The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1908-10-15
THE RETIREMENT
OF MR., SHAFR0TH
FROM CONGRESS

lis retirement from Congress. We
therefore quote the following from the
Congressional Record:
"Mr. Shafroth: Mr.. Speaker, l rise
70 question of personal privilege.
"The Speaker: The gentleman will
state it.
"Mr. Shafroth: 1t relates to the right
of a member to a seat in this house.
The Speaker The gentleman will
proceed.
INF. Shafroth: Mr.. Speaker, in the
contested election case of Robert w.
Bonynge against John f. Shafroth it
was stipulated and agreed by contest
ant and contestee that the ballots cast
at that election in the twenty-nine con
tested precincts should be brought be-
fore the committee on elections of this.
house and opened for the first time
IN the presence of its members. The
ballots were those cast at the general
election in 1902 for state officers and
representative in Congress. The OBJ
Jtct was that the original arrange
ment. form and condition of the bal
lots should first be seen by the COM
n,ittee. The ballots We're shipped to
the clerk of the House of Represent
atives at the joint expense of contest
ant and contestee.
AT the first meeting of the com
II ttee for the hearing of this case the
hallots We're presented for inspection.
subcommittee was appointed to as
certain how many illegal ballots were
contained therein. 1t was agreed that
in order to facilitate their work their
sessions should be secret. The sub
committee opened the ballots from
three precincts, and finding that it
took one week to examine Them asked
:he house for authority to employ an
expert. which was granted. Since
that time the expert has been exam
hing the ballots, and on Thursday last
made his report to the committee.
then ordered that each of the parties
81 ould have one weeks time in which
tn examine the ballots, and if then
either of us desired to send for the eX-
pert for the purpose of examining him,
that we should have that privilege.
After that the case was to be set for
argument before the committee.
"On Thursday afternoon com
menced examining the ballots, and con-
tinued doing so during Thursday, Fri
day and Saturday | do not believe
that 1892 illegal votes were cast Chat
being my majority as returnedD, yet my
examination disclosed the fact that
the assurances which had received as
20 the regularity of the votes in many
of the preciEsss were not true. and
that there were illegal votes therein
which tainted the polls. and the polls
so tainted gave me greater plurality
than my returned majority in the dis
trct
THE fact was a bitter disappoint
ment to me, but nevertheless true.
1.-THE law is that when poll is
tainted by fraud, and it is impossible
lc purge the poll of the fraudulent
votes, the vote of the entire precinct,
legal and Illegal, must be thrown out.
THE committee has given me every
.pportunity to ascertain the Illegal
vote, so as to save the valid vote in
those precincts. Until saw the bal
| lots last Thursday / thought the lille
70 vote could be detected and sepa-
rated from the legal. but | must con
less that my inspection mas convinced
me that it is Impossible TO do so III
this case.
"The law being as have stated, and
the number of precincts tainted con
tanning majorities for me greater than
my returned majority. l must say that
il were a Judge upon the bench, con