Year: 1874

Vention, ana altefWard ratilying that con


stitution by o deliberate vote.


There Is but one other consideration


which ! desire 10 present, and then will


not further trouble the House. Gentle
men make distinction between the case
from the first and second district. Par
don me; ! think II would be 1 most dan.


gerous precedent for Us to set, after we
come to the conclusion that the 22d d


August was the legal day Of election, n


we say that we viii set aside an election


Upon that legal day upon the supposition
that all did not vote who wanted 10 vote,


or II we should intefpose our fat and sav


that the people did not express them.


selves as they ought TO have done. / saw


that would be a most dangerous prece.


dent and rather than set such prece.


dent would let In one man wronglully,


although in this case I do not think the


man ! would let in would be let in


wrongfully


l have observed that wherever we have


. Committee on Elections, and q yery


large majority on one side OF the HOUSE.
then that Committee on Elections-I 40
not speak Of the present one alone, as I
have seen 1t now for six or eight years
I have observed that that Committee on
Election Is always so afraid that we can.
not be considered judicial minded that
they slways cast all doubts against our
own side. When II IL close House, then
the majority always come up to the party
lines, But II there is q. large majority in
the House then there are some men who
want to make for themselves a judicial
reputation, and they look about to see If
they cannot find some way to nnseat a
member Of the majority. The minority
always does lis duty; they never fail,
whether 1t is our minority, or your minor.
ity; they always stand by their friends
And II they can get two or three Of these
Judicial minded gentlemen Of the Com.
mittee on Elections TO Join with them.
then there is a msjority report on the
minority side ol the House. 80 afraid
are they that we shall not stand pstraight
thatthey lean little the other way. That
is almost necessity Of the human mind,


Now, these are the questions which I |
think must be determined. Did the peo. |
pie understand that on the 22d day OF
August they were voting at a general |
election 7 Was there general election
held on that day Z And did these men
claiming seats here because Of that cleo. |
ton receive fair majority Of the votes |
then castS II they received majority,
It must be taken to be a majority Of the
whole vote that would be cast because
the moment we go into balanced Houses,
and into high party times, when the lines
are strictly drawn, where will you find
yourselvesS You viii find that because
one man has not got so many votes as he
ought to have, you will set aside his elec.
ton, because other men might have come
out If they had known about 1t, or upon
some other pretext. I therefore bessech
parties on both sides Of the House, in the
interest Of far play and OF the people
hereafter, that you will not unseat man
II he was elected on the regular day OF
election, when the people have voted, and
when he has received fair majority Of
the votes thrown, and nobody was BY
force or fraud prevented from voting.


Thanking the House for their attention,
do not think Il can add anything to
what have said. = = y-I01