The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-12-14

FOR7Y-FOURHH CONGRESS.
SECOND SESSION.
SENATE.
WAsHINaroN, Dec. 5, 1876,

the election of the President and Vice
President by direct vote of the people
which was read, and referred to Commit
tee on Privileges and E ections. D..
Mr.. Morton presented a document
compiled by the Chief Clerk of the Sen
ate, in regard to counting the Electoral
vote from 1889 to 1873, and said the in
formation contained was of great impor'
lance and value to the country at this
time. He moved that 100000 copies be
printed for distribution.
Mr.. Thurman said he had seen many
inaccurate statements on this subject,
prepared by others. He had great conf
dence in the ability of the Chief Clerk,
but he weuld like to examine the compil-
alton for himself before authorizing its
distribution among the people. ..,
1t was finally agreed to print 1900 cop
ies, and a motion to print $500 copies will
be referred to the Compitte on Printing
when appointed. a.
Mr. Edmunds moved to take up the
resolution submitted by him yesterday,
ordering an inquiry into the late cleo
tions in the various Southern States. At
ter q long debate the motion was agreed
to--yeas 80, nays ga strict party v, te,
Mr.. Edmunds then modified the reso
ton so as to authorize the Committee to
extend its inquiry to the elections oflS74
in the States named.
On motion of Mr. Conkling, the resolu
ton was laid aside for the present, and
the message of the President was read,
1t was ordered that it be printed, with
the accompanying documents, and the
usual motion to print extra copies was
entered, to, be hereafter referred to the
Committee on Printing.
Mr. Withers presented a resolution re-
questing the President to inform the
Senate, if not incompatible with the pub
Naic interest, under what authority, and
for what purpose the troops ofthe United
States occupied the City of Petersburg,
Va, on the 9TH day of November, 1875
the day of election. Objections was
made by Mr.. Edmunds, and the resolu'
ton was laid over.
Mr. Thurman suggested that the reso-
luton of the Senator from Vermont, in
regard to the inquiry in various Southern
States, be laid over until tomorrow, and
be printed with the changes made.
Mr.. Edmunds said that he could not
consent to it going over. He felt it to be
his duty to ask the Senate to act upon it
to-day.
Mr.. Thurman said the Senator from
Vermont had argued that the adoption
of the resolution would not commit the
Senate to any particular doctrines or
dogma. He ,Thurmauj denied this, and
argued that it did commit the Senate,
t. cd ,tt l,ar hnl vi,
lauon of the Constitution of the United
States by any of the States named in the
resolution. The State gave suffrage to
every body, and nothing in the Constitu
ton of either Of them or in any of their
st tutes abridged suffrage. Under there
cent amendment to the Constitution those
States could have prescribed property or
educational qualifications to exclude the
colOred man from the ballot-boX, but did
not do so. 1t was said that this inquiry
could be set on foot. 1t was entirely of
the Constitution, and was based alone on
newspaper articles
Mr. Edmunds said the laws and statutes
of several of these States did operate to
deny suffrage.
Mr.. Thurman denied that there was
any such statute. The law oftnose States
acted alike on both white and colored
voters. Who had possession of South
Carolina and Louisiana since the war?
The Republican party. Who had posses
sion of Alabama until witt in the past
two years2 The Republican party. Yet
it was claimed the right of the colOred |
voter had been abridged. The intent of
this resolution was simply to 90 into the |
question of intimidation, and furnish sat |
isfactory reasons for these Returning |
Boards throwing out votes and eleCtlng |
other men than those chosen by the peO-
pie Six States were involved in this
resolution. Why did not the Senator
from Vermont extend it everywhere |
Had he never heard of employees in
great manufactures being marched up to
the polls and made to vote as their EN-
ployers, who stood at the window, die
ia ed?
Mr.. Edmunds-I never heard of but
one instance of that kind, aud that was
case of Democratic manufacturer i'll
Connecticut, WHO made his employees
vote the Democratic ticket.
Mr.. Thurman-Then the Senator's the
most ignorant man that lives in New
England. Laughter
Resuming the argument, Mr. Thurman
said the Committee on Privileges and
Elections was composed ofnine members
and it was impossible for that Committee
sitting in Washington 10 make the inves-
tigation and report by February. Tne
Committee could take depositions, but
who was to be served with notice to cross
examiner AS to the last resolution in
regard to the eligibility of Electors, ne
(Thurman) WAS not sure but that he
could support it, but he desired more
time to study it. If the Returning Boards
in the South had good cause to throw out
votes and override the will of the people
he wsnted it shown, and if it could not
be shown he wanted the villainy to be
exposed; he wanted the facts to be
known. H..
Mr.. Edmunds, in reply to question of
Mr.. Thurman, said he would not inform
the Senator from Ohio as to which State
had abridged tie right of suffrage by the
statute, inasmuch as he (Edmunds) had
been set down as the most ignorant man
in New England. If his friend Thur
man), the most learned man in Ohio,
would study the Constitution and lawson
the United States he wonld find out
something to his advantage. Mr.. Ed
munds, further replying to Mr.. Thurman,
argued that the artisans and operatives of
New England are men of intelligence,
men of education, of property, of inde-
pendence; of selfrespect, and it was even
more than very hardy man ind, ed who
ever ventured to suggest to his employees
how they should exercise the right OF }
suffrage. The artisans and operatives of
New England were the men VINO built
churches and school houses, and some.
times carried their knowledge, energy
and industry to a Western country even
to Ohio. [Laughter.l He argued that
the whole object of the resolution was to |
correct an evil and fix the representation |
in the next House of Representatives.
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