg-
cry. The whole of the contract had not ap-
peared in the issue of the 4th OF October
There had been another segment which sug-
gested that the interest in the alleged scheme
would continue until 1890, when, as he un-
derstood it, it would expire by limitation.
supposed there could be any objection to the
adoption of the resolution.
Mr.. Breckenridge of Kentucky, whose
name is appended to the alleged contract,
vigorously denied any knowledge thereof.
The resolution was adopted.