Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-02-07
CORNET VS.. SWANH'
Areumsnt Heard by Committee in 1nI'
Congressional Election Contest.
MIR uoGE.s PRESENT POSITION.
uc Wishes to Have His case ~"
opened. IL Appears-hr. nan" '"Se
p.,a.,t of the National Farmers
Alliance.

vvAcu1NGTON. d. c.. February o.
,e...a,a,, The so-called contest OF Judge
cornett aepublican). Of Grayson county
O. ponresentatiye swanson's seat In the
11o,,ye came ND before Elections Com
mlttee No. to-day. The argument ""'
onened for the contestant by MI Sieii"-
barger Of this city, and by Mr.. Peauross'
nj DanvilIe. Va, for the contestee. 1t 10
admitted bt all who were present that the
latter gentleman made an argument 'hat
,a.s unansyerable and carried conVlctioh
% the minds OF every member OF 'he
committee. lie clearly established tne
legal election of Mr.. Swanson ana hia
undouhted right to the seat he occupies
as representative of the Firm virginia
Congressional District.
Mr.. Swanson followed Mr. Peatross III
a brief speech in his own behalf IN "ni0h
no claimed that. allowing the contestant
avsrv vote he claimed to be illegal, that
he (syansom was elected by handsome
majority.
Mr. Shellabargers argument Tor Juuse
Cornett was a good one, but he did not
at any time ask that the seat which MI
Swanson occupied be given to MS ciieh'.
He merely reviewed the Walton law anu
siu1ply asked that the election ID the
Fifth District be declared void. and that
new election be ordered for representa-
tive from that district
Mr.. shellabarger was followed by
member Of his firm, who spoke on the
same line, and the case was then SUD
mitted for the consideration Of the COM
mittee II Is believed that the committee
will report adversely to Cornett' ana
that Mr. swansons right 10 his seat VIII
remain unaues toned. Neither committee
nor House can go into the alleged meri's
or demerlts OF the Walton law.
FREE-SILVER COINAGE.
Hon. Smith $. Turner. OF the Seventh
Virginia District, tonight addressed the
House on the Senate free-coinage suostl-
tute in a very brief speech. lie said
that while he was opposed TO the free ana
unlimited coinage of silver. he was III
favor of the coinage of the seisniordss
in the Treasury, and the retiring OF an
natlonal-bank notes under the denom-
nation OF $40. He would ike 70 vote on
the substitute in sections, but II ne nad 10
vote ON II as a whole, he would vote
against it, 1,.,,..,
senator Pritchard. OF North Carolina,
to-day introduced a resolution instruct
ing the Secretary Of War TO report tne
cost of a harbor of refuge at cape LOON
out. on the North Carolina coast, and II
was referred TO the Committee on NliitaIy
, Affairs. -,
Mr.. ]. Hampton Hoge, though he mas
no chance of success. has not apahdoheu
: his contest for the seat in the House now
| accounted by Major u. j. Otey ana 10
which that gentleman was legally elected
from the Sixth Virginia District. The
appearance here this morning OF MI
Samuel Harris Hoge. cousin oil ths
would-be contestants, who announces
? himself as counsel for MI Hampton
Hoee. in conference with Gtnoral James
3 A. Walker, II evidence OF that tac1'
General Walker is a member of Elections
] | Committee. No 3, before which Mr..
, Hampton Hoge expects to open MS case
! WHAT MIR HOGE WILL ASK.
On what ground he proposes TO ask
! permission to make contest now NC
one knows but IL Is understood mat nc
SAYS he viii make things lively for MAJOR
Otey. Anyway, Mr.. Samuel Harris Hoge
will appear before Elections Committee
No on Friday or Saturday next, and
will make an appeal for "A reopening OF
Mr.. j. Hampton Hoges case, and fol
+ authority to take depositions Throughout
the district.
20 InlS case Is StDltNIdN 7iihAAdA ~ fHf'
$ of J. j. Mcdonald against Representa-
i tive William A. Jones. of the First Nir'
ginia District, both wishing authority
I from Congress to begin a contest, and th'
a taking OF dispositions, now, when nearly
: half Of the session is over. and which, Il
e allowed, would take all the remaindel
Of the session before a contest could be
made up and IL would have to 80 ovei
until the next session.
MAYNARD TALK.
Considerable comment has a'read!
e taken place on the suggestion made e
. the Naval Committee Of the Senate. AM
TO the Secretary OF the Navy by the Nor
l. folk delegation, on Tuesday TO the eftec
|. that II would be better 10 sell the plant
:, at all the navy-yards than to permi
- them to rust for want of work and lacl
q of use.
n IL is being asked, Why not sell thes
plants. Just as some Of the States. AM
u the United States, have either alread
= sold. or are talking or seiling, their III
terests in railroads?
These questions are being asked b
IS new members of Congress. and a pres
sure is being brought TO bear on then
bv their constituents, who cannot under
stand why these great navy-yards shoul
be maintained, when they are useless 10
the construction of warships, by Tn
tency Of the governments own officials.
Some parties claim that the government
should either own and control all raj
roads. steamboat-lines. iron-works. shiT
- building and navy-yards. and other llk
plants. or have no interest In them what
- ever.
ELOQUENCE LOST.
Mr.. Romulus Il. Linney, of North Care
- lima, made rather a queer speech, intel
"a spersed with cuss-words, last night, bu
n fortunately for the good Old North Stat'
Il IL was only listened TO by one member Z
=, Congress- negro barber, two pages, an
10 four small boys. whom a good-nature
newspaper man had had admitted 10 th
& gallery. The speech did not appear In III
T. Record this morning.
Partisan politics have been carried
~ the extreme by the Republican major'
he i'm the House. They have routed ever
X, Democrat even TO a barber, on the ID
ng mocratic side of the House. who W,
supplanted by a negro Republican ba
-, ber. This colored Individual. however, hi
IN had a sorry time OF IL. He has been a
solutely boycotted, and is only occ
n. slonally patronized by those who are n
nd conversant with the situation. He VI
IN one of Mr.. Iinney's hearers last nfg
when he made the remarkable spee'
N that Is so much spoken OF to-day.
Personal.
'u' Mr.. ID. G. Tyler. representative from q
- Second Virginia District has been invit
~, TO deliver the alumni address at the COZ
TIC mencement at Washington and Lee III
~ versity I'm June next.
III The infant child of Mr. Tyler. who h
ny ifs life