The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-14
FROM THE TIME THE VOTES
WERE CANVAssED IN WHICH
TO DO so.
Dead Letter Office Sale and Some
Curious Things 1t Brings
to Light.
.pecial Correspondence to the Globe.

Ing the returns. Within the next
month, therefore, the number Of con
tests to come before the election COM
mittees of the next house will be
known. From present indications there
will be comparatively few contests, but
the election committees are likely 20
be burdened with a special investsa-
ton in the Tennessee cases which will
keep at least one of them buster than
twenty ordinary contests. If the Re-
publicans carry out the plan with
which they are credited, they will make
q thorough inquiry into the charges
OF fraud in the recent election in the
state of Tennessee.
BEGINNING OF A CONTEST
A defeated candidate for congress
who intends to make a contest must
serve notice on the successful candi-
date in writing within thirty days after
the canvassers make official announce
ment of the result. In his notice ne
names the ground on which he claims
an election. The contestee must an
swer within thirty days, admitting or
denying the claims OF the contestant
and naming the grounds on which ne
claims to have been elected. The tes-
timony in the case must be taken then
within ninety days, the contestant
having the first forty days, the cor
testee the next forty, and the contest
ant the ten days following. The tes-
timony is taken by deposition. The
party about to take the testimony must
notify the other party to the case in
writing of the time and place. giving
also the names and residence of the
witnesses summoned. This notice must
be served personally or by attorney in
time to allow the other party to be
present when the testimony is to De
taken, but testimony may be taken i'll
two or more places at once, both par
ties being represented by attorneys.
Subpoenas for witnesses may be is
sued by federal judges, state judges,
mayors, recorders or notaries, or, in an
emergency, by two justices of the peace
acting jointly. witness cannot be
compelled to go out of the county in
which he lives, but no other reason will
exempt him from attending the hearing
under penalty Of $40 fine for contempt.
When the testimony has been taken,
it is reduced to writing in the presence
of the contestants or their representa-
tives by the officer in charge, who must
seal and forward it Immediately to the
indorSing the envelope 50 as to show
what it contains.
The clerk Of the house sends regis
tered letters to both parties, notifying
them to appear before him at time
named which must not be more than
twenty days after the mailing of the
letter At that time the clerk, in the
presence of the two parties or their at
torneys, opens the packages and takes
out the testimony, and he sends to the
public printer such parts of the testi
mony as they agree shall be printed
The clerk must prepare a suitable IN
dex to the part printed. The remainder
of the testimony he puts in his office
safe to be kept for the use of the cleo
lions committees when they shall meet.
COST OF A CONTEST.
Copies of the printed testimony are
sent to the parties, and the contestant
must file a brief of facts and author
tiles within thirty days This is for
warded to the contestee, who must file
a brief within thirty days after he
receives it. These briefs are printed at
the expense of the two parties, but the
testimony is printed at government eX .
pense. The government also pays most
of the cost of the contest. The contest
ant and contestee file with the clerk of
the committee on elections sworn state
ments of expenses, and these expenses
$1,000 on each side The expenses al
lowed are seldom below $4,000 in any
contest. To these are added cost of
printing, the expenses of the commit
tee, etc, which make a contest cost the
government Sc 900 or 81 000 AS for the
contestant, he seldom gets off for less
than So 900 or $4,000 on his own ac-
count, and if he is unsuccessful he
finds the contest expensive If he wins.
his salary as congressman makes
good his outlay.
Unfortunately enough contests are
often delayed for months, and of re-
cent years some have been postponed
SO long that congress has come to an
end leaving them unsettled. A contest
seldom brings much satisfaction to the
contestant.
The ground on which the Tennessee
contests may be brought-fraud at the
polls-is the usual basis of election. con-
tests. Some of the testimony which is
taken to support these charges seems
very trivial and unconvincing, but it
has a new meaning in the light Of the
fact not generally known that con-
tests are quite as likely to be de .ernln-
ed according to party necessity as in
equity. No matter how strong q ca Sc
Il sitting member may have, if he be
longs to the minority in the house he
IS quite likely to be eusted from his
seat.
IOlllIcS Is d LiedH DQSiHcSS, SAID a
:,eW member to me at the beginning Of
his congress, and L quite agreed with
Elm.
The poor outlook for contests in the
"eXt congress is source of sorrow to
the ex-members of congress who are liv
.lg in Washington. They get the cream
{ the business as attorneys in contest
asses. In fact, they live on business
efore congress and the departments.
MOAN T I,r,r1r,p c,Arr
Once a year the postofice depart
Ieent has an auction sale. 1t occurs at
tie rooms of local auction house. 1t
Is called the dead letter office sale"
e.ld the articles sold are the contents of
tiers and packages which have gone
hstray in the mails Some of them
ave been nlsdirected. Some have
cen held because the postage was not
ally paid. Some have slipped from
effective wrapDings and SO lost their
IDENTITY. Whenever an article of value
.0es to the dead letter office, all rea-
enable effort is made to find it's owner.
that is not successful, the article is
cid for two years awaiting a claimant.
one appearing to claim it, 1t is adj
ertised to be sold at auction. The
ostoffice department made last year
1T OF the sale Of these articles and
ON money found IN dead letters
Early $4,000. The dead letter fund is
rye, and it Increases every year
The list of articles being offered a,
lHi,is years sale, which began yester-
ny, is surprising index Of the serv=
], e to which the postofFFce is put Here.
re some of the articles which have
cen lost in the mails and never
aimed: Razors,- razor straps, collars.
9llar buttons. cuffs SpectacleS, mems
lad women's shoes, mems and wonaen's