Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-08-04
CI.AYTON'S DEATH.
Majority Report on Cele-
brated Contested Election.
oAUsTIo COMMENTS ON THE CASE.

The Sitting Member Given a Going Over
How a Compile of Gentlemen Tried to
Enlighten an Engiishman and Failed
Lack of a Quorum Moves the House to
Revoke All Leaves of Absence-A
sportsman's Unavailable Paradise in
Yellowstone Park
WASHINGTON CITY, Aug. 4.-The ma
jority report of the house commsttee on
elections upon the Clayton Breckenridge
contested case, and the murder of the Re-
publican contestant, is completed and
ready for submission to the house. No
earnest attempt, the report says, to aid in
bringing Clayton's murderers to justioe
was ever made by the local authorities.
Referring to the killing of the negro de-
tective Smith. who was investigating the
ballot-boX theft, and of George Be:itley, q
brother of o. I. Bentley, who was sus-
pected of being one of the thieves, it says
that George Bentley at the time was nego-
tiating with the Pinkertons to give evil
dence and expose the guilty parties, when
he was said to have been accidentally shot
by his brother. While there was no direct
evidence TO elimination in the killing of
Bentley it was unfortunate, the report
says, that these two killings occurred
| while the victims We're about to give evil
ience TO Pinkerton's detectives.
New Law Suggested.
Continuing the majority say: "No rea-
sonable explanation of the murder of
Clayton appears except that some of the
Il hal 81
| testimony progressing, killed Col Clay
| ton to suppress the investigation. No
| Dther motive is possible" The necessity,
| the report says, for the enactment of some
| laws which will prevent ballot-box steal
| ing and murder from comforting prima
faeie title to seat in congress is evident
| FROM the result in this contest. Had
| such laws been in force, :" the report says,
-as would have prevented the contestee
| from taking his seat with such a title, no
one would have attempted TO confer such
title by stealing the ballot box.
Rough the Community.
Evidently ballot box stealing was
| looked upon as a joke in that community
| until the awful consequences that have
resulted have appalled, the good people of
| the country. No doubt some of these men
| would have been debarred from taking the
| first step in the crime if they had realized
that murder would be the end. But they
crossed their Rubicon. Breckenridge got
the seat in congress, and one crime fol-
lowed in the footsteps of the other The
least guilty of the criminals dare not ex-
pose the more guilty, lest the fate of Clay
| ton should overtake them.
| Severe Criticism of Breckinridse.
4
party should accept certificate of cleo
ton to seat to which he was clearly not
elected, and at the same time aid in the
payment of fine imposed upon another
| violatOr of the law, and that such con-
duet should not be met with anything but
commentator and approval by his fol-
| lowers, shows a state of disregard for
the principles of popular government
which may well make the future of the
country looked upon with apprehension
| That men may be found lawless enough
| to commit these crimes is to be deplored,
but when men of high character and
| standing complacently avail themselves
| of the fruits of such crime. and the con-
| troll of the national house of representa-
| tlves is made TO turn upon such methods
1 1t no longer remains mere matter of To-
| cal concern, but arises to the magnitude
Of a national calamity"
Bad Case of Bad Kin d.
| The present case, the report saws, has
| attracted attention, not because it stands
1 alone as a startling and striking incident
| OF dangers ahead to our form of govern
ment. but because it appears to be one of
| q very bad kind. In the old days of the
code of honor political antagonists often
| met face 70 face and eye TO eye and sought
their adversaries' lives. This method of
settling political differences has become
obsolete, and we frequently congratulate
ourselves upon the improved moral tone
| of our day and generation. But never be-
| fore has contest for seat in congress
| been terminated by the bullet of an assas-
| sin. If such methods are submitted to in
silence, the party benefiting by the crime
of his partisans quietly and without dis
pute retaining the benefits of the death of
| his competitor, a new element would be
| introduced into our form of government
| Lots of Game on Our Big Preserve.
| WASHINGTON CRY, Aug 4-The protec-
ton of the wild animals in the Yellowstone
park during the past few years has been
| perfect, and, as consequence, they have
| greatly increased in numbers. Buffalo
| beyond enumeration abound, and the
number of elk in the park is something
wonderful, herds of from 1900 to 1000
| having been seen last winter. So Capt.
| f. A. Boutelle, the superintendent, re-
ports