Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-12-22

in the y. =. senate. Dee. i6th. 1878,
F"uchtssS his Resolutions offered
tor the Appointment OF n Com-
mtucc to Investigate the al.
legged Frauds. etc. IN the
recent state Election
I'm Mississippi.

fegcd Frauds. etc. In the
recent state Election
IN mississippi
shall occupy the attention of tho
Senate for but very few minutes. In
my opinion this debate this morning
on the part of our friends on the dem
ocratic eide of this Chamber ia simply
extraordinary. Ills, in my judgment,
in conflict with the whole line OF their
argument in the Louisiana case. If
my memory is not at fault. my distin-
guished friend from Delaware has
argued in the Louisiana case-I NAV
not be right as to him. but | am sure
nearly all his friends around him have,
aid | think he has; he will correct me
II 1 am wrong-that we were not
bound to stop at the limits OF the
State-house; we were not bound nv
the decisions of State tribunals in re-
gard to elections; we were not bound
by the action of the State courts: VIC
were not bound by the action of State
tribunals especially authorized to de-
eide all questions of State election,
whether in regard TO members of tho
Legislature or in regard 10 State
officers, but that the Senate could 90
behind all OF those decisions, go be-
hind the recognition OF the State gov
eminent, of the Legislature, or of the
State executive, by tho President. by
the House of Representatives, and
even by the Senate itself, and inquire
whether a member of the State
Legislature had been elected, whether
Representatives or Senators had been
elected or obtained their seats by
fraud and man has been knocking
at the door of this Chamber for nearly
three years who holds the twice-re-
peatcd credentials of State Legisla-
ture, recognized by every forum of
the State tribunals, by the highest and
lowest courts of the State, a Legisla-
ture that has made innumerable laws
now in force. that has been recognized
by the President as the Legislature.
that has been substantially recognized
by the House of Representatives, and
these gentlemen have insisted on
going behind everything and keeping
that man out of doors. 1t ia true there
were grave objections to him in their
opinion; but it was question of con-
stitutional right and of legal right to
seat on this floor. and now we are
told we cannot even investigate the
election.
The preamble recites that at this
election members of the House were
chosen, and also members of the State
Legislature, and that Legislature is 10
choose a Senator, and will in the
course of q few DAYS, and that rights
of citizens of the United States were
violated, grossly violated. Why, sir,
Congress is required to guarantee to
each State republican form of gov
eminent. How can we do that unless
We know the condition of the State
And we have right to find out in re-
gard to the condition of the State.
Besides, the fourteenth amendment
provides that no State shall deprive a
citizen of the equal protection of the
laws, and we have adopted laws to
carry that ont; aud the fifteenth
| amendment guarantees tho right OF
suffrage to colored men upon the same
| conditions that white men enjoy it.
and we have enacted law to carry
that out. And yet we now have nc
| right to appoint committee to inves-
| tigate! / say that these arguments
are in hostility TO the whole line OF
argument which my friends have made
on the Louisiana case. They have this
morning, in my judgement, substan-
tally taken back all they have said in
regard to that.
| In the case Of Louisiana, the com.
mittee to investigate the Louisiana
election was instructed to investigate
that election, think, on the 18th OIL
January, 1873, and the credentials Of
the Senators were referred to tina,
committee, as the memorandum which
has been made out by theClerk shows
| first, on the 22nd OF January. 1873, {
week after the appointment of thu
committee know it was after the
investigation began-and again on tht
It'll OF March. The investigation wa,
ordered without reference to the ere
dentials OF Senators, as l distinctly
recollect and as the record shows.
4 Mr.. BAYARD. Will the Senate
pardon me if ! ask him just here, i
that was the case, how comes it tina
the report of the committee concludes
with three resolutinns, of which tn,
first is that there is no State govern
ment at present existing in Louisiana
and the second that neither John Ra,
or VIM. L. McMilen is entitled to
seat in the Senate, neither having
been elected by the Legislature of TIN
State of Louisiana?
| Mr.. MORTON. Ny friend is en-
tirely right. That investigation Taste,
until nearly the end of the session, nn
til after the credentials had been sub
mitted, and when the committee mad,
their report they covered the whole
ground. But the point make is tina,
the investigation was ordered before
the credentials had been submitted
with the appreciation of my frienf
from Delaware and the Senator from
Ohio likewise. Now it has been dis
covered in the case of Mississippi tina
there is no power to investigate. 1t
q very recent discovery, Mr.. Prcsi
/ dent.
The Senator from Ohio used re-
markable argument. He said that il
1 the case of the Ku.K lux Investigation
1 where elections were investigated
very fully, where the question was
/ investigated whether the 18th amend
ment had been complied with or had
been violated-
Mr.. THURMAN. In elections?
Mr.. MORTON. Yes, sir; it EN-
braced elections as well as conduc
outside of elections. My friend from
nhio cuyc that IN tbof caco fhnra ,uort
petitions for it, and there were mes.
sages ofiGovernors of States invoking
an investigation, just as ii our RICH
here to order an investigation depends
on a petition sent in or depends upor
the message of the Governor of State
Why, this is truly a new idea. 1t is
sometimes said that there il nothing
new, but really there are new things
and this is one of them, that our righ
to investigate depends on petitions
that may be sent here or on the mes,
cages of Governors of States.
| Mr.. President. this il very grave
matter. If it is true, as alleged in the
preamble of this resolution, that the
people of Mississippi have been
stricken down by the means that arc
referred to, that majority of $4,000
no difference whether it is RepulicaI
or Democratic, has been stricken down
| by these fraudulent and violent meant
aud another set up in its place of 2s,
600 or $4,000, that is a very important
| matter. 1t affects this whole Com
monwealth it affects the rights OF the
people. If elections can be carried, il
presidential elections, if elections Of
Senators of the United States, if the
governments of States can thus be
seized and controlled by violence
by fraud, by the most enormous,
as j am advised and believe
by the most enormous and
successful system of ballot-box
stutfing ever practiced in the United
States--if that thing can be done and
we cannot afford to investigate, and
have no power to investigate, although
I srvo hnunA ~ Ia al ~