New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-02-16

fore But In order 10 show tne ', nd had read
o., oS f the report of the Committee OF the New
York Legislature on PfivegeI anu gangs of repeaers in
The sixteenth Ward of NewYork CITY In LISP IN, -, h
a. poT-TER Dem. N W asked why III tne Dll OF tne
az session was operating well, this bill should now DC
passed. , q, .,,od that tho object OF the bill
s 10 neTfect the law OF last Summer. While II would
"yclnd6 no honest man from the polls, II would pieVch
r@p6rf ust read The whole principle OF the bill nod been
fy discussed in both houses last season ana ad Deen
accented by Congress- and a. he believed by inc seht
mani of tho great majority Of the American people
Mr.. LAWRENCE Gep., Ohio argued in support OF inc
n hl introduced by himself last December. The cues
zion was whether citizens Of the United states should be
roteoted by national law in the exercise OF tho elective
franchise against force ana fraud drn tnero
was anything settled in repgncan government oyer srn
will Of the people TO be governed The power to protect
the parry rr % tne to its own existence
when that existence threatened by force ana fraud
There was nothing new in the theory of FedNal inter
ference When the Fugitive Slave law passed there
had been no outcry from the Democratic party against
Mi ELDRIDGE Dem, Wis., asked him whether no
defended this bill on the authority OF the Fugitive slave
MIR. LAwRENCE-Oh, Sir the Fugitive Slave law Is
dead and Slavery is dead and the party that supported
Slavery and the Fugitive Slave law Is dead anu tO theo
is no resurrection. Uaughter.l It only remains for
American citizens of African descent to dig s grave
lower its conn shovel IN the Dirt and bury IL forever
Mr.. ELDRIDGE-The gentleman himself did not sue
coed very wei in burying IL at the last election.
MI LGWRENCE-I never was defeated when was
candidate was preceded here by Democrat and will
be succeeded by but do not TO discuss things
that are dead prefer rather, to discuss living issues
and the issue here is, whether by national Jaw, cltos
of the United States shall he protected in the
of the right of franchise without interruption by IOrce
Mr. KERR Dem, Ind) argued against the bill.
He Opposed il for two reasons: First because there was
no warrant for it in the Constitution and second be-
cause even there power 10 enact IT, II WIS not eA
pedent that it should be enacted IL was demanded by
no existing condition Of things in the country Ihe Leg
slatures OF other States not all corrupt ana as
honest and ignorant, and all sense, ana reason anu
competence not in Congress. The Democratic
party held that in all matters of local ana domestic CON
Germ the Jurisdiction Of the States ought never to he IN
vaded by Congress- and that the virtues ana
in every possible respect OF State Legislatures ana her
members just high and as respectable as those
possessed by Congress or the individual members OF IL.
He therefore, did not agree with the gentleman lIoh
Tennessee Niaynardl when he suggested that the Demo
cratic members always resisting efforts TO MAINTAIN
the purity OF the Dall0bOX Ihey resisted no euoIs vi
that kind The record Of the Democratic party contra7
dcted all such assertions, and he wanted that gentleman
TO recOlect, what lac wei knew, gnu what the country
well knew, that wherever the Republican policy had
prevailed, Wherever thc Reconstruction laws had
been established tho laws controlling elections had no
only been below those enacted by the States generally
but had BEEN in their details, purposes, ana policy SIN
pv Infamous and outrageous violations OF common
hGne4ty and common decency, and hence II was that
there the floor Of the House To-Day 80 many ol
berswbom the people elected and never would
lie believed that ii the people did not rally against
the invasion of Federal power the autonomy OF the
try would be forever. II the Federal Government
allowed to proceed to make one invasion after an
other to commit aggression after another, where
the limit to be found The powers asserted IN me
when thoroughly ana legaIR ana Hd 10 the 81 'ii'
right the part OF the Republican majority To DE
Mr. cox Dem. n. " Interrupted Mr.. Kerr TO say to
Mr.. Churchill that the gang Of repeaters 70 whom he had
had been several times convicted Of burglary that the
gang consisted OF n,seTable Iowdes' anu 'a' the nc
Mr. AXTELL Dem, Cali argued against the BILL and
partv made was doubling the honesty AMI patriotism
Uowcr rSther than trust the people He referred to the
q, +,f ln.
Federal authorities for military AID ia an election - an
imprudeut act which could not be Justified 10y any Dem
Mr. VOORHEES, Dem. Ind argued against the bill,
and referred absence OF attention 10 the debate ON
dcpiorablc features I'm the present condition OF public
affairs He predicted that one hundred members
would vote for this bill who had never read
il. and who had not heard WORD OF NE debate;
The limited states but he would remind the members mat
WAS these grim, saturnlne, silent men VINO were me
men IN he watched when they high in power He
would not disparage his military powers. No man had
ever achieved such results without great lnlafy pow
crs But he did not believe in his capacity for civil
etfairs A combination Of military power and Of civil
incapacy had all Of the world been the worst
combination that ever threatened the liberties OF The
people The present Emperor Of the French had attained
his giddy hight because OF characteristics in elyi
cnt chief Magistrate Of the United states.
NapoleOns designs had been hidden; ms purposes lnys
FERROUS and not known. lie hld GhmD9d 10 power ny
breaking all the pledges with which he had got MS hrs
foothod in the French Assembly ana When inc h0ur
came had been just by such legislation as ms just ny
virtue of such enactmcnts mat he found The way made
plain, the obstacles all removed ana the adder laI up
Tor him climb To the throne over me pfOiate DtfleS
of France and the bleeding forms OF his country
Mr. COOK Rep M a member Of the Judiciary Com
totee said that he had COncurrcd very heartily III au
thorzmg the bill to be Reported ne Iegai15d we "a
potsn exercised in corIuptihg eeGlous III lhe Dllteu
States as the bascst and mcanest dcspotism on he face
of the EARTH the despOtism Of body 0f men working
i'm the dark more deopicablc than mat OF one man
who is responsible, IN some measure Ior MS con
G Gas not va fairly represented in he elec-
tons, which were controlled IN great de
and the result was that the people of the United States
We're more disgraced and Inundated by such des
pq Mr. LOGAN CRep M objected to the 18th section
Of the bill, one by which IT was doubtful whether
civil or TO military jurisdiction, and said that with that
section retained be would vote against the 6i.
Mr. STILES Dem, PENN argued against the bill, and
sent 10 the Clerks desk and had read extract from the
message OF the Governor OF tSs ANA go t o
MI FINKELNBURG Rep. MOI moved TO strike out
ties 10 obey cal made by United states Marshal or
n'S AN remarked that that amendment would re-
move his objection 10 the bill
Mr.. BINGHAM Qlep, ohio, who reported the bill,
closed the debate t an aTsfh, u " snS nS
objections alleged against 1t. lie esteemed as
nndeT their state Governments, but he esteemed quite
as much the right OF the National Government to
equal rights all the people Of the United States The
ne0uc had learned wisdom in the terrible aud awful
deal through which they had so lately passed, and had
eTnIan by law the powers the states IL written
plainly in the XVIII Amendment that no state shall
make or enforce any law that shall abndge the
immuntes OF citizens OF the United States and that
Congress shall have power by law 20 enforce this pro-
vision That exactly what this law proposed to do,
and that was all OF it, The bill In all Its main
features had already received the sanction, by
strong vote OF both branches OF Congress; It's
whole object was TO prevent any violation
of the rights OF citizens In the matter
tjmdation and corruption the part Of officials and
hired Underwriters where the people assembled to elect
their Representatives In Congress As the gentlemen on
tho Democratic side choose To carry an appeal from this
forum the people, he would accept the appeal ana
Uoud 20 10 the people with the question whether they
desired to their elections hereafter guarded and
shielded by national law or not In conclusion he called
for vote. -, ,,,,, .
The first question was taken on Mr.. Finklenburg's