The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-12-13
qHB BALLOT BOX FRAUD
That Figured in the Ohio Cam
paign Up in Congress-
CONGRESSMAN BUTTERWoRTH
Introduces a Resolution to Probe the
Matter to the BottOm-The sIlcott
DelalcatIon - LoedOm Cen.
sured by the Committee,

kuFtW Wy NNG
WAsuISGroN, Dec, l9,-Immedlately
alter the reading Of the journal in the
House to-day, Mr, Butterworth, rising
TO a question Of privilege, offered the
following preamble and resolution;
"wuEREAs, On divers daySlduring the
month Of October, 1880, aud other times
since that date, there appeared in the
Cincinnati Commercial GGttlts and In
other public journals what purported Ia
be an exact copy Of certain contract
alleged to have been made and entered
into by the several parties whose names
were appended thereto. Here follows
reproduction OF the alleged ballot box
COnlract);
"WHEREAS, OF the persons whose
names appear on said paper all, except
onr, Hon. S, S. Cox, deceased, are still
members Of this House and oil the Sem
ate Of the United Statesi
WHRRkAs, Said contract, 80 published
on authentic and genuine, was the basis
for CharW y, suggestions and inslnuations
that Lhu said Members and Senators
whose names app'ar on said alleged con.
trac entered Into for an unlawful and
corrupt contract and to deirAud the
> United states In the matter Of the pro.
posed purchase OF certain ballot boxes,
which charges are an assault upon the
official integrity and reputation tor hon.
esly Of each Of said several Members and
Senators, and II true render them unfit
tosit Nh nrunhers uf Congress; therefore,
RsiOlud That 4 committee OF five
m,nbers Of this House be appointed by
tue Speaker 10 make full and thorough
investigation aud report without delay
thu evidence, together with their hnd-
iugs therein, tO the House.
"Sald committee shall report:
"Frs,, by whom said alleged contract
was pr, pared aud whether the several
signatures appended thereto are forged
or genuine.
"S,cund-Ii forged, what person or
persOrp, II any, were directly or Indirect
Iyuidiug abttling resisting or knowing
lycOusenting to tue preparation and ut
tetIng said forgery, and for what pur'
post aud intent,
"Thifd-Whether any OF the members
whose names appeared on the alleged
contract had or iav8 either directly or
indinc rly any unlawful, corrupt, or i'm
proper connection with, or interest III
the ballet boxes which are the subject
OisAld alleged contract"
Tnu resolution further provides that
the Committee shall have authority to
call for persons aud papers, administer
oaths, etc.
MR., BurrERwoRTH's EXPLANATION.
Mr.. Butterworh, himself, read the
preamble and resolution, aud then stated
that he had but word to say in refer.
enCe to the matter. The publication
had first appeared in the Cincinnati
Commercial Gazette on the fourth Of
October, hut IN that publication the
name Ot James Il. Campbell alone ap.
peared. II had been current rumor
throughout the States that the names Of
his hOnOrrd colleagues, Senator Sher.
man aud Mr. Mckinley, and his own
name, US well Hs names Ol others, were
on the paper. As soon rs attention was
called To the matter Ii was developed
that the contract and signatures were
forgpri's and the editor Of the CONNER.
cidl GOEette promptly so stated In q
dOuble.eAded editorial. But, notwith.
standing that editorial, 1t commenced to
bG hruited about, that Notwithstanding
the exposure Of forgery, the parties were
interested In the contract, and that, be-
cause certain | dividuals had been
caught on both sides VI the political line,
II was thought well suppress 1t. He
(Mr. Butttfa Orth) had called the atten.
tiOn Of the enilOr Of the Commercial
GGistie to this fact, and he again
In u doublt-lpaded editorial had
said that such u statement was un'
authorized aud unwarranted and that
the paper had been suppressed because
IL had been forgery. The whole o
the contract had not appeared In the
issue Of the 4lh Of October, There hat
been another segment, which suggested
that the interest In the alleged BChemt
would continue until 1890, when, as hi
understood II, II would expire by llmita
ton, He did not make this statenen
because he supposed there would be any
objection to the adoption OF the resolu
tiOn.
Mr.. Breckenridge, Of Kentucky
whose name Is appended TO the alleget
contract, said that 30 far as he was indi
Vldually concerned, he had never know
ol saCh u bill US the ballot box bill. i
Ills State they adhered TO the good OLE
plan Of voting viva vOce aud, therefore
he had not ielt very uluch interest II
ballot bUxes. The thing about whicl
the gentlemen had right 10 feel indiR
naut was not that the paper bore forget
signatures, but 1t was the iteration ant
Ttitpia lon Vt the insinuation that whit
these gentlemen were guiltless Of thi
otlrnse, they might possibly be guilty Q
q Bltnilar aud ~ yet undiscovered oi
fenSe, aud II was for this reason princi
pNlly that hs united with his colleague
(Mr. Butterworth) In asking that an In
VrstlvNllOn might be made, 80 that thert
should not b. u suspicion resting on th
natnU OF anybody connected with thl
matter,
oIcUurse, he had been surprised whei
hv raw his name forged. He had though
that II would be possible to yet into gool
Republican company III Ohio; and
there WAS any good Republican compan!
III Ohio, II wai his friend, the Chairman
oI the COMMITTEES ON Ways and Means
Whu, with LtteAt courage, had won hi
Epum In this House, and his excellen