where "stumping" is the almost universal practice among political
aspirants.

He was once elected to the House of Representatives from his adopted
State, and was excluded from his seat by the casting vote of James K.
Polk, at that time Speaker of the House. The facts in regard to the
affair, according to the _Tribune_, are substantially as follows:
In 1837, the President, Mr. Van Buren, called an Extra Session
of Congress to assemble in September of that year. The laws of
Mississippi required that the election for Congressmen for that State
for the twenty-fifth Congress should be held in November, and in
order that the State should be represented in the Extra Session, the
Governor ordered an election to be held in July for the choice of
two Congressmen "to fill the vacancy until superseded by the members
to be elected at the next regular election, on the first Monday, and
the day following, in November next." The election was held under
the authority of the Governor's proclamation, and the Democratic
candidates, Claiborne and Gholson, were elected by default. They took
their seats in the House, in which there was a decided Democratic
majority, and immediately applied themselves to the task of inducing
the House to declare that they had been duly elected not only for the
Extra Session, but for the full term of two fears following. Of course
they accomplished their object. The November Election arrived and the
Whigs nominated Prentiss and Word. The Democrats brought out Claiborne
and Gholson again, and the result was that the Whig candidates were
chosen by a triumphant majority. They received their certificates
of election from the proper authority and presented themselves at
the regular session of Congress in December, and found their seats
occupied by the brace of Democrats whom the people of Mississippi
had elected to stay at home, and after a most severe and memorable