The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-01-17

I
regarded by the Returning Board .
Louisiana. faI ll"Ii l'
Kasson spoke against the resolution be
cause Il would establish The preceden
that a committee OF the House coul,
summon the Governor Of q State obrinl
before II the papers OF his office, ami
could bring that high Official before thl
bar Of the House, degrading him by ask
Ing him to stand at the bar and anSWei
for contempt. II one State officer can b,
so treated, any other State officer can be
II one State paper could be taken, an,
State paper could be taken.
ID lie DENIED THE RIGHT n gr,-,
OF a Committee Of the House or O
Committee Of both Houses, by reso
lntion or by law, 10 insist upon thC
executive officer Of the State bringinr
big official papers and producing them
Mr.. Hooker said be would not follow
the example Of the gentleman from
Maine (Frye), in seeking to avoid and
eyade the plain simple proposition sub.
mttied by the report ,ot the Judiciary
Committee, by, stating with emphasis,
which that gentleman did, that he be-
lieyed that for a series Of years, great
body Of citizens Of Louisiana had deter
mined TO deny the right OF suffrage 10
a certain class which was entitled 10
il. What was there that surrounded
the Returning Board OF Louisiana with a
Snnclity which prevented It from giving
to the Committee OF the House iniorma.
ton M to whether there had been an hon.
eat vote in that State. Should ii be said
that that Returning Board had power TO
cast out votes from this or that parish
and that there was no power which conld
investigate whether il had legally done
so? 500! l..t u aiIEl Z
Mr., Garfield argued against the
resolution, and quoted authorities
against the power therein assert
cd, referred, among other things, 10 the
fact that in 1900, when the fathers
were discussing the question Of the elec.
tion contest, they distinctly excluded in a
bill which passed one house in one form
and another house in another form the
idea that the petition touching the ques-
ton Of how vote went inside Of State
should he presented or heard. He de.
MED that any prince, or potentate, or
legislature, or Congress could wag its
tongue against the net Of State in that
regard. lie referred 10 .gs..--. 40
THE FAMOUS PLGQuEMINRs FRAUD
in lSlJ,-by which the vote of Louisiana
was giycnto Polk, and stated hat no one
then claimed the right TO go behind the
vote Of the State to undo that outrageous
and open fraud. lie argued that the pro.
visions Of the Constitution in regard 10 n
Presidential election were imperative and
lettno time or authority for \ contest. lie
challenged the naming Of any statesman
who had ever claimed that Congress had
the power, within the five Limitations
mentioned by him, TO 90 inside Of
. State TO look at vote. II the vote Of
one State were examined, the votes of
all States might be; and thus an election
Of President might at any time be ren.
dercd impossible. He appealed TO the
Democratic side OF tho House To pause
before it committed this act OF assault
and destruction on whatever there was Of
sovereignty in the thirty.eight States of
the Union.
Mr.. Davis (of North Carolina) asked
Mr.. Garfield why it was that partisan
committees had been sent 10 three South
crn States by the President? Excite.
ment and applause in the galleries and
general disorder.
Mr.. Gariield--lf the galleries will stop
their clatter ] will answer. The gentle.
men who went TO Louisiana ut the re-.
quest Of the President went there only
as invited witnesses, and on our arrival
we were asked by n Democratic commit.
tee TO join them in helping to secure The
count Of all the votes actually cast. We
answGred that We were not there to se.
cure anything, but least Of all were we
there 10 direct any body in Louisiana TO
violate the laws Of that State. That was
their business, not ours. ~ rl.t RI
Mr.. DaVis-By what authority did the
President invite them there? ~
Mr.. Garfeld-lf the gentleman needs
70 know by what authority an American
citizen travels anywhere in the United
States he will learn the authority by
Which | for one went TO Louisiana. =!
Mr.. Davis-Why was II four years ago
that your party threw out the electoral
votes OF several States? ,,,-,-,,
B Calls TO order and increased confusion.
Mr.. Hoar called attention 10 the dis
ordeA and stated that twas only within
the last two months that the practice Of
interrupting the proceedings by applause
on the floor or galleries had arisen. yITe
called upon the Speaker before exciting
matters would be presented to enforce
rigidly the rule and to have II UNDER
stood that any member who indulges in
applause Ia guilty Of disorder, and that il
tits attempted in the galleries they shall
be cleared. aii i1 l.I.,i ~
The Speaker stated that the suggestion
was very proper one, but that Il was n
mistake 10 say the practice had grown
mp within the last two months. The
practice, however, was an evil which the
present occupant OF The chair had always
checked, and would continue To check.
Mr.. Hoar-I withdraw absolutely the
remark that the practice has grown up
recently, but we all concur in the desira.
bility Of its being stopped. kgg Vg.Ia
The Speaker remarked, in Justice TO
the galleries, that sometimes disorder 90.
Cured because the example was sci on
the floor. lie would, however, rigidly
prevent applause. 0.l.f HIfi ~
The debate then proceeded. UE sna
Mr.. Wood, Of New York, regretted
that the gentle from Ohio, (Garlield) had
seen fit to cloSe another wise and admira.
BILE argument by mere partisan allusion
which was entirely unnecessary TO pro.
per discussion Of present matters. He
wanted no partisan influence or reflection
10 enter into the discussion. lie wanted
the question determined on principles
higher than party principles. He held
that States had not the sole power 10 ap.
point electors; they had power to appoint
them under certain restrictions, and Il
necessarily followed that Il dcvoIycd on
Congress 10 ascertain whether that power
had been executed in accordance with
the law. The Constitution placed Ger.
tain limitations on, the States, nole on
Congress, as the gentleman from Ohio
Garfield maintained. IVA UEnlaza