The sun., 1891-01-11
A GRAND COURT OF APPEALS
now TnR PEOPLE RETBRsB PARTISAN
DECISIONS IN THE HOUSE


DECISIONS IN THE HOUSE
Csasvsssnaa Caamisss Reviews the situ
atssn - Msmbsvs Elected By the Repuh
llsaa Majority OF ths House 1eIsctsA ,,
tAs fsopie-Ths Oia Members Returss,
asa Political viiiaisy Rebak ksA-Repub
Iisaa Chiekens In south Caroiius ans
Csaasstisst Co.iae Homo to Rooss
WARRINGTON. Jan. 1O.-"Givs us anothe
ease" shouted the Republican members OF th,
House. on Sept 23. whom Col Elliott Of soutl
Carolina was unseated and black Republican
put In his place within three minutes IT. wal
all done under the Reed rules. The next cas-,
on the calendar was that Of MeGlnnis against
Anderson. from West Virginia. Jonathan H
Rowsll. Chairman OF tho Committee on Flee.
tions. stood at tho head OF the Republic ar
cohorts. with Eager eyss and dishevelled whit
hair, ready TO jump Anderson from his seat In
jihy. sta tip from the Speaker. The outrage
might have been oonsummsted II tho Demo-
cratic members had not como trooping into
the hall OF the House. They had absentsd
themselves 90 as to prevent II possible.
the supplsnting Of Mr.. vsnable Of Virginia by
John NJ. LanRston. The proposed action OF
the majority was 50 outrageous that tho Demo-
Gratis had determined that the Republicans
must furnish their own quorum to consum-
mate It They made their exit to avoid being
counted BY the Speaker. A Virginia Demo-
crat. Col. OFerrall. had been left In the House
to mako the point OF no quorum. Ono hundred
and sixty-six votes were required to make q
quorum. When 1876 Republicans appeared
Speaker Reed counted Col OFerrall to dll the
quorum and thus used tho Colonel, against
his protest. to unseRt his colleague. II Mr..
VenAble himself had been left In tho House
instead OF Col. O'Ferrall. the speaker would
undoubtedly have counted him to make Q
quorum. and thus have forced him to aid In
unssating himself. Anderson was not unseated
although under the rules II the NON bers OF th Q
House had refused to vote he could have been
unsssted By the Speakers vote alone. the
Speaker counting the non-voting members to
make the quorum.
Flushed with bis triumph on Sept. %. the
Chairman OF tho Committee on Elections an
nounoed his intention OF calling up the Mo-
0innis- -Alderson case ON the 1rst opportunity.
Al last came tho closing day OF the dying sos
0ion. The legislative funnel was choked with
moro pressing business. and Anderson escaped
for the time being. He got Information. how
ever. tha: the case would be called up at tho
beginning Of the short session and promptly
driven to vote. Then tho ides Of November
arrived. The flood gates Of the peoples wrath
were opened. The Republican party was swept
from power. The people unseated Rowell and
more than hundred OF his associates and put
Democrats In their places.
The stinGinR rebuke has evidently been felt.
No more contested election cases have been
called up. There are no moro cries OF Give
Ms another case" The warlike Chairman OF
the Committee on Elections. with his eight
associates on the committee. have become as
mild as cooling doves. Five OF the nine have
bean unseated by the people. The other four
barely pulled through. The people. however.
not satisfied with condemnlng them. replaced
In their seats all tho unssated Democrats ex-
espt two who were not candidates. One Of
the nine roappeared In the House at the be.
ginning OF this session. He Is Clifton r.
Breokinridee. one OF the ablest members of
the Committee on Ways and Means when the
Mckinley bill was framed. He was unseatsd
BY vote Of less than one third of the members
OF the House. The Speaker. whose rules made
this possible. was compelled By the vote OF she
people to administer the oath to Mr.. Breckin-
ridge . second time It was hardly an agree
able duty. Rarely. II ever. has the House wit
messed such scene. You could have heard q
thistle down roll over the hoor as tho oath was
rsadministersd. Upon Mr.. Breckinridgs's left.
away back on the Democratic side OF the
chamber. stood huge floral scale OF justice.
evenly balanced. It Was not only telling tsstl-
monial to Mr.. BreokinrldRe. but well-merited
rebuke to the majority. 1t compared strangely
with the display on Prof. LsnRstons desk after
the ousttne OF Vensble. That was a floral
sword. topped with q broom. It represented
the disposition Of tho majority of tho House.
The Breekinridgs testimonial represen ted the
disposition Of the majority Of tho people.
THE WRATH OF THE PEOPLE IN WEST VIRGINIA.
Tho nEst OF tho nine Democrats ejsctsd was
Judge Jackson Of West Virginia. He was
thrown out within less than two months after
the organization Of ConRress. under general
pasliamenta law. Interpreted BY the Speaker.
No rules had boon adopted. The Speaker be-
gan to count non.vottng Democrats. to make
. quorum. as soon as the case was called up
Hs said that he did 30 under general parlis-
mentsry law. He refused TO entertain mo-
tons to adjourn. or appeals from his decision,
under the Same law. Tho Democrats con-
tended that the Constitution required q voting
quorum. H. without rules. the Speaker count
cd quorum to unssst Democrat. they pro-
posed to take tho question to the Supreme
Court The Republicans evaded the issue.
Although at that time they had only three moro
votes than quorum. they furnished voting
quorum to unsest the Judge.
Judge jackson has pleasant face, q gray
head. and olose-cropped beard. He watched
the proceedings with much interest. but took
no part In tho debate. He had come to tho
House with q certificate Of three majority.
While the final vote was being taken he sat In
the Democratic cloak room. receiving assur-
Rnces OF tho esteem OF his friends. At the late
election the Judge was not candidate. j. A.
copehart was the Democratic nominee. He
will come to tho next House backed by ma
jority that ought to blsnch tho faces OF those
who voted to eject Jackson.
The conspiracy to unseat jackson was
betrayed strangely In tho Congressional
printod two weeks before the Judge
Was onsted. the name and biography OF tho
contestant. Charles Brooks Smith, appeared
as the member from the Fourth district
Judge JRckson's Democratic colleagues In
The House regret that no did not receive a
domination. He Is a genial gentleman. and
won many friends In tho short time that hs
'emained In the House.
The second Democrat ousted WAS also West
He had no gray head and no gray
beard. He was John o. Pendleton. Young,
bYiQht and actiyA Mr. psndlaton uas = na~b>v-