The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-10
TRYING TO GUST CRAWFORD.
EOUsE SEEKS TO SEAT NORTH CAR
OLINA REPUBLICAN.

CInimed That Crawford's Plurality
of 23s Votes over Pearson Was OBJ
tanned by Fraud-Ncgro Question
Brought Into the Dfscussion-s1a-
jority offered to Allow the Vote of
AsheviIIe to stand-The Case Is Not
Yet Disposed of.
Washington, May 9.-The House to-day
entered upon the consideration of the
contested election case of Pearson VS..
Crawford from the Ninth North Carolina
district This is the fifth of the nine con-
tested election cases 20 be considered by
the House.
The report of the majority in the Pear,
son-Crawford case was against the sitting
member. Democrat, on the general
ground that Mr.. Pearson's election was
prevented by fraud, intimidation, bribery
and bloodshed.
The minority deny all the allegations of
the majority, pointing out that the dis
trict is normally Democratic. The debate
to-day was on party lines.
Without p preliminary business the House
entered upon the consideration of the
case. Mr. Roberts of Massachusetts,, who
was in charge of the case, on behalf of
the majority, made proposition to vote
Immediately after the reading of the
journal tomorrow. AS an inducement for
closing debate to-day Mr. Roberts said
he would move to strike from the ma
jority report that portion in favor of
throwing out the entire vote of Asheville.
10 I, "a
men seemed 40 believe that the vote OF
that whole city would have to be elmi-
mated to seat Mr. Pearson. This was, he
said, not the case. With the vote of Ashe-
vile in, the majority figured out a major
ity of 155 for Pearson.
Mr.. Miers of Indiana, for the minority,
rejected the proposition which he declared
indicated that the majority had already
seen the handwriting on the wall The
vote In Asheville was not, he said, the
only Vulnerable point in the case. He
said four hours on a side was the least
he would accept. This in turn was re-
jected, and Mr.. Roberts entered upon his
opening argument in support of the ma
Jority report without any agreement hav.
ing been reached as 10 the time for clos
ing the debate.
Race Question Brought In.
Mr. Crawford the sitting member a
Democrat, had 23S plurality on the face
OF the returns MIR. Roberts sought to
prove that the race question was the issue
in the campaign in the Ninth district,
and that by fraud, bribery, bloodshed and
intimidation, Mr.. Pearson had been de-
teated. He figured out a true plurality
Tor Mr.. Pearson of 31S In the course OF
MS remarks Mr.. Roberts denounced the
constitutional amendment, and the new
election law in North Carolina, which, he
said, were designed to eliminate the negro
vote.
Mr.. Roberts said he had offered TO al
low the vote of Asheville to stand. be-
cause it was unnecessary to throw Ii out
Tor the establishment of his case. and lis
discussion would only delay the case.
Mr.. Miers presented the case of the mi
nority in a lengthy argument. in which
ne charged that the majority had sub
mitted conclusions without a syllable OF
evidence or warrant of law. He called
attention 70 the fact that the district
was normally Democratic and that the
election of 1898 was conducted under an
election law passed by the fusionists
which gave the contestants political
friends control Of the election machinery,
All the charges of intimidation, bribery
and violence were denied
Mr.. Kitchin of North Carolina concIud-
ed the debate, reviewing the service in
the House of both Mr. Crawford and Mr..
Pearson
The House at Sis p. m. adjourned.