The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-02-27
CONGRESSIONAL CONTEST.
The First District Case Comes
Up and Arguments Begin.
SOME FUN IS FURNISHED

oOuAC CUN ID rUNNloaEl
by Mr.. Grccnlalec, Whose Sarcasm
Skins NIr. Pcndlcton Alivc..Dcn,.
ocrais Mako no Fisht..Pcnllc-
t6n Finishes 1Ilmsclrto.dny
Special DhpGteh 10 he Inlelli0encer. n
WASHINGTON, D. G., Feb. 26.-For Nv,
hours to-day tho House listened to ar
gumcnts upon the Atkinson .pendleto,
contest. There will DO one moro houl
OF 1t tomorrow and then the previous
question will be considered US ordered
and a vote will bo taken. Nobody
doubts what the result Of TINT vote will
be. Chairman Rowall opened the de-
bate.->He took up the Wetzel fraud al
once and handled 1t without gloves
snodgrass name, he said, had become q
byword for all that savored Of jugglery
aud Hypocrisy in elections. Every
phase OF tho villainy was depicted,
Earnshaw and the bogus telegram, the
scratched ballots, the yault with its com.
bination lock, which everybody knew,
all received due attention.
Turning to individual ballots, Rowell
said the committee had not found n
greater per cent Of illegal ballots to have
been cast In the First district of West
Virginia than in any average Congress
sional district, and the majority Of these
were 80 cast unintentionully. Pendle-
ton based his case upon these illegal
ballots and yet tho contestant charged
nearly twice as many rs he did. "The
only ground upon which this certificate
was issued" said Rowell, in conclusion,
was q miserable dirty trick, committed
that West Virginia might furnish more
Democratic members to the House,"
MR.. cowDEN ATTACKED.
O'Ferrel, Of Virginia, followed for
Peudleton. 8ir. O'Ferrel was evidently
not at his best. He took up the printed
minority report and followed It almost
verbatim. After avoiding the Wetzel
county business as long as possible, he
created a diversion by opening an attack
upon Chairman Cowden. He claimed
that Cowden led Snodgrass into his va
rious villainies. 1t was true Cowdeu
swore he had not offered Snodgrass any
money, but Snoderass said he had, and
he (Mr. OFerreD thought he would
rather believe Snodgrass. 0'Ferrel soon
ceased his efforts and sat down before
his time had expired.
Mr.. Lacey, Of Iowa, spoke next. He
said the committee felt particularly bad
at having to oust one who had pro-
claimed himself the only gentleman on
the other side Of the house. Mr.. Lacey
then repeated that part OF his conyersa.
ton with Mr.. Pendleton, which the lat
ter had failed to give the reporter, to the
effect that the Fourth district case was q
fraud in law, while the First district case
was fraud in fact. The Wetzel count
got another dose. Said Lacey: "You
might as well have left cat in charge OF
a tub OF cream rs Snodgraas in charge OF
those ballots when certain number OF
votes were necessary to his Democratic
friends
MR.. WILSON'S EFFORTS. -
Mr.. Wilson, Of Missouri, followed Mr..
Lacey. His version Of the Wetzel mat
ter wss that Wells and Arnett were
there as friends and agents Of Fleming
and had nothing to do with the Com
gressional court. AS proof Of this, he
instanced that st. Clair was mentioned
in the famous telegram signed "McG,"
and St. Clair was Fleming's attorney.
Deeming this point thus proved, Wilson
again took up the old, old story OF dim
lights, late hours, wearied judges, ETC.,
ETC., which has been 80 many times
told. His conclusion was an appeal for
sympathy for Peudlcton BECAUSE tho
latter is a descendent OF the late Bishop
Campbell, aud had, said Wilson, proba-
bly, a larger number Of relatives among
his constituents than had any other
member Of the House. Thisis no doubt
strictly true.
Mr.. pENDLEToN. SKINNED ALIVE.
Mr.. Greenhnlge, Of Massachusetts,
closed the debate for the day. Never
was man more deity, politely and
thoroughly skinned alive than was PEN
dleton by this postmaster OF sarcastic
oratory. So finished was the process
that Pendleton was at first OF the opin-
ion that he was getting some long de-
terred compliments, aud smiled ap-
provingly. The change in him, when lie
fully realized what the members we're all
lauehingathi wasstartling by the time
the speaker had drawn a most thrilling
picture Of the scene wherein Pendleton
remained, OF all Democrats, the only one
who preserved his dignity amid general
turbulence, the one gentleman OF the
minority.
FUN IN THE HOUSE.
The whole House was in an uproar OF
laughter, which continued almost un.
abatel till the end OF the speech, from
Earnshaw's display of conjugaI affection
down to Peudleton's distinguished an.
cestral claims. Mr.. Greenhalge had no
mercy upon any body or anything. 1t
was one OF the wittiest and most telling
speeches Of the session and q fitting end.
ing Of the days debate.
Mr.. Greenhalge, while addressing
himself to the evidence, did so with go
much quiet sarcasm as to elicit laughter
and applause from both sides Of the
House. His quiet reference to "extreme
leniency with which. the Speaker treats
the other side. OF the House" was
thoroughly enjoyed, and his humorous
dissection OF the minority report highly
entertained the House.
REFINED SARCASM. srs1
In conclusion, he paid warm tribute
to Mr.. Pendleton for the dignity and
courtesy with which he conducted his
case, and said that he had proven 10 the
House and TO the country that the
agrand old name of gentleman" with
the nobility and manhood and refine.
ment that it implies. has not lost all
honor and respect in the first legislative
body in the world-the Congress OF the
United States. ~,
It is said Pcndleton will close the dc.
bate in his own behalf.
Il. r.. ...A s-.-as a.T ~
=- Postmaster md Pensions.
Ca .faYn IN IL