People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-02-14
CONTEST CHANGES OPPOSED.
he Minority OF the Rouse Elections
Committee against Judicial Decisions.

The Minority OF the House Elections
Committee I gainst judicial Decisions.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12.-Represent-
atives Beckner, Lockwood, Brown
and Jones, members of the elections
committee, have united in 4 minority
report against the bill reported BY the
majority, giving the United States
district judges the jurisdiction to de-
termine the prima facie right of a
member-elect to his seat pending a
final decision by the house itself. The
argument of the majority, the minor
ity asserts, is readily directed against
that provision of the constitution
which makes each house of congress
the Judge of the election returns and
qualifications of its members.
1T is" said the minority, San in
siduous and dangerous assault on
what we consider one of the most
precious safeguards of the rights and
liberties of the people placed by the
fathers in order that it might be Sc
cure in the organic law of the land.
1t is a serious impeachment of our
system of popular government. 1t is
based on the idea that one man may
be trusted to do what $50 others, each
perhaps his equal, are not fit to under
take. 1t is confessedly an effort to
break down the barriers between
what were intended to be separate
and distinct departments. 1t as
sumes in terms that some obscure
judge who may be the accident
of executive selection, or perhaps
the beneficiary of the diligence of
some special interest. having inau-
ence with the appointive power, can
give to his dictum such force as would
subjugate the so-called prejudices
and passions of the representatives
of the people, and compel them to
accept his decision as final and con-
elusive in all cases of contest. 1t is
glorifcation of that department of
the government which is of more re-
cent origin in our system, and a deg
radiation of that which the founders
of the republic considered most i'm
pOrtant."
Some attention is then paid by the
minority as to what it thinks might
De the result in the event of the pas
sage of the bill The argument is
made that one man could control the
political complexion of the house. 1t
is reported, says the minority, that
there are five seats in the next house
from Virginia to be contested. Three
of these Will come before the same
judge. Again in Kentucky there are
eleven districts and the state has but
one United States Judge. The seats
OF all the members from that COM
monwealth might at the same time be
contested. If there were a narrow
margin between the parties a single
officer might determine which party
should organize that body and thus
for two years control the legislation
OF congress, affecting the prosperity
and happiness of 7O,OOO,OOO people.
Summing up, the minority believes
that the bill is unconstitutional;
that it is an invasion of the rights of
the states: that it violates one of the
boosted and most esteemed features
of our government system. to-wit: a
rigid separation of the executive,
legislative and judicial power, and
that it would have a tendency to
strengthen the growing feeling of
disgust among the masses of the
people"