The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1890-10-02
THIS Is REVOLUTION.
The PEOPLES REPRESENTATIVES
UNSEATED.

In the unseating of Congressman
Elliott OF South Carolina on Tues
day. the reckless majority in the
House of Representatives struck
another blow at the fright of cleo
ton by the people" which Governor
Hill described on that sa1e day as
the bulwark of our liberties, pecu-
liarly distinguishing a republic from
a monarchy.
The leading Republican newspa-
per, the New York Tribune, treats
the arbitrary reversal of the vote in
the Seventh district OF South Caro-
lima as pretty good joke on the
Democrats.
''The Republicans mustered a
quorum yesterday" remarks our
chuokling contemporary, ''and not
only disposed of the Langston- Ven
able case, but also took up the Mil
ler-Elliott case and decided that be.
fore the Democrats had a chance to
recover from their surprise"
The Tribune Almanac for 1889
contains this record Of the vote in
the Seventh district of South Caro-
lima:
Rep. Dem Ind Rep.
MILLER, ELLIOTT. SIMMONS
,093 1858 "A
Under what circumstances was
this plurality of more than thirteen
hundred votes swept away, the cleo
ton in the district nullifed, the
honest verdict of the citizens revers-
ed, and the regular certificate of
election torn to pieces in order that
there might be one Democratic vote
in Congress the less and one Re-
publican vote the more 3?
Marat screaming for the name of
another innocent victim was not
wilder than the Republican MAORI
ty after the disposal of the Lang
stoH- ENABLE case. The scene is
described in the Tribune's Wash
ington correspondence. There came
a chorus from the Republican side :
'Call up another case" M. Row
ell OF Illinois called up the South
Carolina case of Miller against Ell
lott. O'Ferrall of Virginia raised
the question of consideration. On
viva voce vote the Speaker stated
that the House had determined to
consider the election case. The
point of no quorum was raised, and
the Speaker declined to entertain it.
The previous question was ordered,
and in spite of a protest from a Re-
publican member from Iowa that
some reason for unseating Elliott
and seating Miller should be given,
the resolution reversing the vote of
the Seventh district was adopted
without division.
The brutal business can hardly
have occupied three minutes. In
that time law, right, and precedent
were trampled under foot, as Gov
ernor Hill puts it, in order that the
slender majority of Republicans
might be increased. The plurality
Of 1900 votes by which Elliott held
his seat was shouted down to less
than nothing, without even the for
mality of a division Of the House.
The pretext for the abominable
deed was not even stated tor the in
formation OF members like Kerr of
Iowa, whose remnants Of political
conscience were disposed to haggle
over the infamous transaction.
There was no discussion, no weigh
ing of evidence, no opportunity for
the victim to defend his rights. Mr..
Elliott entered the House soon
afterward to find that the shouts of
g. mob had deprived him of the Office
to which he had been honestly cleo
ted by the ballots of his constitu-
ents.
This is the United States Of
America toward the latter end of
the nineteenth century. 1t is not
politics, it is revolution. There
would seem to be only one step
further to be taken by the assailants
of the right of election, the main
= - ,ra Il 80 49,. IL a-s;o,