Connecticut western news., 1890-08-06

thieves, it says George Bentley at the time was negotiating with the Pinkertons to give evidence and expose the guilty parties, when he was said to have been accidentally shot by his brother.
 Important Witnesses Killed.
 While there was no direct evidence to incriminate any one in the killing of Bent ley it was unfortunate. The report says that these two killings occurred while the victims were about to give evidence to Pinkerton detectives. Continuing, the ma- jority say: "No reasonable explanation Of the murder appears, except that some of the ballot box thieves, finding the taking of testimony progressing, killed Col. Clay ton to suppress the investigation. No other motive is possible" The necessity, the re- port says, for the enactment of some laws which will prevent ballot box stealing and murder from conferring prima facie title to seat in congress is evident from the re- suit in this contest.
 The Ballot Box Theft.
 'Had such laws been in force," the re- port says, "as would have prevented the contestee from taking his seat with such title no one would have attempted to con- fer such title by stealing the ballot box.
 Evidently ballot box stealing was looked upon as joke in that community until the awful consequences that have re- suited have appalled, the good people of the country. No doubt some of these men would have been deterred from taking the first step in the crime if they had realized that murder would be the end. But they crossed their rubicon. BreckinridQe got the seat in congress, and one crime fol- lowed in the footsteps of the other. The least guilty of the criminals dare not ex- pose the more guilty lest the fate of Clay ton should overtake them.
 A National Calamity.
 'That the nominee of great political party should accept certificate of election to seat to which he was clearly not elected, and at the same time aid in the payment of fine imposed upon another violator of the law, and that such conduct should not be met with anything but commendation and approval by his followers, shows 8 state of disregard for the principles of pop ular government which may well make the future of the country be looked upon with apprehension.
 "That men may be found lawless enough to commit these crimes is to be deplored 1 but when men of high character and stand | ing complacently avail themselves of the | fruits of such crime, and the control of the national house of representatives is made | to turn upon such methods, it no longer remains mere matter of local concern, l but arises to the magnitude of national calamity.
 l. A Case of a Bad Kind.
 ''The present case has attracted attention | not because it stands alone as a startling and striking incident of dangers ahead to our form of government, but because it appears to be one of very bad kind. In l the old days of the code of honor political antagonists often met face to face and eye to eye and sought their adversary's life. This method of settling political differ ences has become obsolete, and we fre- quently congratulate ourselves upon the improved moral tone of our day and gen. eration. But never before has contest for 8 seat in congress been terminated by the bullet of an assassin.
 ''If such methods are submitted to in si- lence the party benefited by the crime of his partisans, quietly and without dispute retaining the benefits of the death of his competitor, new element would be intro | duced into our form of government"
 A resolution will accompany the report declaring the seat now held by MT. Breck- inridge vacant.
 Clifton R. Breckinridge was born at Lex ington, Ky, Nov. %, 1846; he served in the | Confederate army as private soldier; was a cotton planter for thirteen years; was elected to the Forty eighth congress from the state at large; was elected to the Forty ninth and Fiftieth congresses, and, accord ing to the Congressional Directory, was re- elected to the Fifty first congress as Dem ocrat, receiving F, ,857 votes, against 17,011 l votes for John M Claytou Republican,