Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-20
ENDING ELECTION CONTESTS
A Committee of the House That Does
Much Hard Work.
Its Judicial Character DevelOpinE-A
Non-Partisan Decision I'm the
North Carolina Case.

In their decision in the Williaws-Little
contested election case the House commit
tee on election took the high ground that
votes the legality of which was not ques-
toned might not be thrown out merely on
account of a technical irregularty in regis
tration not at all the fault of the voter.
The sitting member belongs to the party
opposed to majority of the committee and
comes from a section of the country where
1t is claimed technical Irregularities are
sometimes counted On to give the enlight-
ened an advantage over the ignorant vot-
ers. But by this decision the committee
has shown that it is judicial body rely
ing on law and evidence and not a mere
partisan concern. Members Of the minor
ity party frankly express the opinion that
politics has almost as little influence over
the Judgment of the committee 1t has
over that of a court This is a refreshing
departure from the old time condition
when practically nothing but partisanship
controlled and there has been an interest
ing development of the judicial character
Of the committee
A Hard Worked Committee.
There has been very little heard about this
committee in the House during this Con-
gress. That is the first committee in the
list and around it usually centers consider
able interest at the opening of each Con-
gress. But this time, though quite a large
number OF contests are pending, the COM
mittee has been almost forgotten This
committee is one of the most important and
hardest worked committees in Congress, and
Is the only one besides the committee on
ways and means and appropriations. which
has been steadily at work since Congress
met. When this Congress opened there
were twelve contested election cases to be
lad 'TxIn sNr hraa nf has l.I
selves in consequence of some default on
the part of the contestants. If the House
were divided between the two great parties
on very narrow margin, these contests
would be regarded as matters of the most
grave Importance and would occupy the
minds of the partisans of the House more
than any other question, economic or other
wise, but In view of the fact that the denl-
ocrats have a majority pretty we'll up the line
toward the hundred mark, 1t renders them
OF very little Importance except to the per-
sons directly concerned. No case has yet been
called up in the House and 1t will probably
be a considerable time before the first is
taken up. Besides the case referred to-
thus far the committee, which has been as
little talked about as if 1t had not existed,
has disposed of two cases-the Joy-O'Neilf
case of Missouri which ii has decided
in favor of the democratic contestant
ONeill. by party vote, and the Whattley-
Cobb case of Alabama, which is decided in
favor of the democratic contestee, and has
heard arguments In the English Hilborn
case or California.
Its Judicial Charsea~r.. -~-'
The committee on elections is one of the
most interesting in the House, and its de-
velopment of character during the course
of number of Congresses has been most
striking. 1t might be an exaggeration to
say that from being probably the most par
tisan committee in Congress, as 1t was in
former years. organized largely on partisan
lines with partisan purposes. it has be-
come the least partisan and the most es-
sentially judicial committee of Congress-
There is very general impression that
the duty of the majority Of the committee
on elections is to see that members Of their
party are awarded seats in the House and
that tfeir opponents of the other party are
kicked out or kept out the circum-
stances Of the case put it, This is by no
means the principle upon which this COM
mittee has acted OF late years 1t is en-
tirely probable that If the control of the
House depended upon the settlement of
contests before this committee the party
having the organization of the committee
would see to II that they did not lose their
power by reason of a settlement OF con-
tests In general way, too, where either
of the two views can be taken Of a case
party sympathy decides the question. But
it is very far from true that this commit
tee sets out deliberately to decide every
thing according to party spirit. 1t is more
tee in Congress. Each member Is good
lawyer. selected for judicial capacity
and the work they are required to do is
Just such as they would have If occupying
positions on the bench. They sit in judg-
ment like court, study and digest the
testimony, hear arguments and vote their
decisions, as rule deciding the cases as
nearly according to the evidence as a num-
ber of men are capable of agreeing on the
same presentation of facts Some Of the
cases brought before them involve the
reading Of several thousand pages of print
ed testimony, and when the number Of
cases range from half dozen up to twen-
ty, 1t may readily be imagined that the
amount Of labor is somewhat appalling
Yet probably without exception the
members of the committee of both parties
read over the testimony in all cases and
listen to the arguments and make the most
careful examination and study of the Ques-
ton with a view to reaching proper con-
clusions. The appointment on that COM
mittee means practically that until all the
tests are settled the member must neg
lect ell legislation and devote himself to
work as far removed from that which he
was elected to do as If he occupied posi-
ton in the judiciary instead of the execu-
tive branch of the government. The work
of all the other committees of Congress
relates to legislation, and but few of them
have any considerable amount of exacting
work to do.