The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-03-09
4icoNGRessMAN RESIGNS
Mr. Shafroth, of Colorado, Gives Up
Seat to Contestant.
Announces His Conviction That He Holds
Membership in House by Fraud
ulent Means.

Washington, D. C.-For the first time
in the historY.of Congress a member of
the House voluntarily resigned his seat
to contestant. announcing his convic-
ton that he held 1t by fraudulent
title from the rightful member. The
manly utterances Of Mr.. Shafroth, Of
Colorado, fairly took the breath Of the
House, for his act was wholly unex-
pected. And when he sat down he
was roundly cheered by Democrats
and Republicans alike. Members gath
cred about him and expressed their
sympathy and confidence in his in
tegrity.
A resolution was prepared and adopt
ed declaring R.'W. Bonynge entitled to
Mr. Shafroth's seat and his connection
with the House ended after eight years
service first"as a. Republican, then
as Silver Republican and last as q
Democrat. In presenting the resolu-
tion Chairman Olmsted. Of the Elec-
tlons Committee. paid high tribute to
the character of the retiring member.
The House soon after adjourned.
The nearest approach on record to
the action Of Mr.. Shafroth was that Of
James Wilson, now Secretary Of Agri-
culture, who, when In the House.
yielded his seat to contestant to end
a fiIibuster and permit Of the passage
Of the bill retiring General Grant, as
General
The action taken by, Mr.. Shafroth
caused much comment in view Of the
fact that in his district thirteen mem
bers of the Colorado sbegislature were
elected who votedafar Senator Teller.
If these thirteen members had been de-
clared fraudulently. chosen the entire
result Of Senatorial contest would
have been changed.
Mr. Shafroth, rising to a question Of
personal privilege, and reciting the
facts in the contest and the bringing
Of the ballots cast in the twenty nine
precincts here under seal for examina-
ton, said he had examined the ballots,
had found them 80 tainted as to make
1t impossible to purge the poll, and un-
der the law, he said, ''If were judge
considering the case, I would be COM
pelfed to find against myself"
II did my best to have an honest
election" he went on. my law part
ner, with my approval, organized a 'eiti-
zens' committee composed Of bothHR Re-
publicaus and Democrats who desired
a fair election. The headquarters Of
that committee as shown by the evil
dence in the case was in the law Offices
of Rogers, Shafroth G Gregg, Denver.
Col
II have always been in favor Of pure
politics. and when the test is applied to
an election at which was voted for as
one Of the candidates upon the ticket
I should not shirk my duty or change
my convictions concerning honest elec-
tions.
II therefore will say to the Commit
tee on Elections No. 2 and to the men,
bers of this House that they can seat
Mr.. Bonynge at their earliest convent
ence." ....'
He thanked the committee for its
fair and impartial inquiry. expressed
appreciation of "the repeated declara.
tions of Mr.. Bonynge in the record that
was not q party to or in any manner
connected: with any of the frauds"
and. d.thanked the members Of the House
for "the uniform courtesy and evil.
dences Of respect which he had re-
ceiyed.