New-York tribune., 1890-01-18
SOME ARKANSAS METHODS.
THE CONTEST FOR THE REPRESENTATIVES
SEAT IN THE IsT DISTRICT

ARGUMENTS BEFORE THE HOUSE COMMITTEE
WHAT THE TESTIMONY sHOws-wIT.
NESsES AFRAID TO TESTIFY.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO IHE 1hIBUhE.I
Washington, Jan. 1.-THE House Committee on
Elections to-day heard oral arguments the contest
from the Ist Arkansas District. This is the one in
which the contestant escaped assassination by timely
retreat from Crttcnden County. The cause OF
Feathcrstone, the contestant argued by eX-Chef
Justice Mcclure. of Arkansas and Colonel W. W. Dud-
lev and Judge Cate, the cOntestee. submitted MS own
case.
According TO the returns upon which Gates certih-
cate issued he received plurall'y OF l'"f0
votes but the contestee now admits that lo4 Vo'eS
should be deducted leaving him plurality OF 1'loi
votes The testimony in the case however,
shows beyond the shadow OF douot th~'
Featherston received large plurality The testimony
relates to only four of the seventeen couhlcS WHICH
compose the district. although the contestant alleges
fraud improper conduct mistake in fifteen counties
In eleven countes the contestant took no testimony
because the forty days allowed for doing so were
exhausted in four counties The record shows that
The election law of the state. we'll as the United
States statute violated by the mocrdts that they
had determined beforehand that FeatherstOn. who
was an lsMcpendent Labor candidate. supported by
the RonphIcans should be counted out that tin ballot
drop ballns into the box, or, hy giving them "a
slant drop them on the floor at his feet without the
voters being able TO detect the fraud were provided
and used in at least one large Republican county.
where ali the election officers were Democrats that
the returns from six precincts in single county were
held back ty a county clerk who. in violation of law.
arrogated 10 himself the authority to decide whether
or not certain returns all Of which happened to be
from heavy Republican precincts. were regular
who al hey thereby
dcprivng the Democratic candidate Of nnetynine votes
and the Republican candidate of $50 votes that Re
publican voters were ntmidated by an ostentatlous
display Of Winchester rifles and other weapons in the
hands Of Democrats who were bent on "palloI
reform
As soon as FeatherStOn began 10 take testimony IN
support of his contest. he found himself beset WIN
difficulties on every side In some places he ana
his attorneys were threatened with violence. ana III
Crtcnden County he persuaded by MS frlehus 10
abandon tie attempt to obtain testimony they assuring
him that il he persisted his life would be in peril At
other places no magistrate or notary public could be
found would administer the oath to his witnesses
In other places witnesses called in his behalf declined
10 testify because their lives had been threatened If
they should do 80. The testimony of witnesses IN
some cases could be obtained only by taking them 10
an adjoining county or 10 Tennessee. In one place
the first witness who testified arrested for per
jury as soon he left the stand and held for trial
under q bond Of IL 900 by a court which had no
jurisdiction, if the charge had been true. OF
course that stopped the taking Of testimony by the
contestant at that place and wherever the fact be
came known.
FeathcrstOn received the votes of several thousand
white men who had previously been members of the
Democratic paty, and in addition the uniiel and
hearty support of the Republicans with few eXcep-
tons. IN Incep ndeit l. publ can cud dat, who
contrary TO the desire Of his party and the Re
publican Congressional Committee. received only l B
vOtS in tie ent district and Of these only II were
cast outside 0f his county. And yet in face Of
tie &C.; tina Feathestone received the votes of nearly
all the Republicans and OF good many men who
voted for CcV land. tAc turns I ON one CJunty-
a county. ~ the which the COntc>ce says in his
brief ha> returned ID mOcrdc majority for the last
years~>hOw their face that Harrison received
J. 537 votes, majority Of j7j over Cleveland. while
Feathcr,ton received 1,O26 votes. a majority Of
only 10 over Cate.
Take the other sixteen counties in the district and
the returns on their face show that FeatheIston's
total vote was 13,213 While the total vote
for Harrison only 1O.-47. in other
words. Fcatherston ahead Of the National ticket
3Gj votes i'm sixteen counties. and fell behind the
National ticket j11 vote, in the seventeenth county.
That the county where Fcather>tOns first Wit
ncsS was arrested for perjury soon he left tho
stand. thus preventing tie contestant from obtaining
the testimony OF several hundred other Republicans