The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-02-17
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and unconstitutional enforcement BIN
Mr. Eldrae. Of Wisconsin, addressed
the House, charging that the Bill was I'M.
warrantabie, uliusfidabIa. and atrocious.
without one redaemfng feature, overthrow.
ing and treading out all State rights. Il
was, he said, the browning act of centrali-
zation, substituting the Federal bayonetfor
the authority Of the States. ItE,creafes
host of officers, Ind fills the land with spies;
and makes new crimes never known to the
law before. No fair.miEded man could read
the provisions OF the bin without being
satisfied 1t had its origin In the interest OF
| an inscriptions party. n
But, to cap the whole. the twelfth section
placed the, army and navy of the. command
| OF the deputy marshal. There was TO be
tno hesitation, the law was imperative, and
the highest military officer was placed at
the command ofthe most Insignificant dep.
uty marshal r., a.. = :.
THE blu would provide for from forty to
| fifty thousand deputy marshals aside from
those who might be pressed INTO service on
election day. The details ofthe bill were,
he said, siekening in the extreme, and gave
evidence of the desperate straits to which
the party which inaugurated 1t had been
reduceds =. - & >-.j sfssr ...sz.:.z
Mr.. Cox, Of Now York, said the Demo-
cratic party had -maintained-its supremacy
in New York notwithstanding the force
used and the frauds practiced, and they
would continuesto sustain themselves de-
spite the interferenceof the Federal Gov
eminent. ~; 80.
He charged that. at the last election, in
addition to the Federal troops, the thieves
was got together..as inspectors OF election;
but they failed to carry it. He said these
men demoralized the Federal power in
New York, and when the Governor came
there the corrupt Federal authority cow
cred before the majesty of the people. He
asked why the Republican party cave up
all its time to- the control Of the elections,
| and neglectedth civil service reforms, the
land-grab reforms, the reform in the in
terests Of economy, and the universal am
nesty, which would restore harmony? Be
gave notice that the State of New York
would control It's OWN elections by fixing
another day than the Congressional for its
State elections, or they would meet the
State.
MIR. Kerr, OF Indiana, opposed the bill
because, with all its provisions, it had nota
word about the time, the manner, or the
place of holding elections.
The right of Congress to prescribe the
qualifications of voters was never held until
the recent difficulties by any one. If Con-
gress may impose one qualification, how
ever immaterial, as a prerequisite the
right to cast a ballot, no power this side Of
the throne of God in Heaven could limit
that power.
+ Mr. Kerr argued that the provisions of
the bill in relation to taking ca parte tes-'
timony to be brought here were devised in
a partisan spirit, and calculated to further
frauds and wrongs such as have already
been witnessed here. This bill was, how
ever, step beyond any that had been be-
fore taken.
Mr.. VOORHEES,. Of Indiana, abiding to the
vacant seats in the House, said that it was
one of the discouraging features of our
public affairs that no attention was given to
the debate upon a measure Of this kind,
and he would venture the assertion that.
there were hundred memberson the other
side who would come in at the proper time:
and cast their predetermined Yote without
listening to a word of debate upon the SUBJ
iect a ~