Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-03-04
CAPITAL PL0TTERS.
WHAT POLITICAL ExioeNclES SOME
TIMES LEAD STATESMEN TO.
Tho Programme OF the hepupiie"hs :"
the Confessed Election Cases
Outrage.
Hmm Our Regular correspondent


WASHINGTON. March S.-Politicai exi-
cencies sometimes compel party leauers 10
.ate undue advantage of their opponents,
To-, M nrocramme of the Republicans IN
No nresent House in regard 10 disposing OF
cnntosted. election cases exceeds anything
in Tho way Of outrages everperpetratedup upon
a. minority. So far the Republicans have
ousted two Democratic members rom
tbe,r seots. and Mr. Cate, OF Arkansas, VIII
be the next one to go. feathers'Vhe' Vhe
contestant, bases his claim tor the seat
mon intimidation. and has set up charges
an this line in fifteen counties OF Arkan-
,,as Int nretendod to furnish proof III
onlv three counties On the face OF the
retTrns Cate had at the election OF 1858 a
majority of 1853. In Crlttenden county
thc negroes predominant largely, the vote
standing at the election IN 1888 IN the
county Harrison, 1853 Cleveland, $50;
Cate. $50: an Independent kepubiicah
candidate for Congress, l69' ana lehther,,
stone got tho difference between Iu5 anu
Harrisnn's vote. In that county there
was some trouble. and several negro OH
cials left the county and went to Memphis
before the election. the Republicans claim
inc that there was a conspiracy ana that
the Democrats had planned 20 take charge
of the election machinery. Ihey supported
this himsv charge on the testimony OF the
negroes. who lad not been in the county
for three months. In one Of the precincts
Featherstone admitted that Cate received
22t votes. vet on the remarkable testimony
lad before the House Committee the lie
publican members deducted 22I votes from
Gates majority at that preclnct, OF more
votes than he received. BY tins sort Of
mauiDulation they figured ont a majority
Of e;ohty.six for FeathcrstOne. To give
an idea Of the kind OF testimony
on which the majority OF the committee
have decided to defraud Mr.. Cate OF ms
scat i'm Congress- II can be stated that Il
NEGRO was before the committee Who
wasn't properly coached and he made a
bad break when he got tangled up with
figures. He was asked how many voters
hethOurht there were IN CTlttenden county.
He replicd: Between seven and eight
hundred" How many Republican voters
are IN fine countv?n he was asked 10y one
of the Democratic members OF the COM
mittee. and the bullet-headed fellow
said: Between $500 and 1000" some
az the witnesses sWOre that traudU-
lent Iallot-bOx was used III some
portions of the county and one OF the
boxes was exhibited before the committee.
Being pressed e. state where TINS box was
used the witness hesitatcd and then sad
M Bradley. Mound City, Rccylle, and
thcactual vote at those precincts was IN IL
vor Of he Republican candidate, the result
M those precincts standing As follows; ~
Bradley. FeathcrstOuc l5j, Gaze ]; AT
Mound CITY. FeatheYstOne l33, Cate II; aJ
Riccciilc. Fcathcrstoue -, Cate. none; at
Gilmore. Fcatherstone -, Cate Z.
Some of the witnesses who swore there
was no election al Bradley admitted i've
minutes afJerward that they were not at
Bradley on the day Of election.
Mr.. Cultivate IN speaking 10 the ms
Dq'ct correspondent Of the findings Of the
committee in this case said: Il an
amazed that the Republican Lawyers on the
committee having respect for their pro
fcssiOnal honor should consent TO sustain
such "a report"
LAsGsroN AGAINST vENABLE AND OTHER
FIGHTS.
The Virginia contested-election cases Of
Lauestou r. Nenablc VIII be- the next ono
considered by She House Committee on
Elections. II comes Up on the llth OF
March The committee viii hold an extcu-
tive meeting next Friday for the purpose OF
reaching conclusions on the Virginia case
of Bowen rs. Buchanan and the Indiana
case of Posev rs. Parrot. II is the
prevailing impression that both OF the
last-namcd contests VIII be decided
IN favor OF the sitting members.
Nlr. Bowen ha- not proved the charges OF
intimidation, aud generally the presenta-
ton Of his case wa, weak. Alr. Buchanan
made q strong and it is hoped convincing
speech in his own behalf before the COM
mittee. and some Of the Republican mem
bers of the committee have minated that
they Will vote in his favor. Undoubtedly
party pressure is being brought - bear on
the case. ami Of course there IA no telling
what the report will be until it Is made.
Mir. Wisc's case viii be taken M soon.
also. in executive session, If not at the
next meeting, at the succeeding secret
meeting. The Republicans on the COM
mittec have been keeping quiet a. TO their
intentions, and it is therefore unsafe 10
predict the result.
The probabilities are that the Indiana
case VII De decided in favor Of the Demo
cratic member. The only clam against
him is that the votes OF Catholic priests At
q Jesuit college in the district We're allowed
TO be cast. and the contestant claimed they
were not b0ld f0e residents. They
are residents, having been located there for
wears. The majority was small, and II
these votes are thrown out Poscy Will get
the scat. but it is hardly possible the Re-
publicans viii make a direct fight on q
lot of voters because Of their religion.