Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-07-06
SENATOR MARTIN.

He Files a Lengthy Statement With the
SENATE Elections Committee in Defense OF
His Title to His Seat.
Topeka, Kan, June 29.-In March
last Hon. Joseph w. Ady and some "a
republican members of the state legis-
lature sent communications to the I'm
tied States senate asking that an in
quiry might be made into the validity
of Senator Martins election. The
communications were ordered printed
and referred to the committee on privi-
1eges and elections. The committee
requested Senator Martin to prepare a
statement of all the facts in the case,
setting forth fully the grounds upon
which he contends that his election
was legal, and file such statement with
the committee. Since his return from
Washington. Senator Martin has pre-
pared the statement called for, and for
warded it to the committee. 1t is
rather voluminous, and covers all the
points raised in the case. The state
ment is published in full in the Daily
Press, of this city, of date June %, and
makes six columns.
Senator Martin says that by the
record that there were eighty-three
certificated members present and vot-
ing at the joint session, which was ex
actly quorum as required by the act
Of congress. and as a majority of the
quorum voted for him he claims that
his election was valid.
Referring to the claim in the me-
mortal that fifteen senators and sixty
two members of the house protested
against the declaration by Lieut.. Gov.
Daniels that he (Martin) had been duly
elected United States senator, Mr..
Martin says:
am advised that neither fifteen senator's, -
nor .sixty-two legally-elected members Of the
house" protested against the ruling of the
president OF the joint assembly nor against his
declaring the result of the election. until after
the Joint assembly had adjourned and twenty
five of the senators. with the lieutenant gov
ernor and other officers Of the senate, had
retired from the hall of the house What ap-
pears at pages 6 and of said memorial oc-
Cured after the adjournment of the joint as
sembly and after the senators and officers of
the senate had retired, as already stated But
If such protest had been made before the adj
lournment of the joint assembly, apprehend
that the result Of the election would not and
could not have been changed thereby.
Attacking J. w. Ady's claim to the
senatorship, Senator Martin says that
by the record of the Douglass house.
that at no time were there more than
seVenty-seven members present at the
repub lican joint session, which number
was six less than a quorum as required
by act of congress, and the
election of Ady was therefore
not legal. As to the claim that
the republi cans were denied the right
to vote in the populist joint session, 1T
shows by the record that their names
were called and that they refused to
answer, and that they made no de-
mand to be permitted to vote until
after the result had been declared and
the joint session dissolved. In conclu-
sion Senator Martin says:
1 respectfully submit that upon the docu-
ments already submitted to your committee,
and upon well settled rules of law governing
elections of United States senators, we'll as
upon principles of justice and right. my right