The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1897-02-06
TIL MOST FkUITFUL CAUSE
OF CONTESTS.

The Washington correspondent Of
the Picaynne recently quoted Rrpre-
sentative Strobe, OF Nebraska, who il
N Republican member of the commit
tee oh election No. 2. IN saving, anent
thr numerous congressional contesta /:
.'rh- government really offers y
premium to a defeated candidate to
nake a sohtest. 1t ia generally known
all over the country that congress- al
Iowa u contestant nil his expenses for
coming 70 Washington, provided they
do not exceed S 900. This ia a good
raIna sun for iAanya cnnntry lawyer
who has come within q few hundred
ME of being elected congressman,
and eDongh to enable him to live quite
comfortably 10 Washington for some
time. Times being hard, business is
dull, and the lawyer s-izes upon the
idea ofa Contest with avidity. The trip
Ia Washington gives him II reputation
at home and enhances His opportunities
to make money. These may be mat
tets of consideration, rather than any
hope OF getting the scar in congress to
which the contestant lays claim"
While there is much truth i'm the as
sertion that the government offers a
premium To a Il, teatrl candidate to
make "a contest" by allowing a good
snm for expenses; and while it may
he equally trle that some defeated
candidates enter contests tor the igno-
bic tnotive charged by Representative
Strobe still we believe his charge to
be Of too sweeping a nature.
There are undoubtedly defeated can
didatts who are actnated by motivea
less mereenary than the n assigned
in entering contests, nor do we con-
slider the cause advanced by the dis
tingaisled Nebraskan for the freqnen-
cy and number Of contests as the
principal oDe.
While it may account for some,
perhaps, many, contests; still, in u
opinion, it Is not the must fruitful
cause of them. As we have taken oc-
caeiOn before to note, the most fruitful
eause of so many congressional on
tests is to be found in the ~degeneracy
of the political morals of the country
and the pa~rtisanship with which con-
gressional contests are usually deci
ded in favor Of the candidate in afilia.
ton with the party 10 the majority 10
the House of Representatives
In this respects, one party has mt
been much better than the OTHER in the
past, and both of the two great parties
representing the American people,
have to bear their just proportion or
the blame. That this free aud easy
method OF onsting political opponents
to place political friends, without
sometimes sven q decent regard for
tho merits of the case, invites more
contests than any other cause, is made
manifest BY the fact that few, it any,
defeated candidates, other than those
Of the same political party % the par
ty in power, ever enter congressional
CO fiesta.
Congress has the remedy for this
growing evil in it's hand. 1t 10 q sim
Pile ono, and 1t has the merit of being
Just and manly. IL ia to establish as al
invariable rule to try every contested
election case with the same impartial
ity and equitableDese as q case at law
in . court Of justice ; to look ut the
merits of the case ~ made up for the
committee, and not at the politics Of
the litigants, nor to consider the po-
litical advantages to Do derived from
the decision. Il may demand consid-
cradle political self -sbnegation to ad-
here TO such . rule, but it 10 the part
of justice, honor, and patriotism to do
90.
1t is encouraging to contemplate
that the present House of Representa-
tives has, in a measure, inaugurated
such q rule ; at least, it has put it in
practice in several cases which have
come under U notice : and it IL to be
hoped that future houses will not only
follow it's example in this regard but
improve On il.
Let it once be generally known and
well understood that congressional
contests will be tried and determined
on the merits of tho cases made, few
frivolous contests will be entered to
frltter away the valuable time Of con-
gressmen and vex the public.
Hasty Bros, wild Goose Chasen at
the opera house. Thanksgiving night
vas in every respect a high class per-
Torrance. The jokes and specialties
are clean and wholesome, and as mirtl
producers are highly successful. The
"Wild Goose Chase" il all right, and
if manager Woolsey can always get
such shows he will be fortunate in