New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-03
THE BRECKENRIDGE CASE UP.
DISCUSSED IN THE HOUSE BY MEMBERS OF
THE ELECTIONS COMMITTEE.

THE ELECTIONS COMMITTEE
Mr.. cooPERs FoRCI BILE PRESENTATION OF THE
CASE FOR THE MAJoRITY-THE MTNORITY'S
SPOKESMAN MAKING NO APOLOGY
FOR THE HUMILIATION OF THE
VIEWS" OF THE MINORITY.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNEl
Washington, Sept. "a debate in the House began
to-day which the Democrats find unpleasant Ior
several reasons. II arises out OF what might be
styled the OF ian assasslnated Republican agt
Brrcknridge.' case with which readers OF the
Tribune arc familiar. The necessity OF such deoate
Is unpleasant TO Republicans as the debate iseii IS
TO Democrats. Republicans harbor the most DUCT
aud extreme prcImd!ces against balloboN stealing ana
balot-bOx stu1lng as well a. against political muir
der. and they do not yearn for such an opportunity
as the which now makes an imperative demsnu
npon them. There Is no doubt that Breckln1dge ana
his political pals In the House also dcploro the
present situation. The prcmaltated cowardiy as.
saSslnatn OF Clayton. they now realize. was potlca'
mistake: the unexpected exposure OF BrecNnr,oge
as the anlor OF the Views OF the minority OF the
Elections Committee they afraid to face and the
prr.rrrnanc.s of hts people ard friends In ArKan'
sas yesterday they justly fear will hasten tho das
when elections shall be honest, free ana Iair' all"
election returns shall be uustaincd by fraud and
forgery even In Arkansas.
The only member OF the minority who summoned
courage 10 take part In tho discussion today was MI
Wilson Of Missouri. Wilson |, man OF supreme
courage chiefly hereditary. In speech in the tiouse
not long ago. Wilson modcetly remarked that one OF
his ancestors . soldier In tho Continental rsnks o.
Yorktown when Bnrgoyne surrendered his SWORN 10
The great Washington" or words TO that ehect. ~
modest ~ he was cruditc Wilson did not claim descent
Irdu n,
but rested his claim the exploits OF his ancestor
who helped General Washington to capture Bnrgoyifos
sword at Yorktown. fut even so brave man az
wilson not at case. In fact. Wilson whnci ana
pcttfoggcd. when he should have been manly enough
to apologize
He complained that members Of the majority Of the
commtteo had obtained surrcpttiosy" copies OK tho
original views ~ the minority, but he dd nor coui'
plain because Defendant Drocknridge srrept'tlousv
or otherwise furnished on August 10 with copy
Of the proof Of the document which was sibm'ed "
the IIouso on August 49, and which. In nlut'laoeo
and almost uorcc ognilsble form. wus publSned on
August 70. It did not senm TO occur IN Mt. wilson
that he and his associates apology to tho Re-
publican member, Of the committee; on inc contrary
II might b said that. II he felt any r"gr-t at ALL 10
account Of the exposure OF the fact that tho
minority had signed paper prepared By DeiehoAht
I,rrckinrifge IN which honorable members or inc
llou-c wee accused OF forgery and many other crimes
and mi -dcmcanVrS
Hetter thing, wcro expcctcl Of Mr. Crisp. OF Georgia.
than Wilson gave promise Of: but the Georgian us
appointed his friends lie Is regarded as man WHO
possesses Il keen sense OF honor. and ono who never
would have knowingly cOuntcnanrcd or subscribed W
Nh. di.gracsn and d,shonorablo attack framed oy
defendant Brcklnridec II probably 8 chivHlrons
uutiye h,rwever mistaken. which Induced him 70 rVadc
on answer to the question plumply put By MI hAeii
today "a regard To the authorship Of the views
Tho author. BrclInrGcc. who saf near by WIN Ills
head drawn low between his shoulders. was not al
object 70 inspire clpucncc or sympathy but 'r-p vas
loyal 10 h,, party There arc men who tl'hK th"'
u,rkinridecs uns,lcccs tu attempt to as,as'hc the
rrpn.,ttou OF honorable members ~ tho Honsc was
not more praisrwor:hy than the s''c'snii attempt "
murder hs successful competitor for seat IN ''nSr
Two capital ,2cech"' we're mad" by MI '"oP'F
~ Ohio and Mt. r.rgcn. Of Scw Jersey. both OF
whom were members IT the snb committee winch
gated the case In Arkansas. Neither OF them
,vnr su.ks unless he has something 10 SAY ana mem
trrs OF tho House. irrespective ID party rc'pc'' uc'
FOR tho honesty Of their convictions not less thah
for thor ability.
fovn Mr. Cooper, Of ohio. opened rr. debate pre-
rs,np his argument on the 1ith brit criticism
a. IN, minority report. In such words - "di''
c,ur..sy un.arncSs ncctcrt OF duty bad r''h' sup
po ,,lon Of testimony. and connvan"o at 'r'h"' tc
minority r~port, si.nr! by every iHih"ra" "e'"pcr
NJ the committee reflected upon their colleagues OK
rcpy 10 II. but h" WA unpcasant'y surprised NJ !"
Mr. (.r,sp 81 Georgia. said that the WINS tho
cc,tlc,nan had r~.d did not contain the views "i ""
minority as Nn,lly prs"nt"d to the HOUSE Inc
gentleman VII, probably reading some pr"of-shp'
Mr. Dalycll II Pcn1Isylvania-Whose Views DO tncy
rcl -'scut NJ.
Mr. Crisp The gentleman Will excuse me Inc
rcc. q, ,hc minority are ,~torc tho House In printed
f,ua WHICH every gentleman can s'~ i"r h'n'se''
II tcr, be- some proof slips which some Gentleman hr
obtained snrrort:,lo-y or otherwise from the prhI
Ing orirc that (, another matter.
Mr. Cooper submitted whether. when paper OF
tina. Kind had been nl~d aud prntc when 1t had been
,.,c f., thc A,o,la,cd Prs, and printed all over thu
run,v IL was "A sufficient apology a'tcrwlrd !"
amend AMI cxpnrratr il. Who wa4 It that had hi'~h
M ne r,por,f Whuso brna had nspiird II and whose
pen had indit"i II
TN, first branch Of tho Gaze t,kon up b. Mr. Cooper
wac The charge OF fraud AID mtiuidAto' WHICH, Tue
,c. tiniony showed taccorng to the opinion OK lho
majority, had been r,~ortrd 70 In order To carry inc
nd Ton ere ,sora District ~ Arkansas for brcchh'
rid,,. Colonel Clayton, believing that he had been
cheated out Of the election. WINS determined 70 cAp''o
tie mo- hofs through which rrtklnridgc nal optaico
the certificate. and gave notice % contest Mr. 'Vopcr
then went over the story OF the theft ~ the balotboN
Mt Plunreryiilc and told how Clayton met his death
II va, the opinion OF the majority. lie said. that uc
murder grew directly ont ot the political methods
adj ,p,,d I'm that coutv In that View the majority
ouly echoed the almost universal sentiment "l all
p,rts OF tho land ballot box stealing and stillihg
intimidation and murder, naturally followed ca'h
other. Cpud there be greater bc>'lhc 70 thiS
Nation. AMI especially to the people VINO Wcn
afflicted by these mcthods. than their ending!
Ii the supNmc duty OK tis 'o'''
gross 10 enact such legislation "a would
terminate those methods by removing tho Inducements
tlcirfor.
In cohrl,i,iun, Mr.. Cooper passed high cncomlnn
on tiv, p,lc and state Of ArAana cont"ndihg tha''
II the election methods In vogue in TIA. state wcrc
abandoned, the Commonwealth "O'ld e'oh DC aNc
with Industry and manufactures: . ,. l.,
Mr.. Wilson. Of Missouri sid that the majority; ,,, n
it, rcIort sought convey ube Impression mat thi.
wa. Avn organized murder. and that the people ot
Arhansa, Ind adopted nurder as fayo1'c p%N' ~
~ tho friends and companions Of Mr. rccninrdgs'
Wa, thcc anything in the acnenan's cisrac'es pun
lie or private that wnild Justify the bittcr>t partisan
In char sllg thai Clifton T. rcchinridsr would taho
the advantage VI foul murder for brief political pres