The San Francisco call., 1898-02-09
ALDRICH
 WILL DUST
 FLOW MAN Report in Favor of the Republican Con-
 teStant. Lively Protests by the Minority of the Com
 nittee. An Interesting Argument on the Election Laws of
 Alabama. FRAMED TO SECURE FRAUD Condemnation of the Conspiracy Which Seeks to Control State and National Legislation.
An Interesting Argument on the Election Laws of
 Alabama.
FRAMED TO SECURE FRAUD
Condemnation of the Conspiracy Which Seeks to Control State
 and National Legislation.
Special Dispatch to The Call.
Call Office, Riggs House,

NaSnlnSton, FeD. o.
 The House to-day entered upon the
 consideration of the Aldrich-P Plowman contested election case from the Fourth Alabama District. The majority of the committee reported in favor of seating
 the Republican candidate on the
 ground of conspiracy, an allegation
 vigorously denied by the Democratic
 minority. Plowman's plurality on the face of the returns was 2967. The ma
 jority revised the figures so as to give Aldrich a plurality of 342. Two speeches
 were made to-day, on each side, by
 Taylor of Ohio and Mann of Illinois, and by Fox of Mississippi and Settle of Kentucky for the minority. It is ex-
 pected that vote will be reached to- morrow.
 In the House to-day a bill was passed authorizing the Lewiston and Concord Bridge Company to construct and main tain a bridge across the snake River, be- tween Idaho and Washington.
 The Senate amendments to the agricul- tural appropriation bill were disagreed to and the bill was sent to conference Wadsworth, Warner and Williams were appointed conferees.
 Taylor (R.) of Ohio chairman of the
 Elections Committee No. 1, then called up l the contested election case of William F.
 Aldrich vs. Thomas s. Plowman, from the l | II.
 Plowman, the sitting member, is a Democrat, and Aldrich was the Populst
 and Republican candidate. The majority 1 of the committee reported Solidly in favor 1 of unseating Plowman. Taylor, who l opened the debate with an elaborate ar 1 gument in favor of sustaining the ma 1 jority report, deplored the fact that a i partisan body was called upon to pass 1 upon an election case, but in this partieu- | lar instance he said there had been no
 draft upon his political prejudices.. He
 explained the Alabama election laws 1 which he said could not have been framed l more effectively to encourage fraud and l thwart the peoples will. The illiterate l voter. he said. was absolutely, at the said, was everywhere; not lurking or se- l cret, but bold and insolent
 1 Fox D.) of Mississippi presented the case of the minority, which reported that l Plowman was entitled to retain his seat. 1 He dwelt upon the fact that Aldrich was can party and was opposed on the stump 1 by leading Republicans and Populists l and that any assumption that he com
 manded the full strength of the Republi-
 cans and Populists of the district was un- | warranted While there was time, said 1 Fox, when the magic names of Lincoln and Grant, together with baseless fear 1 ters might again impress them into l slavery, kept the negroes solid, that time 1 had gone. Republicans from the North | had no right to assume that every negro | was a Republican because his skin was 1 black He controverted the claim that
 revision of the returns in accordance
 with the testimony would still give Flow 1 man a plurality of PAST.
 Mann (R.) of Illinois, member of the