The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-01-29
EYWINSAFTER FIGHT
HOUSE REFUSES TO FURTHER IN.
VESMGATE THE CONTEST.
Mr.. Frear, Of Wisconsin, Takes Ac-
tive Part Against South Caro-.
lima Congressman.

tion contest between Representative
Whaley, of Charleston, S. c., and
Mayor Grace, and then passed re-
solution to seat Whaley.
A discussion of the report favoring
the seating of Representative Richard
8. Wha1ey, of South Carolina, against
whom charges had been. filed by
Mayor Grace, of Charleston, was re-
sumed in the house to-day. Defend
ing the minority report against seat
ing Of Whaley, Representative Borch-
ers, of Illinois, declared that If the
charges of Mayor Grace were true,
Whaley should be expelled from the
house. Mr.. Borchers quoted from al
legations made by Grace, contending
that the matter had not been thor
oughly sifted, and that it was wrong
for he house to permit Whaley to
remain without further challenge.
Representative Frear, of Wiscon-
sin, also protested against the COM
mittee's majority report. He said that
the house ought to go into the in
vestigation, that the inquiry by the
committee had been inadequate, and
the majority report, he intimated,
was a whitewash.
Members who protested against
seating Whaley under the commit
tee report declared the house un-
doubtedly would rest its vote upon
the discussion on the floor. At their
instance the house was called to or
der several times so that all the MEM
bers could hear the speeches. Grace
charged Whaley spent 100000 in his
campaign, that he bought votes, and
that he made five false affidavits.
.sFraud and Sham Charged.
Representative Frear said that the
procedure under the corrupt prac-
tices act governing the election Of
members had so far been "a fraud
and sham,' and declared that Whale..
had been proved, by the testimony be-
fore the committee, to have used $780,
600 to buy votes in the primaries
preceding his election.
Under your present law he. said,
mo matter how corrupt conditions
might be id the Southern States, and
they could be no more corrupt than
they have been in Whaley's case, this
house could do nothing in the mat
ter. The committee complains that
no official contest has been institut-
ed. But no contest could be institut-
ed in the South, where only one party
participates in the election, and the
fight is in the primaries. This COM
mittee would make the corrupt prac-
tices act nullity, a pretense and a
sham.
"Fifty-five per cent of the vote in
Charleston is disfranchised. Not a
negro votes. Not negro votes in
South Carolina. But $4,000 was US
ed on both sides of this contest to
buy votes, not negro votes, but white
votes.
Frear urged that the corrupt prac-
tices act be strengthened and vigor-
ously enforced.
Mr.. Crisp Takes Hand.
Frear said the mayor of Charles
ton was knocking at the doors of the
house to purge the record of that
city, which Whaley was representing
in the house.
did not the mayor of Charleston
himself admit" demanded Represen-
tative Crisp, of Georgia, that he
spent SIS, 900 to be elected, when his
salary for the four years amounts
to only s14,000?"
"Yes," shouted Frear, ''he did. 1t
is a deplorable condition, but two
wrongs do not make right.
"You say every citizen should seek
to purify" insisted Crisp. Did not
a citizen of Wisconsin, now holding
an exalted position, admit that he
spent 100000 to be elected, and did
you take any action to purify your
State in that connections"
II was not member of the legis-
lature," said Frear.
Mr.. -Frear said it seemed useless to
convict people in the State that John
C. Calhoun once represented in con-
gress, because the governor would
turn them out.
Representative Elder, of Louisiana,
for the majority of the elections COM
mittee, denounced as 'either fool
or a deliberate liar" any man who
charged that there were more pur-
ehasable votes among the whites
than among the negroes in the South.
He denounced Mayor Grace, and de-
o,o,,d ha Huou1d have Jailed him -