The daily gazette., 1876-09-20

ton and dishonesty was discovered. A
high Cabinet officer was convicted of
cruelty trading his profits Of his position
in manner which robbed the suffering
soldiers on the plains, and his punishment
was prevented by Republican Senate on
purely technical grounds. But has there
been any other rogles punished for their
crimes? No! Rather was their guilt COM
mended and the men who exposed them
denounced by the Republican press.
The Republican party dares not punish
the rogues because the rogues control the
party. (Applause.) Mr.. Bristow. Mr..
Wilson, Commissioner Pratt, and others
denounced the corruption, and they were
obliged to leave office. Mr.. Chandler, of
Michigan, controls the party, and he is
the representative of the worst element Of
the Republican party. The men who
have assisted to bring Gen. Grants ad-
ministration into disrepute and turned out
every honest man from the party, are now
the controlling element of the same party
The abuses to-day are stronger than the
party, and honest men find they must sub
NIT and that dishonesty must go on.
The question is just like man with
cancer. If it stays in it kills him; if it is
cut out he is likely to die, (Applause.)
To-day more than ten years after the
lats conflict in the late war, when all civil
processes have been renewed, and we
should be nothing but citizens of COM
mon land, we find that the army of the
United States, enlarged by the trick and
false pretense Of need upon the frontier,
is used as a pretended means of protec-
tion to portion of citizens within our
common borders.
Is this to be a country controlled by a
government where opinion shall prevail
or brute force shall prevail? Can enr
people not see the danger of such proceed
ings; can they not see that they will tend
to control that which ought to be free
election? 1t has been said that this course
has been endorsed by the voice of the
people of Maine; but other sections of our
country have been heard from. And if
Maine has spoken in one way in loud
voice, Arkansas has spoken in still louder
tones in another. (Applause.)
Only during last session of Congress, a
bloody conflict occurred with the Indians
on our frontier, Nearly the last hand
the brave and gallant Custer pressed be-
fore leaving Washington was my own,
Il dllu hllOM ilC W NdS ulINtll llOlil w
| ton to his death because he dared to tell
the truth. And this war was occasioned
by the robbery and corruption which
marked the dealing of the Government
with these Indians.
And even with this war the Admins
tration could spare no troops from the
lSouthern States for the West, and the De-
mocratic House was importuned to enable
the army to be increased in order that the
Ifrontiers, might be protected. The request
was granted, the army increased, but not
one company was sent to the frontier, but
were sent to the Southern States in order
to control the elections in the interest OF
the Republican party.
Then came the order of the Secretary
of War, backed by the opinion Of the At
torney-General.
II this claim be allowed then make up
your minds that we no longer have I'M
ion of States, but only asingle State, gov
erning many and making possible those
practices which were sanctioned by the
French Republic-the right of controlling
lelections by bayonets in order God save
the mark) to see that they are kept pure.
| What right has President Grant to pro-
Itect suffrage in Delaware or in South
Carolina? If he has the right no man
Twill support him more strongly than will
III. If he has not no man will be quicker
! to resist him than l. (Applause)
Where did the right to vote come from.
Who fixes the status of voting, and regll-
lates The provisions, under which suffrage
is regulated. 1t is the power OF the State
and States alone that regulates the right
to vote. Who gave the Federal Govern
ment right to protect the vote? Who
shall answer?
In 1868 and 1869 the 18th and 15tl
amendments to the Federal Constitution,
were passed, and in 1870 Congress passed
laws to enforce them, the chief one Of
which was the Enforcement Act OF May
1870. Under these laws many men were
arrested, tried and imprisoned. In 1915
men in Louisiana were tried and con-
demned for criminal conspiracy, but JUS
tice Bradley of the Supreme Court went
down there, quashed the indictment, and
released the men. His decision and posi-
Ition were afterwards sustained by the SUI
preme Court. (Here the speaker read
these decisions by the Court and explain
ed them at length.)
Il Attorney General Taft, in his circular
Ivoters against whatever in general hinder:
OR prevents them from free expression o
the elective franchise, and delegates Mar
shals and their deputies with full police
, powers. There is no possibility OF max
ing these two claims agree.
The Supreme Court has declared that
the Constitution does not give any citizer
the right to vote, and that right is alont
4 guaranteed by the State. The STATE
creates the voter, and under her laws HI
. is qualified to vote. 1t is only where dis
f elimination is made on the ground Of col
| or that Congress can Intervene. But thi'
/ power was so coupled with other powers
, not constitutional that the Supreme Cour
has declared that Congress has not ever
provided the means to secure the simple
right of suffrage to colored voters.
Il The law of the Court binds the Presi
| dent, the Attorney-General and ever.
citizen, and will not retreat from TIN
o stand have taken that the Federal Gov
q ernment has no right to interfere witt
i the voting rights of our citizens of Stat
| (Applause.)