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

After the reading of the journal the House
proceeded special order to the consideration of the
bill reported by the judiciary Committee TO enforce the
rights of citizens of the United states under the Fifteenth
Amendment vote in the several States Of the Union.
Mr.. ELDRIDGE Dem, Wis., member of the Judi
ciary Committee made argument against the bill.
He denounced the most unwarrantable and unusti
fable measure Yet proposed by Congress 1t was
in he Constitution and no precedent except the
which it was a supplement Aside from that bill it stood
not the merit of redeeung provision or quality II
woud bnd the several states hand and foot and deliver
helpess-the mere tools and slaves of Congress- II
the browning act of Capitalization and consolidation
1t brushed away at once ana hnay az stae machinery
and local authority, and substituted in their place the
Federal bayonets II created host OF new officers be-
fore unknown, and filed the land with spies and in
formers IL sought to Oyerawe free American citizens
and 10 control their votes by the menace OF the sword
and the presence nj the voting precincts OF the soldiers
of the army. II had its origin in the interest Of
an INSCRIPTIONS and desperate party. Its very
II was a bin to prevent, hinder, and
delay citizens in voting ltproyided system to drive
tbe measure 1t was rank usurpaton revolution. 1t
was an insult TO every citizen Of the Republic II
hostile in every feature to liberty, and violated every
fundamental idea OF republican government 1t
tended to awe the Of the States and drive them
MANY a lawabidng citizen would feel like firing
a bullet than casting ballot, through the paid spy
and nfOrmcr which this bill wOdd place before and be-
hind the ballotbOx. The hypocr.tcal cry OF " Let us
have peace would avail in the face of such meas
ures The people could not he Inundated much further
They would show that they have borne all that
they could bear They would ere long assert Their SOY
ereu right and power to be free and they would teach
Congress that its members were the servants not the
masters Of the people, and that the people had the right
MI cox Dem, N. " also argued against the bill 1t
was a bill aimed at New-York city and state lie ar
raigned the action OF Judge woodruff ana others at tht
last election in New-York, and showed that after all
there had been but 50 arrests and most Of these we're
outrageous arrests 1t was nobodys business now New
York City and state ran their domestic politics he
quoted Peter Coopend re Heeg fIS 70 su Se ' fb
Federal Government ruled by nepOtism ana ODDey
and niques OF all kinds. He gave notice that the Leg
slaure OF NeW-HOIk would either enforce JUS own eec
ton laws for the election OF its own officers by having
day for such election different from that for the election
of members of Congress or II would meet the Federal
power fairly and squarey with the state power against
Mr. MAYHEM dem, n. " also argued against the
bill, which he denounced az most abominabie enact
men and desperate resort on the part OF inc iepuD
Mr. WOODWARD Dem, Penny also argued against
within any Of the powers delegated TO Congress- When
lie inquired TO the constitutional pTeense set M for
the measure he referred to the first section OF inc
fourth article OF the Constitution which provides that
the time, place and manner Of holding elections for
in each State by the Legislature thereof; but
that Congress may, at any time by law make make
ing Senator'S Congress- however had never acted upon
that right and the practice of the Government the
highest evidence of the meaning Of the provision which
that the whole subject of elections reserved
The Fifteenth constitutional Amendment did not war
rant this measure, because it was only negation Of
powers to the States He inquired what in the Of
Heaven the need for this long, complicated and mis-
chevous enactment pr0fessedy for the purpose OF
ing the XVIII AmehdInentl Who was resisting the
XVIII Amendment Who made the extraordinary egisla-
ton necessary No gentleman could answer His friend
from Wisconsin (Mr Edrdge) had not characterized
the bill too strongly when he said it fraud
and cheat" II was not for the purpose of enforcing
the XVIII Amendment but for the purpose OF taking
away from the States that exclusive and absolute
troll over the question Of suffrage which the Constitution
had vested IN them and which the people had hitherto
enjoyed peacefully and exercised wisely If bill had
been brought In for the express purpose OF abOshng
the States taking away OF their reserved ghts by
name, he would have had respect for ii than he
had for this bill
argued that the safety Of the Republic depended upon
the purity of the baOtbOx and the proper exercise Of
the Elective franchise and he called attention TO the fact
that every effort which had been made by the Repub
cau party of the House TO accomplish that object had
been met opposed, and resisted by the Democratic
AZ was that party should seek ~ the purity
the balOtbOX while the other party resisted every such
effort He also referred 10 the circumstance party
of marines firing the people at an election In Wash
ngtOu show that the interference of the Fed
eraI authorities at elections was not new idea
Mr.. CHURCHILL (Rep n ~, the author of the bill,
expained and defended its provisions He said that IL
was intended do nothing more than 10 perfect the bill
OF last session. and 10 remove the doubts which had
arisen whether elections held In different portions OF the
connfry truly represented the Will Of the people
| Mr. MOOD Dem, N. ~ inquired whether any doubts
had bceu expressed by either OF the pOCal parties IN
Nov York as to the entire integrity ana honesty OF The
late elections in that State, ana whether IL was not al
mitfed by the leaders of the RepuDhcan party IN new
YORK that the elections were altogether iair Hence
49, .,,ld be no excuse for the passage 81 ms Dll
Mr. CurROHILi replied that uhder ihe pIo,Isiohs OF
,, , ,ytI tbls I'M Wa intended to amend ana cK