Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-04-07
Audrain County, Missouri Thursda

young men. Hendricks, Mcdonald, Blue
Jeans Williams, Voorhees,, Judge Hol-
man aud others Of almost as great emf.
nence have disappeared from the scene
in rapid succession. William d. Bynum
was looked upon a. the natural successor
In the leadership, but William "ratted"
in 1895 and after cutting many fantas-
ito capers has settled down TO practice
law in Brooklyn. We shall hear of him
no more. He threw away great career
when he deserted the orphanized De-
mocraoy Of Indiana.
Judge Robert W. Miers was. fortu-
nately for himself and his party, placed
on one of the election committees. In
his speech in the Eppes- Thorpe contest
from Virginia he delivered an argu-
ment which showed that he is . lawyer
of great learning and logioian Of I'M
usual power. Once In awhile he lighted
up the somber debate with q fash Of
wit, q bit Of sarcasm or a personal
thrust at General Walker, the ex-Con-
federate Republican chairman of the
committee, that was decidedly refresh
ing.
Judge Miers' handsome presence is q
sufficient introduction to an audience
and places him ON good terms with his
hearers from the start. He Is magnifi-
cent physical specimen Of the genus
homo, and he looks 80 strong that one
is tempted to believe that had he turned
his attention to pugilism instead Of law
and statesmanship he might be the con-
queror of Bob Fitzsimmons, the self
styled champion Of champions. AS it
Ia, he gave the Republicans o verbal
mauling they will not forget in many q
day.
He opened his great argument with
these sentences, which earnestly COM
mend to all American voters without
regard to political opinions. for they
are worthy Of the profoundest consider
alton:
81 am quite sorry there are so many
vacant seats on the Republican side of
the chamber. The duty that we perform
under the constitution when judging of
the election and return of member Is,
In my Judgment, one of the highest du-
ties that member Of this house is call
ed on to perform.
"In this republic the individual
elector who oorrupts the ballot commits
q crime against the government. The
election officers, II they follow in that
corruption, commit higher crime, by
reason of the fact of the higher place
they hold in our form of government.
And the member of this house, occupy
ing the conspicuous place of seat In
the great American congress, the OBJ
served Of all electors, who casts a vote
which gives to q contestant or a con-
testee a seat to which he Is not entitled
pardon me, gentlemen, for saying 1t
commits much higher crime.
SIN this republic Of ours there is no
place where might makes right. This
institution of ours is founded on honest
ballots.
"This is the highest court in the
land, the most conspicuous tribunal in
the entire government. A few days ago,
in an election contest, heard four most
eloquent speeches upon this side Of the
chamber. They were able, earnest, pa
triotic. all delivered by Democrats, in
favor of seating the contestee, who was
q Democrat On the other side Of the
chamber heard four more speeches,
equally able, earnest and patriotic, de-
livered with quite as much zeal, all in
favor Of the contestant, who was Re-
publican.
A Startling ColIoquy.
At this point the following oolloquy
took place, which should startle the
American people like fire bell at mid
night:
Mr.. Wheeler of AIabama-Mr.
Speaker, rise to point of order.
The Speaker Pro Tempore-For what
purpose?
Mr.. Wheeler OF Alabama-My point
Of order Is this: That the order with re-
gard to this case is that it Is to be dis
cussed before the house for eight hours.
There are but 10 Republicans in. the
house. It is not being discussed before
the house, and the house ought to be
brought here SO that the order can be
carried out.
The Speaker Pro Tempore-The chair
overrules the point of order. The gen.
tleman from Indiana Mr.. Miersl will
proceed.
Mr.. Griggs-Mr. Speaker, would il
be in order to suggest q suspension OF
the proceedings until the jury can get
back into the house?
The Speaker Pro Tempore-The chair
thinks the gentleman from Indiana Mr..
Miersl is entitled to the floor, and he
will proceed.
Is not that oolloquy an awful COM
mentary on the conduct Of this Repub-
lican congress? There they were sitting
as jury to pass q solemn verdict on
the right to q seat in the house-a right
which constitutes the essence Of our
representative system Of government,
and instead of remaining In their places
to hear men who had made q study Of
the case elucidate the subject all but 16
Of the a0s Republican members were
lolling about in the oloakrooms, smok-
ing and cracking jokes or in their COM
mittee rooms doing routine work. So
Nero fiddled while Rome was burning.
What would the world say OF jury
man who would absent himself from
the box while sitting on case involv-
| ing life, liberty or property? And let ii
| not be forgotten that in an election case
| o representative sits as juryman. This
performance will appear the more
worthy Of condemnation when it is re.
membered that there was a vast mass
of evidence in the case, involving some
2, 600 pages Of closely printed matter.
which members had not time to read.
Therefore they should have listened to
men who could give the gist thereof.
| Not one of these Ioungers in the
cloakrooms failed 10 vote for the Repub-
lican contestant without reading on
hearing the evidence.
And thus Mr.. Eppes. Democrat, was
unceremoniously bowled out notwith-
standing the fact that the people gave
him 2,821 plurality. This monstrous
outrage il typical Of all the conduct of
that party which arrogates to itself the
title Of champion Of a free ballot and q
fair count.
Mrs. j. p. Kemp has returned from
L ~.~ftl. ;,S