The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-01-03
The Chairman of the Elections Commit
teeSays 1t Will Shortly Be Called Up.
SmalIs Claims $500 Majority and Hopes 10
Secure the Seattle Inside History of 4
Former Contest in the Same District.
A Bill That Seriously Threatens the Ex-
Orbitant Feesof Pension Attorneys.
Indiana Republican Congressman VIII Not
Seek to Control Patronage Changes in the
Senate Tariff Bill-General Notes.


SMALLS-ELIIOTT.
The Case viii Be Called Up Next Tuesday,
Inside History of n Former Contest.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2.-Representative
Crisp, chairman Of the committee on cleo
tions, has notified Mr.. Rowell, the leader of
he will call up the contested election case
of Smalls against Elliott, of the Seventh
South Carolina district, on next Tuesday.
Smalls claims that he was elected by a ma
jority approximating 800, and expects that
enough Democrats viii vote with the Re-
publicans to insure him the seat Mr.. Row
ell said, this afternoon, that he has no
knowledge of determination on the part
of any of the Democratic members to vote
for the seating of Mr.. Smalls, but he says
that if he could secure the same attention
any jury, he is certain he could win the
case for the contestant upon the ev-
idence. The trouble is however,
that the members will not listen to
arguments in election cases, but invariably
cast their votes according to their political
preference. 81 shall confine my argument
to an attempt to make votes,n said Mr..
Powell, land shall not try to make any
political capital out of the case. There can
be no doubt that Smalls received more
votes than the sitting member, but there
will hardly be Southern Democrat who
will vote for him, no matter how strong a
presentation may be made. / have found
that in the Southern States men who are
the soul of honesty in everything else will
not hesitate to falsify the election returns
to deprive a negro of an Office, and even the
governors of the States of the South do not
regard it as crime to issue a certificate 10
a white man when a colored man has been
elected; but hope that there are enough
Democrats in the House from the North
who will not permit their allegiance to
party influence them in this instance after
they have heard the arguments and read
the reports"
1t is expected that the Smalls-Elliott con-
test will lead to an animated debate on the
negro question. Mr.. Oates, of Alabama.
has signified his intention to speak on the
subject, and those who know him well pre-
dict that he will reiterate his views in re-
lation to the Acknowledgement of the negro.
The celebrated election contests of the
Forty-seventh Congress were recalled to-
day by the presence In the lobby of the
House of Samuel Lee, a colored man, now a
resident of Kansas, who was at that time
contestant for the seat then occupied by
Richardson, of South Carolina. The Re-
publicans had bare majority. There were
several seats in contest, and among the
most prominent was that of the Seventh
South Carolina district. Smalls was the
contestant, and was seated at the end of
the first session of the Forty-seventh Con-
gress. Lee contested the seat occupied by
Richardson. The committee on elections
was divided on party lines, except Chair
man Calkins, of Indiana, who voted against
seating Lee. The case was not called until
about the LIST of March, three days before
the session came to an end. The fact that
Calkins was not in favor of Lee was greatly
against him, but he was allowed to address
the House in his own behalf, and his speech
was such an excellent one that he won over
all but one Republican TO his side, and the
resolution declaring that Richardson was
not elected to the seat he had occupied was
easily passed. Then came the hitch. The
Republicans submitted proposition de-
claring that Lee was elected. Several
members, thinking they would not be
needed again, had gone home. The Dem
: ocrats refused to vote, ana the result was
no quorum. The deadlock continued until
the very last hours of the session, much to
the annoyance of an immense crowd which
filed the Hobbies. The period allowed
for the retention of whisky in
bond without the payment of tax had al
most expired and the whisky men were
exceedingly anxious to secure the passage
of the bill extending that period. They
used every effort in their power TO induce a
few of the Democrats to vote against Lee,
III order that the result of the vote would
show the presence of a quorum, and there
by clear the track for consideration of the
bill, but it was no use. They then began
upon Lee. He was taken into one of the
committee rooms and asked to withdraw
for consideration. They at first offered
him s, eco to throw up the sponge. When
he declined to listen they raised the offer
from time to time until they reached S15.-
Co., Still he was obdurate. He would have
had $4,000 If he had secured his seat, and
the chances were all against him, but he
said he would have the seat or nothing. He
was right-he got nothing. President Ar
thur appointed Lee special agent of the
General Land Office, and assigned him 10
duty in Kansas. He was dismissed under
the present administration, and at once
struck out for himself. He took up home
stead, and is doing we'll