The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1890-03-05
How Winchester Rifles, Revolvers, Bowie
Knives and "Double-ActiOn" BallOt-BOxes
Elected a Democratic Congressman.
Bourbon Methods Exposedby Messrs.
DalZell, Cheadle, Rowell and Others.
Mr.. Crisp Attempts a Defense Of the 0utrages
and Arouses an Indianisn's Wrath-Mr.
Br~eckinridge's View Of the Case.


case of Featherston vs. Cate was resumed
in the House to-day, DIR. Dalzen of Penn
sylvania taking the floor. In supporting
the claims of the contestant he said that in
the election in the First district of Arkan-
sas Winchester rifles, revolyers and bowie
knives had played an important part.
This district, he said, was adjoining that
In which Mr.. Clayton, a man Of national
reputation. when in the exercise of a right
which belonged to the humblest American
citizen, had been murdered In cold blood
at the very foot of the altar of liberty. Mr..
Dalzell confined his remarks principally TO
the election methods Of the Democrats in
Crittenden county, charging intimidation
and fraud, and controverting the statement
made by Mr.. Cultivate of Ohio that there
was no evidence that the "double-action"
ballot-box was used in the county.
Mr. Cultivate challenged the produc-
ton Of any evidence that the box exhibit
ed by him yesterday had ever been used.
Mr.. Dalzell replied that the contention
of the majority of the committee on cleo
tons was that q ballot-box identical with
that presented had been used in Critten-
den county in st least three polling places.
The c0ntestee, In his brief. himself admit
ted that the chivalry of Crittenden county,
armed with Winchester rifles. had found it
necessary to drive out twenty or thirty I'M
armed black men.
Mr.. Crisp of Georgia submitted an argu-
ment in favor of the claims of the con-
testee, Cate. The case, he said, was a pc
cuiiar one. TIL counsel for the contestant
was w. w. Dudley, better known as Blocks
of-tive" Dudley. 1t was an interesting
thing to hear that notorious gentleman dis
cussing. before the committee on elections,
the Importance of the purity of the ballot.
and the necessity OF giving the voter the
untrammeled n free right to vote as he
pleased. To borrow the smile of the gen.
tleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Green
halgel when he Mr.. Crispl heard Dudley's
statement, he thought he would say: This
1t had occurred to him that while
the notorious Indianian might not
be, as his distinguished friend from Massa-
chusetts was, a civil-service reformer. he
was not the devil and he knew that what
he was qnoting to the committee was not
Scripture. Laughter.
Mr.. Cheadle of Indiana entered his pro-
test against the attacking of the character
of a man who, on the field of battle, bad
spent his blood in the defense of his coun-
try. and whose life he mr.. Cheadlel chal-
lenged mi human being to attack. lap
plause on the Republican side. Nobody
on the other side was able to prove a single
charge against the Republicans of Indi-
ana [Renewed applause.
Mr.. Crisp was unaware that he had said
anything to provoke the outburst on the
part of his friend from Indiana. He had
spoken of a mans reputation throughout
he was heId-and he had not spoken I'M
kindly. He had been illustrating tho
peculiarities of the case, that was all. He
was showing that the counsel for the con-
t~estant,. who had argued for a free and
pure ballot, had u a reputa-
ton throughout the country that he
did not suggest to the hearers OF his argu-
ment that he was strictly in earnest in
making 1t. Did not the gentlemen know
the different effect upon the public mind
the same words might make when coming
from different men3 That was the idea he
had meant TO convey. When he had heard
the counsel talking about the Importance
of a pure ballot and the protection of the
people from corruption at the polls, though
he could not call him the devil quoting the
Scripture, he was reminded of the negro
rhyme preserved by the Senator from North
Carolina:
De bigger dat you see de smoke
De less de fre will be,
And de leastest kind OF 'pOSsum
Climbs de biggest kind of tree.
De leader at de ole camp-ground
Dat kin loudest sing and shout
Is gwine TO rob some hen roost
Befo' de week Is out.
Mr.. Crisp then took up the evidence in
the case and argued that in its report the
majority of the committee bad not obeyed
the law of fair playa law which was dear
to the American people.
MIR. Rowell of Illinois charged that the
apparent majority through which the con-
testee obtained his title to a seat was pro-
cured by crime of the highest character.
which, If not perpetrated, would have
turned his apparent majority into a mi
nority. The gentleman from Georgia spoke
of the love of the American people for fair
play. Did the one hundred bandits armed
NTH INfnohaSfor rfHoa uvh4 a~slaI Al 80
GERS and people of Crittenden county under
pain of death belong to that class of Ameri-
can people who loved fair playf Applause
on Republican side. Did the member of
that bandit band, who was attorney for the
contestee In Crittendeu county, who stood
by when he saw the contestant getting out
of the county In order TO save his life
did he belong to that portion of the Ameri-
can people that loved fair playf [Applause.
He criticised the Governor of Arkansas
for allowing one hundred armed men to
expel from their positions the legal officers
OF the county without raising his hand to
vindicate the law. The day had come in
the history of the United States when the
people had determined that the Constitu-
ton which enfranchised the black man
should no longer be nullified Applause on
Republican side. n whenever, in what
ever section. any body raised his hand to
nullify that Constitution he would find the
whole power of this great government pro-
tecting the weakest of its citizens in the
right TO vote and to have that vote counted.
lRenewed applause.l The time had come
to put an end to murder. to shifting ballot
boxes. to false returns, to forcible rebellion
Ito rebellion against the power of the
United States-in order to oyertnrn the
rights of the black man. The wheel of
progress was rolling on, and the man who
stood in the way or maintaining the Com
stitutlon would be crushed to the earth.
Applause.
Mr.. Moore of Texas asserted that all the
testimony taken by the contestant in Mem
phis involving the question of conspiracy
and the fraudulent ballot-box was a bold
bald forgery In all its particulars. Once
name with abuse a section of the country.
and who could stand up and defend III
. -tlemen on the other side listened too
sea lily to vile stories about a section of
their country. He lmplored the gentlemen
to preserve some order in the MANAGEMENT
OF election cases. not for the sake of Mr..
Cate. bat for the sake of the Republic.
Mr.. Norton of Missouri commended that
Cate was entitled TO the seat. and he crit
icised the arguments made on the other
side for being based not on the testimony
In the case, but upon e~xtraneous matter
calculated to excite feelings of passion or
sentiment.
Mr.. Breckenridge of Arkansas referred
20 the peaceful condition of affairs i'm
Arkansas. which brought Mr.. Kelly of
Kansas 10 his feet with the question as to
what bad become of the colored detective
who had gone to the gentleman's district
to find out who had murdered the man
whose bloody shoes the gentleman stood in