The Washington weekly post., 1900-11-13
Stop These seandalous Contests.

Now that the Republicans have SO large
a majority assured in the next Congress.
surely they will be content with what
they have and spare their friends and
well-wishers a repetition of the disgrace
ful scandals which have so shocked and
grieved them In the past II Is no longer
necessary or even prudent TO seat con-
testing Republicans. especially those who
have been notor!ousiy defeated and whose
minorities cannot be impeached in COM
mon sense or reason. The party has
large working force-perhaps as large as
can be safely handled-and even If all
other things were equal, the propriety of
increasing it would at least be doubtful.
Let us hope that deeeney will be respected
in the Fifty-seventh Congress.
We have in mind the case Of DR.. Richard
A. Wise. OF the Second Virginia district,
who was seated in the Fifty-fifth and
Fffty-sixth Congresses by a purely par
tisan vote and in defiance of all Justice
and fair dealing. The facts are so fla
grant that they call for no review at this
cumstances ever doubted for an instant
that Mr.. William A. Young, DIR. Wise's
competitor had been legitimately elected
Prominent Republicans did not hesitate 70
express their disgust and shame. ard
when, last year, Speaker Henderson had
John A, Wise, the contestants brother
and attorney. elected from the floor Of
the House, every honest member Of the
body applauded and sustained him. All
knew that Young was the legal owner of
the seat Even those who voted, against
equity, to seat Wise-who won out by a
majority of less than three-felt COM
PEELED to blush and hang their heads. 1t
was a barefaced case of influence and IA
voritism. and no self-respecting man cor
nected with the transaction could. for
weeks afterward, look into a mirror with
out pain
This year the farce has been repeated.
with the exception that DR.. Wise has an
other antagonist, Mr.. Young having with
drawn from a contest in which he encoun-
tered nothing but the most insolent injus-
tice. Again il appears upon the face OF
the returns that Wise has been defeated.
and again We hear that he intends to ap-
peal 10 a Republican Congress and TO
what Is known as Elections Committee No.
8. of the House-a body which has earned
an evil fame for INSCRIPTIONS and un-
hesitating partisanship. John A. Wise has
been doing campaign work during the past
few months. and he. no doubt. will once
mere appeal to the party he has served
so well for compensation in the form of
seating his thrice-defeated brother That
brother has always been a self-satisfeA
,nonentity in the House. seldom. II ever. do
ng more than draw his salary and at
discreet intervals. introduce into the
House some vapid bill or resolution. In
all probability he has been inspired in this
course by the knowledge that he is not
entitled TO the seat he holds. and that a
retiring bashfulness viii become him bet
ter than even q victorious attempt at
prominence. The fact remains, however
that DIR. Wlse's occupation of seat in
Congress- constitutes a reproach OF which
the Republican party will do well TO purge
itself as soon as possible.
Let US hope that at least this one par
tieular scandal will be scotched when the
next Congress takes hold Of IL.