The age-herald., 1898-11-20
CONTESTS IN THE NEXT CONGRESS

From the Washington Post.
 It is an old story, but we do hope that the republican majority in the next house will not go into the business of contested seats with the avidity and the enthusiasm which have, in the past, given to party politics at the capitol so objectionable and nauseous a perfume. One risks nothing in the asser- ton that the wholesale election of members whose seats are contested-no matter by what party the power at the time is held is not only scandalous in itself, but de- moralizing and injurious to the majority. The practice invariably reacts The evil al- ways grows. Outrages committed by the republicans one year are followed by demo- cratic infamies two years later. The result is that our whole political system is pois- oned and degraded. There has been too nflch of the abhorrent business in the past. It has brought into existence a brood of mere dishonest spectators on the unwise generosity of the government. It has evolved scores of defeated and repudiated candidates, who, knowing that they had
 no sort of standing claimants would still come on to clamor at the gates of con- gress if only with view to capturing he allowance made, in an excess of folly, for the benefit of contestants. Such methods should be rejected and discouraged, and this consummation can be reached at pres ent by the republican majority in con- gress.
 That the practice does not work to the advantage of those who follow it, is suf- fcienty demonstrated by the fact that the two districts in Virginia, whose democratic members were unseated by the present con- gress, have, this year. elected democratic candidates under circumstances that forbid the bare idea of controversy We might summon from the reeking past score of witnesses to prove the truln we here assert. It is not necessary. The propos.tian speaks for itself. For a majority, ih congress to take advantage of its power and to dis regard the declarations of the local return ing officers is to -ffid in building up a sys- tenn of tyra my and fraud which must in the end disgrace and paralyze our institu- , lions. The folly of offering reward for frivolous contentious, we shall not discuss at this time. That folly is too obvious 10 call for illustration. Enough to direct at- tention to the intrinsic evil of the thing,
 and for those who are not to be deterred by the knowledge of stupidity and vice, to show them that they have not even the excuse of ultimate advantage
 This whole business of contesting con- gressional seats should be sternly and
 ruthlessly discouraged It presents to the country a forbidding and vicious spec tacle. It serves no decent purpose. It adds
 nothing to the dignity of the national legls-
 lature. We do not expect, of course, that an institution of such long-standing and general observance can be extinguished in an instant. We are quite prepared for It's reappearance simultaneously with the as- sembling of the Fifty-sixth congress. But
 we may at least implore the republican | majority to have done with the abomina ble farce as quickly as may be possibe-to re-
 move it from our sight without unnecessary delay-so that the vile spectacle shall not continue side by side with the honora ble
 ceremonies of the session and discolor and degrade them in the eyes of the patriotic
 men. If this reyolting work must needs be part of the proceedings, then, in the name of common-sense and decency let 1t
 be disposed of promptly, so that, with gasp or two of sorrow and disgust, we may at least pretend that we have not seen or
 heard it, and that we are proud of institu- tions under the operation of which such shameful things possible