The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-01-21
CONTESTED ELECTION
Case of Yost- Fucker, From
Virginia, Heard.
SEVERAL SPEECHES MADE
Mr.. Yost Addresses the House
at Length.
THE NICARAGUA BILL DISCUSSED
Mr.. Turpie's Speech in Opposition to
It--The Legislative, Executive and
judicial Appropriation Bill
Passed by the Senate.

Judicial Appropriation Bill
Passed by the Senate.
Washington, Jan. 20.-The Senate to-
day proceeded with the consideration of
the Nicaraguan cannal bill, Mr.. Turpie
continuing his speech in opposition. He
has not yet concluded and tomorrow viii
be the third day of his peech. His re-
marks to-day were bitterly antagonistic
to the Nicaragua Canal Company, the
Senator criticizing its methods as those
of Peter Funk. Mr.. Morgan will ask
to have time fixed for final vote as
soon as Mr.. Turpie closes.
The legislative, executive and judicial
appropriation bill, carrying approximately
100000, was passed during the day.
Mr.. Pettigrew, OF South Dakota, Sc
yerely criticized the executive authorities
for concluding the Venezuela boundary
agreemnt, which, he said, was a complete
surrender of Venezuela to Great Britain.
Unanimous agreemnt was secured for
taking up the bill for an international
monetary conference on Tuesday next.
11OOhcL L IO1}C
Washington, Jan. 20-The House
spent the day debating the Yost-Tucker
contested election case from the Tenth
Virginia district. Much interest was
manifested in the case owing to the fact
that the Republicans on the committee
which reported the case were divided,
four siding with Mr.. Tucker, the Demo
crat and sitting member, but two with
the Republican contestant, Mr.. Yost. The
latter is a member-elect of the next
House and Mr.. Tucker is one Of the most
prominent and popular Democrats on the
floor Mr.. Tucker had S92 plurality on
the face of the returns, but several thou
sand imperfect ballots were rejected I'M
der the then existing Walton law of
Virginia, which the contestant claimed
IF counted would have reversed the re-
sslt Mr.. Yost himself was accorded the
privilege of addressing the House in his
own behalf.
The debate will be closed at 4:30 O'clock
tomorrow afternoon. Mr.. Tucker prob
ably will address the House i'm his own
behalf and Mr.. Mccall, chairman of the
committee will close in support of the
majority report confirming Mr.. Tucker
right to the seat. Both sides profess con-
fdence and the vote probably will be
close
Mr.. Codding, Republican, PENN, a
member of the committee who signed the
report of the majority, opened the debate
in favor of sustaining that report and
confirming Mr.. fuckers title to the seat.
Mr.. Codding argued that most of the
1I-A~,
arrangement between the contestant and
contestee and that after a careful exam
ination of the testimony in connection
with the mandatory provisions of the
Virginia law it was plain that the sitting
member was entitled to the seat. Mr..
Yost, the contestant, followed Mr.. Cod
ding with an hours speech in his own
behalf, the House by unanimous consent
according him this privilege. He contend
ed that if the legally imperfect ballots,
where the plain intent of the voter was
admitted by both sides, were counted, the
House must be constrained to give YER
dict in his favor.
He stated that the law required uni
form ballots. Yet he charged that in
one county the chairman of the Demo
cratic committee admitted that the names
of the Congressional candidates were
printed in many different orders.
He described the alleged manner in
which the Democratic election officials
blocked the negroes way to the polls.
"ThOse who rob men on the highway of
their purses" said he, "are no less cul-
pable than these chivalrous Virginians
who assaulted the weak and robbed them
of their hirthright" !"
He concluded with an eloquent appeal
to rhe House for justice. "Ihe stigma
of foul elections" said he, "disgraced and
debauched the South for years; its dead
ly influence paralyZed the public con-
science, but now thank God, in Virginia,
at least the shock of this ballot broke the
stupor The fear of negro rule disap-
peared. But lashed by the scourge OF
public opinion, the guilty tricksters still
dare to bring their infamy to the doors
OF Congress. If you accept their ma
ordinations you approve their methods
and give them fresh license"
Mr.. Jenkins (Rep., Wisconsin,, also a
member of the Elections committee, who
signed the majority report, deprecated
such partisan speeches as the
House had just listened to from
the contestant. 1t was easy
enough, he said, to fire the Northern
heart by tales of election outrages and
fraud in the South" but he said, Gin
all the Southern election cases that have
been examined during my Congressional
career, have found nothing so disgrace
full or unlawful as that which has oc-
cured recently in Pennsylvania, where
understand they are all reformers.'
Mr.. Grosvenor (Rep., Ohio supported
The minority report in favor of seating
Yost.
lie remarked upon the popularity of the
Virginia election law, which provided
or the burning of rejected ballots, while
n all other States where the Australian
)allot law was in force it was the perfect
1allots about which there was no CON