Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-02
FOR RECIPROCITY.
CONTINUED from First Pd0e.1
HOUSE. :,


that country were invited 10 enter America BY
. vide-open door. 4---- 70 -
HOUSE.
On motion Of Mr.. Cogsweh (Mass.) Senate
bill was passed granting an American register
to the foreign built steamer Italia.
On motion Of Mr.. Boatner CLa.) Senate bill
was passed authorizing the construction of two
bridges across the Boeuf river, Louisiana.
Mr.. Lacey Qowa) then called up and the
House proceeded to the consideration Of
THE CLAYToN-BREcKISRIpaE ELECTION CASE.
Mr.. Cooper (Ohio) opened the debate pre-
missing his argument on the case with brief
criticism of the minority report In such
words "dscourtesy, unfairness, neglect Of
duty, bad faith, suppression Of testimony and
connivance at crime" the minority report
signed by every democratic member of the
committee, reflected upon their colleagues Of
the majority. He would not dignity this as
SAINT by reply to 1t, but he was unpleasantly
surprised at It.
Mr.. Crisp GA. said that the words the gen.
tleman had read did not contain the views of
the minority as finally presented to the House
The gentleman
WAS PROBABLY READING FROM A PROOF sLrp.
Mr.. Dalzell pa. Whose views do they rep
resent
MIR. Crisp-The gentleman will excuse me.
The views Of the minority are before tho House
In printed form which every gentleman can
see for himself II there be some proof slips
which some gentleman has obtained surrepti-
tiousiy or otherwise from the printing office,
that is another matter.
Mr. Cooper submitted whether when q paper
OF that kind had been filed and printed. when
1t had been given to the Associated Press and
printed all over the country, it WAS not q suffi-
Gent amende honorable afterward TO amend
and cxpurgate it. Who was it that had drawn
up the report? Whose brain had inspired and
whose pen had indicted it?
THE FIRST BRANCH OF THE CASE
taken up by Mr.. Cooper was the charge Of
fraud and intimidation which the testimony
showed according to the opinion Of the major
ity) had been resorted to in order to carry the
second congressional district Of Arkansas for
breckenridge. Col. Clayton. believing that he
had been cheated out of the election, was de-
termlned to expose the methods through which
Breckenridge had obtained the certificate and
gave notice OF contest. An important factor
III the contest was relative to
THE THEFT or THE BALLOT BOX
at Plummerville. In conducting his contest
John Clayton went to Plummerville with many
misgivings. His friends advised him not to 60
and admonished him that in going there he
perled his life-a life at that time made spe-
cially precious because, by the recent death
of his wife, his children had to
look to him alone for protection
and support But he felt it his duty to himself,
to his friends and to his country to pursue his
contest John NJ. Clayton was not the manner
OF man to ask another 70 so for him where he
did not himself dare to 60. Consequently he
went to Plummerville, and on tho night Of
January 90, 1889, while about to cit down to
write to his children he received in the neck
LOAD OF BUyKsiIor
which nearly severed his head FRONT his body.
The news of the assassination which was
flashed over the country was answered by a
cry Of indignant horror. 1t was the opinion
of the majority that the murder
grew directly out of the political
methods adopted in that county. In that view
the ma oritv but echoed the almost universal
sentiment of all sections. Ballot-boX stealing
| aud stuftng, intimidation and murder natur-
ally followed each other. The continual viola
ton of the Constitution and OF state laws and
OF the rights Of citizens was a natural indica-
tion to the evil disposed to violate all law and
trample on the rights Of all men at all times
Could there be greater blessing to this nation,
and especially to the people who were
afflicted by these methods, than their ending.
1t was the supreme duty Of this Congress to
enact such legislation as would terminate these
methods by removing the inducements there
for.
In conclusion he passed high enconium on
the people and state Of Arkansas, contending
that if the election methods in vogue in that
state were abandoned the commonwealth would
soon be alive with industry and manufactures
Mr.. Wilson (Mo.) joined with the gentleman
from Ohio i'll his panegeric upon the people VI
Arkansas, But he regretted that the gentle
man only today discovered how good the peo-
pie Of Arkansas were; if he had discovered It
sooner ho could never have signed the major
ity report Did any man believe that Mr..
Breckenridge or the people of Arkansas (outside
of the people who committed the crime) ever
dreamed Of the murder OF Clayton?
THE MAJORITY IN ITS REPORT
sought to convey the impression that this was
an organized murder and that the people of
Arkansas had adopted murder as a favoritc po-
litcal mode and measure. The murderers
were spoken Of as the friends and compantDns of
Mr. Breckenridge. Was there anything in the
gentleman's character. public or private, that
would justify the bitterest partisan in charging
that Clifton r. Breckenridge would take tho
advantage of foul murder for brief political
prestige! And yet it was charged that such
was the case. The minority resented the i'm
putation. Commenting upon the words quoted
by Mr.. Cooper rs from :.
THE MINORITY REPORT
he denied that the report contained them. They
were IN the rough draft. which was the private
property of the minority. This rough draft
had been printed for the convenience Of the
members of the minority in drafting their
final report. What authority had the gentle
man from Ohio to peer into the private
affairs Of the committee. The draft was pri-
vate paper until it received the official indorse-
ment of the minority. He then proceeded to
criticise the method of the committee in
pursuing the investigation. The history OF
this contest as found in the Record showed to
the world that the members OF the committee
who went to Arkansas went, not as invssti-
gators, but practically as attorneys OF the
friends Of the dead man, prosecuting Mr..
Breckenridge.
THE r MONTHS ARE HERE.