The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-02-11
STOLE THE NINTH
Outrageous Action of a Par
tisan Committee
In Unseating Crawford. Its Report Matter OF
Ridicule in Washington. Some Novel
Reasons for Its Action

Washington, d. c.. Feb. 10.-(Special.)
1t is a matter OF common tax mere
among politicians that, while partisan
Congressional committees have. somet
times been pretty hard put TO it to find
reasons for unseating a. member III Il
contest. the report of the Committee On
Elections has been forced to eXpedients
in the Crawford-pearson contest that
are without parallel in the history Of
Congress.
As an instance Of this there may be
mentioned one of the reasons for unSeat-
ING Crawford which the committee re-
port cites with all due g, witty:
''In ms 1oiIce of contest contestant
alleges that there was a fixed determi-
nation on the part of the Democratic
leaders in the State to carry the cleo
ton.
As a pretext for unseating a member
of Congress fixed determination on
the part of the leaders of his party to
carry the election is new in the cate
cory of reasons for Il contest. After
this master stroke the report quotes from
Mr. Parsons complaint that the CAM
paign was not fought on issues that were
pleasing and advantageous TO him ana
that political and economical questions
were ignored and the race issue was
made paramount though no negroes
hold office in the Ninth district. In
other words the committee decides that
if the issues in the campaign are not
adapted to local conditions i'll the dis
trict that is a good and lawful reason
for disregarding the viii of majority
of its voters.
Then the committee takes up the al
legation of Mr.. Pearson that spurious
letters with his name signed to them
were circulated and declares that they
were used most .injuriously," adding:
1T is impossible for the committee to
define the scope or TO estimate the Ell
feet, in precise words or hgllreS OF
arithmetic of the circulation Of these
letters. We have no hesitation III
reaching the conclusion that these I'M
lawful methods and proceedings, operat-
ing concurrently, are sufficient to over
turn contestee's plurality of 22S votes;
and if nothing else appeared III this case
these reprehensihle and dishonest meth
DDS resorted to by partisans of the con-
testee would Justify the House in de
claring a vacancy.
These are the two leading and most
important findings of the committee.
1t takes up the disputed precincts and
in one of them changes the vote COLI
pletcly, giving Crawford's vote 10 Pear
son and Pearson's To Crawford. At
Black Mountain precinct the committee
finds that the femocrati, Adge stuffed
the ballot COX and that it was attend
ed with hilarity" though the Republicans
had a majority of the election officers.
At Old Fort the committee finds that
the Democratic judge of election was
drunk on quinine' and this it considers
reason for throwing out the vote Of the
precinct.
The reasons given for rejecting the
votes at other precincts are equally frN-
olouS or haZy. that Of one ward in Ashe
Vile being thrown out because il was al
legged that one of contestants witnesses
was arrested for Self-confeSsed bribery.
In order to make it appear that the
investigation had been impartial the
committee throws out two precincts that
gave majorities for Pearson taking coed
care to throw out enough that gave mt
jorites for Crawford to give Pearson Il
ma jority in the whole district. The pre-
else way in which the committee arrived
at this result is an interesting problem
in political mathematics and is rs fol-
lows:
Contestee's plurality from face of
returns 49,. ZoS
Reject returns of MonteZuma gain
for ConteStee .................g At
Reject returns of Herrells, gain for
conteStee 1oi
40
Gains for contestant:
CORRECT error admitted by conteStee To-
Correct returns of Muddy Creek. 10
Reject Black Mountain ......... 81
Reject Old Fort .............. 81
Reject Limestone . %
Reject Ivy No. T. ............. II
Reject South Waynesvile o3G
Reject Marble ............... %
Reject bribed votes at Hollow Pop
Reject Asheville ...... 1863
Recount HerrcllS ............. 1859
797
Less contestee's alleged plurality. 40