Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-03-23

Mr.. Blaine-I hold the government
of the United States has perfect right
| to prescribe the time, place s1A pan
ner of kclt!ng elections for relEefta-
tives in cOrgoess.
Mr.. Enthusiastically that is
right.
Mr.. Blaine-Is the gentleman in favor
| OF exerGisipg itf
Mr.. Holman--I am in favor Of eXer.
cising it with proper regard to the legis-
lstion OF the States.
Mr.. B,aine--Is he in favor Of exer-
cisiug it 30 that it will achieve it's end?
Nr. Holman-Sn far as It's Il 5lislatiOn
applies 20 members OF cor gress, | think
| il is p, opar; but 1 think that the gentle
man from Maine will hardly 81 so far
as to attempt to cure evils Of State legis-
| lation.
Mr.. Blaine expressed the belief tina!
! the c0Iored voters in the south had not
a fair chance at voting. 1t was not
enough to destroy bribery outside so
long as the spectre-ghGst OF rascality
stood within. He moved the previous
question.
The house refused to Second the pre-
viotis question. Ayes, 20; nays, 81.
Mr.. G ode said he sympathized with
the amendment offered by the gentle
man from Maine, but he considered it
open to the constitutional objection that
II would have the same effect az an i'm
peachment, in SO far rs the penalty wss
removal from office.
Mr.. Blaine suggested that he would
modify his amendment.
Mr.. Goode remarked that the PROPOSE
ton to modify the amendn ent had net
bsen made until after his criticism OF it.
This was an in p ut int bill, intended to
apply a remedy to most fagrant out
rage and wrong, and the gentleman
from Maine ought not to be allowed t.
cucumber it with grave constitutional
difficulties. As the gentleman from
Maine had thought proper 10 90 into his
TGoode'sl district, he would tell Ii u that
at the Norfolk naVy-ysrd no man could
get any employment without recon-
mendstiOn from the Republican execu
tive committee. AS to his colleague, Sc
called, that gentleman [StOWell hailed
from what was called the black district
Of Virginia, wbete there were not
enough white Republicans to furnish
judges who could read and write. The
| election judges have therefore been D5m-
oer8ts. He asked whether those Demo-
cratic judges were not exceedingly fair
| and honest in returning to congress the
gentleman from Vermont. He begged
paId0n-the gentleman from Virgins
daughter. There had not been a sin
gle Democratic delegate in the legisla-
ture from the eleven counties in that dis.
trict until recently. A friend and
partisan of his 5boWell1 aa American
citizen OF African desceni, named Ruff1n,
was expelled from the house Of delegates
for petty larceny, and an honest Demo-
CT st elected in his stead.
Mr.. HOar asked Mr.. G)Ode under
whose training it was that the c0.Ored
people of that district were unable to
Teau and wTlte.
Mr.. GoOde replied that the gentleman
from Mes sachusetts was trying to bring
up the ghost Of slavery, but he did not
Interd to discuss those issues with him (;
they were dead, and they belonged to
the dead past. In the words of the
proverb, "SuTely, in vain thu net is
spread iu sight of any bread"
Mr.. Harris Va repelled what seemed
to be a reflection by Mr.. Blaine on the
legislature of Virgins, which provides
for disposing Of an excess of ballots
when found in the ballot box, and went
on to show that the code Of Virginia in
which the legislation is found was estsb'
lished by the Republicans at time
when the Democratic people OF the ats
were deprived of their political rights.
Mr.. G X, who had been occupying the
speakers chair, came down to the Il lor
and rushed into the fray, striking first
at Blaine, who he accused Of shedding
crocodile tears over this subject; then
aiming his shafls OF Yidicule at Cali
fornia member, Page, and exhibiting
what he called tRpeWOrm ballot that
was used by emp Dyes at Mare island
navy-yard to comph them to voc the
Republican ticket, and owning up gen.
orally that one political party was about
as bad as the other IN regard TO election
fraude.
The debate was further continued by
Mts Lu!trelI, Cauifield and SOuthsrd.
Finally the house proceeded to vote on
the bill and its various amendments.
The vote was first taken on Townsend's g
amendment, providing the ezpendi-
lures allowed by the laws Cf any State
should not be construed as being affected
by the act" r iected.
TIE next amendment in order was
Mr.. Blaine's amendment, Hincluding
senatoTF, representatives and delegates
in congress in the provisions Of the bill"
Mr.. Blaine called for the yeas and
nays, and the amendment was agreed
to; yess, 12S; nays, So.
Mr.. Hoar's amendment, providing
that nothing in the bill should prevent
voluntary contributions for the purpose
OF giving information,n was next voted
on and was rtj .cted; 81 yeas 70 I29 nays.
The next vote was on Blsine's amend
ment to the substitute offered by Brown
KY I, being the same amendment Of
fered by Blaine to the original bill, aud
adopted; the amendment was now re-
jected by 102 yeas to 107 nays.
The next vote was On an amendment
offered by Mr.. GOode to Mr.. Browns
substitute, making it. "a misGemeRL or
for any person to use f)rce, menace, VIC.
lence or bribery to il fl hence the elections
of President, Vice-President, senator,
representative or delegate in congress- -
Adopted-yeas, 242; nays, s.
The nexI vote wss on an amendment
offered by Mr.. Reagan ss substitute for
| q section Cf Mir. Browns substitute,
making it funlsW fdl FIR any officer,
| pOstmaster's clerk or employe of the
| United States, or for any senator OF
member o! congress to solicit, ask, re-
ceiVe or accept any gift for election pur-
poees." r jecied,
The next vote was on M. Browns
substitute. the first section is "Thst
no officer or employe Of the government
shall rtqu re or request, give to or re,
ceive from any other officer, or EN-.
plOye OF the same, or any other person,
directly or indirectly, &Dy money oI
| property, or any other thing Of value foI
| political purposes; and any such officer
or employe who shall offend against the
| provisions of this act shsll at once be
dismissed from the service If the United
States. and also be guilty OF high mis-
demeanCr, and Oh conviction thereof
be fined not less than five hundred dbl
| lars nor more than three thousand del.
! lars, and imprisoned not more than OF {
year, al the discretion Of the judge try.
| ing the case"
The second section is the amendmeni
! offered by Mr.. Goode and adopted. The
third section gives United States dis
tfict coUIts jurisdiction ovtr the Offenses
created by the act.n The substitute was
sgreed 10 with the yeas and nays, apc
the bill, as thus amended, was passed
Yeas, l73; nays, s. Adjourned
The steamship ONO arrived at Phila
delphis Tuesday evening from Liver
| pool, with thres hundred and eight Is e