The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-03-20
MR.. RUSk HOLDS HIS SEAT.

The contest of DR.. w S. Booze for the
seat of Representative Rusk came to sud
den end Monday morning when the elcc
tons committee that heard the case on
Saturday decided unanimously that Mr..
Booze had no case, and that Mr.. RuSk had
been legally elected This early decision
IN the case was surprise to every one in
tercSted. and to no one more than to Mr..
Rusk and DR.. Booze The former, not be
ing in the House, had telegraphcd over to
ce'tain if he could submit additional
testimony regarding some ofthc questions
raised by the counsel for the contestant,
while Dr. Booze had rot thought it worth
while to come to Washington, believing
that the case would require some time Tor
settlement.
1t was originally the intention Of the
committee to refer the case to Il sub-com-
mittee. as has been done with most of the
other cases heard, and permit the sub-com-
mittee to 90 carefully over the testimony
When the committee met Monday morn
ing, however. and the case was taken up
for discussion. it was found that there was
absolutely no division of sentiment con
corning it, every member having conclud-
ed that Mr. Rusk was entitled to his seat.
and Representative Prince, of Illinois, was
instructed to make the report.
As it is Il unanimous declaration from
the committee. it will probably be adopted
without discussion
Representative johnson, of Indiana, the
chairman of the committee. said in regard
to the case, that, while the evidence showed
there had been some repeating and that
some votes had been cast upon fictitious
names entered upon the registration books,
there was not sufficient evidence of this
character to Justify the committee throw
ing out the vote of the three precincts in
the second and fourth wards, as DR..
Booze had requested. He also said that
DR.. BooZe's failure to obtain the testimony
of important witnesses had weakened his
case. Continuing, Mr.. Johnson said: Il
am satisfied we have decided the case prop
erly. When it was found Impossible to
throw out the three precincts referred to,
there was absolutely no reason for discuss
ing the other questions raised by the con-
testant, because allowing him everything
he claimed, Mr.. Rusk still had ma jority
of the votes cast
From the time Mr. Johnson was first APP
pointed chairman of elections committee
No. 3 it had been feared by democrats that
his extreme partisan sympathies would
cause him to lean in each case toward the
republican contestants He took occasion
several times to declare that. as chairman
o. the committee, he occupied a judicial
position and would not allow his political
sentiments to enter into the matter one
way or another. Still, he had been dis
tin guished on the floor of the House as an
extreme partisan, and democrats reserved
their opinion until they could witness the
result of his conduct of the election cases.
1t is not saying too much to declare that
the original opinion concerning him held
hx-I hoe irnl1
reversed. He has not only been absolute
ly fair, but he has been usually the first to
point out Weaknesses in the cases pre-
scented by the contestants.