St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-12
CONGRESSIONAL CONTESTS
Seventeen Republicans Who Want to
Warm Democratic Seats.
SOME OF THE MANY CHARGES
Trumpet Up to Pour Int Republican
Ears al the Coming
Session.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1.-There are
seventeen contested election cases
awaiting the action of the next con-
gress, all of which have been brought
by Republicans. OF this number, three
are located in each of the states of Viz
ginia. West Virginia aid Missis-
sippi: two in Alabama. and one
each in Indiana. South Carolina,
Maryland. Tennessee, Florida, and
Arkansas. There were two additional
cases, swelling the total number to nine
teen, but these have been Withdrawn by
the contestants. One of the cases which
will furnish the most sensational evil
dence is that of WaddeII Jr. against
Wise, in the Third Virginia district.
Waddell, in his letter preferring charges
against Wise, says that besides acts OF
intimidation, there was suppression OF
votes by ordinary means, which
is the burden of all the petitions
of contest. WiSe's men are charged
with challenging ignorant voters with
silly questions to kill time, by which
means but a few of the Republicans
were allowed to vote. as the coming or
shutdown closed the polls on them. Wad-
dell then held an independent election
at night, taking the votes Of those de-
priYed of the privilege during the day.
This action was. of course. illegal, and the
results from it cannot figure in causing
the seat to be given to him. On the
other hand, Wise charges WaddelPs
men with having circulated bogus cleo
ton tickets of the Democratic party,
with the name of Wise omitted, thus
intending to deceive the voters. In the
case of John NJ. LangSton against 4. =.
Venable, of the Fourth Virginia dis
trict, the latter is charged with having
received majority of The votes dishon-
estly. At Lewiston 1t is claimed that
one of the supervisors was
MADE DRUNK
and that those receiving the votes put
some in the ballot box, while others
went into their pockets, and that in
Brunswick county there was a whole
sale transfer of the votes cast for
Langston to the credit Of R. w.
Arnold. The sensational charge to be
developed and proven in the case OF
Henry Bowen VS.. John A. Buchanan.
of the Ninth Virginia district. is that the
Democrats promised to protect the illicit
diStillers in their places of business in
the mountainous regions if they would
vote for Buchanan, VINO received the
majority of the tickets east. In the
case of Kernaghan VS.. Hooper, of the
Seventh Mississippi district, in the
language Of the contestee, ''eyerything
is alleged except seduction" At Can
ton, he says, the United States super
visor was, just before election, threat
ened not to appear at the polls on
election on pain of bodily harm; that
the box was stuffed: that many Repub-
licans. duly registered, and who offered
to vote, were told they could not do so,
as their names were not to be found on
the poll-bOoks; that railroad men, who
did not pretend to be registered.
were allowed to vote the Democratic
ticket. and many who did not vote were
marked as voting and tickets placed in
the box to correspond to the records.
Mr. Hooper declared these EchargeS to
be false. and says that even were the
acts claimed by Kernaghan committed
it would not have elected the Repub-
lican ticket. Francis B. POsey, who
will contest with William T. Parrett for
the representation Of the
FIRST INDIANA DISTRICT,
charges that there was open purchasing
of votes. and that by a conspiracy the
returns were held back and changed.
James r. Chalmers. the Well-knoWn
Mississippi Republican, who is contest
ing with J. B. Morgan for the seat in
congress from the Second district OF
this state. says Morgan declared
that the negroes should be met at
the polls as they were met in 1876. and
~, ~ 10, Il - Pan
resentatiYe Elliott, of South Carolina,
who last year had a fight with Robert
SmallS on his hands. will this year have
to meet the charges Of Thomas E.
Miller. The latter says there was de-
ceptiye management on the part OF
Democrats, and that in consequence of
q conspiracy with the governor, an lille
gal certificate of election was issued.
The charges in all the cases were very
uniform and include intimidation. pur-
chase and SUPPRESSION OF votes. The
testimony is very verbose. and in the
case of Goodrich VS.. Bullock, Of Florida,
two boxes of tickets, which were sunk
in the lake of the Second district, have
been sent to this city. and are now
awaiting examination by the committee.
The attempt to get rid of them was due
to the fact that they contain evidence
of fraud. Another interesting silent
witness to Irregularities is an interest
ing-looking tiu-boX from a Western
state. which has rounded lid. and the
opening into which tickets are dropped
can be made very deceptive by being
surrounded by tin jacket, which will
allow the ticket to enter the drop
or fall down its side unseen by the
voter, according to the will of the per-
son depositing tickets. These boxes
will be brought before the committee,
and. together with the balance of the
mass of evidence. will have their
weight in deciding the issue.
Most of the cases are ready
for the committees on elections,
the testimony having been printed.
In the Wise-W addelI case the testimony
covers LOCO pages of closely-printed
matter, and some of the cases will make
1000 pages of printed testimony. The
entire number of cases will embrace
over 10000 pages of printed matter for
the committee to wade through.