Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1862-04-05
REMARKS ny MR.. sMELTzER,

The following remarks made by Mr..
Smel;zer, upon the Bill substituting an aft.
davit for an oath at elections:
Mr. SPEAKER:-I do hope that the bill
now under consideration will no: become
a law. | consider it the relic of the old
and Infamous party known as the Know
Nothing party, which had frequent inter.
course with Sam by aid of dark Ian
terms and wicked hcart>-whch pnrty has
passed away to its death as tis.raceiul as
ITS mission was wicked and mischievious
Upon its grave public "pprobiun piled
Mount Ossa upon Pelion. the better to in
sure the certainty of its burial, aud the
non resurrection OF its tenents ru: under
different snise, il is proposed to bring
up the same hanetul policy.
The bill before US proposes TO do nothing
but what already Is prescribed by law, ex.
cert II certificate or affidavit signed by the
party challenged, which will be no better
evidence than an oral oath, fer the reason
that it will require the same kind charuc.
ter. and quantity Of evidence, to convict a
man Tor perjury rs under the present law
SO there eau be nothing gained in tbs
respect, Will st it will serve the dominant
party in preventing and in i,timidatlng
voters, end using up the time in strife,
which should be used in receiving the bal
lots of electors. We all know how Jealous
.he fore gner is OF his intesri,r. AID we
know too, that be can easii, be Inundated
by outside pressure, and this is all the bill
provides tor And too, it is an Insult 10
the good sense of our adopted citizens to
impose upon them thus. ] oppose this
bill from principle and not through party
motives. regard the rights OF my fellows
as sacred, and lar above the ends OF party;
and with wish to protect our adopted
citizens in their sacred rights secured to
them by the principles Of the Democratic
party, DO most s,renuously oppose this
innovation Of their rights, although many
y. our adopted citizens have gone of from
their warm friends aud supporters. yet
wish their rights secure to them, with The
hope that they together with all others.
who through impulse went off from The
great Natiunal Party, will, ere long come
back, seeing and approaching the differs
ence between those with whom they now
act who those who provided and built up
a system Of government for this country
on which all nations look win envy, and
Tor The purpose to bring those of Demo.
cratic anecedrnts upon this floor to see
and appreciate, and finally come hack to
their" first iorc' would ak what is that
party. which gentlemen on this floor seem
TO misunderstood, aud certainly miSrepre.
sent. There are gentlemen upon this floor
who say they will not unite with those
h,,I Il fac rn0 hn Of 4
or State policy, and who say they will
never support any measure bea,ing on
these matters which come from the Demo
cratic side of the Hruse, even though they
knew them TO be right and just Sir. such
men {if they are honest in these assertions,
and | cannot think they are have only
the sembiance Of manhood. and are not
imoued With the right kind of feelings
There is defect in the inner man some-
where, and they should not be trusted in
any place tina. would confer upon them
power to injure. lam confident they erred
more in the head THAI in the heart. and
only wished to cancel with s!andrr the
debt they owe to the Democratic party for
their status in society. Sir | am proud
that | am Democrat 1t was my birth
right, and prize nv Democracy us my
best Inheritance. AMI AS the Roman wife
priced her children, counting them as Jew
els without price. SIR, prize it as The
panacca for al! our nationa. sins and short
comnss SIR, would ask who construct,
Ell and perfected this great and sluriu,
Country? Experience n>wers the Demo
cratic party What gave us life that grew
with our growth aud strengthened with
our strength, until we have presented to
TIE world the hes, system Of Government
ever inauguratcd on The face Of the globe
The answer sweIis up in our hearts and
answers-ihe Democratic principle u. Gov
eminent To what 40 We owe our lber
lies to-day? The hosannahs Of the op,
pres sed Of foreign nations reath Us and
scho, the Democrat c party whIch has
hroUked successfully in the past every
species Of iahaiicism .Ani what viii
again restore peace IN the nation? Ne
thinks | h ar IN thunder tones the people
shouting in ansNrr-,he cuui.cls OF ;ru.
aud genuine ben ocra's These council,
are nov icing head Ia the tnhin", and
wurkln. great good and ere hong " Il con
,ro. that body. With IA. Dem, cratic par.
ty at the helm, we have in times past gone
through severe tiialS anu merry ulNCAI> AS a
nation, moving on from great to greater
pre- eminence But mere. my irier1S -
there is down up II us black cloud filed
with the !ishtnngs Of wrath, and ali that
We have been taught TO believe most pre-
ciuus. not only ia our institutions, #h.ch
perhaps We we're wont TO book upon. as
some towering monumen! in the dis .nce
but everything we regard as most dear to
our esdes is involved, and calls upon
us Democrats for our highest aud best
Judgment. How different from he times
when the grea, Democratic patty STOOD at
the helm of government. and as the con
servator Of the peace and interes, of the
nation. standing like one man, with more
than the power Of Hercules. aye, and with
a loitier spirit than any ,ha, heroic history
has ever produced-when that party in
the majesty of its strength, with It's gian,
form towering "lott--one foot upon The
South OF Mason and Dixon's line, snd the
other upon the North. aud with its hands
reaching the uttermost parts Of the Union.
and cried out with a voice that was heard
By all the mountains, and by all the seas,