The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-02-16
WOULDN'T HAVE
faint OF FRAUD
SHAFROTH HAS RESIGNED.
HE VOLUNTARILY RELINQUISHED
HIS SEAT.

Representative from Colorado
Caused a Profound Sensation in
the House by His Action-COur-
ageOusIy He Announced His In
tentiOn, Having Learned There Had
Been Election Frauds-Cheers
Were Given Him.
Washington. Feb. lin voluntarily
relinquishing his seat as a member
of the House of Representatives, Mr..
Shafroth of the First District of Col
orado. furnished a profound sensation
during the forty minutes session to-
day.
The manly and earnest words of the
Colorado member fairly took the
breath of the House as he proceeded
to put the first case on record in that
body where a member gave up his
seat, acknowledging that his election
had been tainted by fraud. For this
fraud, Mr. Shaforth declared, he was
not in any way responsible, nor was he
until the evidence had been adduced
before the Elections Committee of the
House. 1t was not done, he said, fur
Their, for the purpose of causing his
election
Mr.. Shafroth. in his statement to
the House, said that the investigation
showed fraud in twenty nine precincts.
He did not believe the number of lille
gal votes was in excess of his plural
ity, but said the tainted poll gave him
a greater plurality than returned. The
law was that when a poll is tainted by
fraud and it is impossible to purge the
poll of fraudulent votes, the vote of
the entire precinct must be thrown
out. Mr.. Shaforth said his inspection
of the ballots convinced him it was
impossible to separate the illegal vote,
and if he were judge on the bench
be would be compelled to find against
himself.
Cheered by His Colleagues.
AS he announced the conclusion of
eight years service his voice betoken-
ed the emotion he felt. The hush
which spread over the floor and gal
leries, when the purport of his re-
marks was realized. became almost
painful. But when he sat down with
words of thanks on his lips for the
treatment he had received from his
colleagues on both sides of the cham
Der, applause burst forth, and contin-
ued long and heartily. The Demo-
cratic members arose almost en- masse
and surrounded his seat to extend per-
sonal expressions of sympathy and en-
cOuragement.
Mr.. Olmsted, chairman of the COM
mittee on the contest, recognized the
unusual position, Mr.. Shafroth had
taken. He said the investigation by
his committee exonerated Mr. Shafroth
from any connection with the irregu-
larities which had been shown. The
stand taken, he said, was a most man.
ly and courageous one.
Following the suggestion of Mr.
Shafroth in his speech to the House,
Mr.. Olmsted hastily drew up the prop
CT resolution for unseating him. and
the seating of Mr.. Bonynge, and this
was agreed to with silent assent.
For Different Reason.
Secretary James Wilson of the Ag-
ricultural Department relinquished a
seat in the House to a contestant on
the last day of the session in order
that the bill to make Gen. Grant a
full general on the retired list might
be passed. Samuel ]. Randall brought
in a bill for Gen. Grant. but the
Democrats, who were in the majority,
insisted that there should be a vote
on the contest against Wilson. The
Republicans were filibustering against
such a vote being taken, but Mr..
Wilson got up and stated that he did
not want to stand in the way of the
Grant BILL and asked that the con-
testant be seated. This was done, and
the Grant bill was unanimously pass
ed.