Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-10-13
M WIZ CoNrrsr.


Mr.. Warren Foster the Populls, can
didate for Representative 90 Congress.
announces Il 30 be his intention 60 con-
test the election should She choice of
the people fall on H. ". Roberts. Mr.
Foster does not assume that his vote
win be - prctcntlous aa 90 justify the
proceeding on ghe ground Of hoping 90
Win Tor himself. In which be is no doubt
correct. the vote NJ his party two years
aro-a iri1e over 1000 In a t1tai vote N
more than 5s.00o-Naa not N such
proportions A. 90 inspire confidence 10
that direction. especially when q docs
nt appear that Pupuiism has gained
much Roadway IN the interim. A ho
does not expect 20 gain She scat. the
question arises az 90 what his motive
can be In entering the arena at all AZ
ter che peoples verdict has been rcn-
dcrcd.
Undoubtedly any one whose name has
appeared on the Official ballot as a can.
dldate for Congress can make a con-
tee, for seat. In Kentucky once there
lived a man who rcjolced IN tho 90
made the rncc for Congress two or three
times. getting handful OF woes each
time. and fnaiiy hit upon tho scheme
of 10 changing things that che one who
had the fcwcft votes would 90 declared
elected. Armed with this purpose, he
duly presented himself at Washington
when the time came around and asked
10 be seated on shc showing made. Ills
application was iled and Is perhaps
there somewhere yet ContcatlnE IL
simply n matter Of taste and Judgment.
the ethical phase OF the business not
being as NIL retarded by the d0uccur
which che House sometimes allows a
contestant whether he wins or not
This. however. h generally prcdicatcd
upon an apparent case. one IN which
the vote was very close. or there were
frauds or ir'.imldatlona Of sufficient
magnitude 10 change the result
from what 4 should have been. hut
oon,csing not 90 get IN I'm 20 keep tho
succcsAful candidate out-that a. max.
ing a case noe ~ a party IN interest but
by relation and for the patriotic" pur-
pose OF benefiting the public. IL another
matter.
The Constitution Invests tho House OF
Representatives with the power OF be-
Ing the sole judge " the election und
qualifications OF IL meinbcfa. Il can
adfns 90 refuse 60 admit. sxpci or re-
fuse 20 cxpei and there is no appeal.
The ffs, proccedlng. M a usual thing.
when contest Il taken up, Il 20 make
an investigation reraflnE the election.
II this Il not aucEiloned-aa We are al.
ylsed win be the case wfih Mr.. Fasirr-
the ma,teru q fraud or intimidation or
other unfair means by which an clcc-
ilon II alleged 20 have been had are
some Into. II nahlng OF this Kind APP
pcafr. there Is stu the ground lcf, thas
the sitting member u not a citlren or
Il otherwise ineligible. but Il does not
require a formal contest % make such
grounda available, since p h ingsly a
question Of vacating the seat o. itav-
Ina Q, a. Il -. II IL only necessary Tor
the House 10 be made acquainted with
the facts ana 81 viii take che necessary
action % ~ own accord. As che UNI
seating OF n member on such grounds
would by no means cause The seating OF
any one else. especially one whose vote
was ~ far IN the rear as not 10 figure
at all In practical sense. there would
be some doubt about such person being
paid roundiy Tor what amounted 20 no
more than supplying the House with
Information which y could otherwise
have obtained with bun trining tx
pcntc.
However, st ~ Tor Mr.. Foster 10 de-
eide ~ 10 What action he will take.
These remarks are simply cur Views on
the matter and have no more reference
70 him individually than to any one else
In similar position.