The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-01-18


votes of those States (Contemptuous
laughter on the Democratic side and IN
the galieries). He hoped that the CALLER
les would not help the Democratic slde
of the House in this debate.
Mr., Luttrell-I do not think the gen.
tleman has right to charge the Demo
cratic party with stealing, when his Re-
publican committee robbed poor orphans
and widows in the Departments to carry
on the campaign, loud applause IN Ihe
galleries.
MIR. Frye-I did not know, when gave
the gentleman from California the liberty
to ask question, that he wanted to IN
teriect little demogogical stump speech
that would meet the approval OF the gal
leries on that side.
Mr.. Luttrell--Do you deny that 1t ssoi
You were on the Republican National
Committee, and you know that poor
widows and orphans of the departments
were made to pay for the support OF the
campaign loud calls to order on the
Republican side),
Mr.. Frye-There is a committee OF
members of the House-intelligent mem
bers of the House-whiCh is investlgat
ing that very subject The committee
will find out and answer The gentleman
shortly.
Mr.. Luttrel tried to make another re-
mark, but was informed by the Speaker
that the gentleman from Maine was en-
titled to the floor
Well, sir, said Luttrell, he bull-bozed
them. (Laughter.) -.
Mr.. FRYE declared that the Republican
Committee had never assented, demand"
ed or asked contributions from such as
Luttrell described. On the contrary ii
had sent out very polite request Con-
Itemptuous laughter to the gentlemen
who were commissioned by the President
and confirmed by the Senate to help to
run the campaign.
Mr.. Luttrell-Was it not understood
that every one who declined to pay an
assessment should be discharged.
Mr.. Frye-It was not so understood,
and there never was a man asked twice
for contributions,
Mr.. Luttrell-Because if he refused he
was discharged. '..
Mr.. Frye-And there never was a sug.
gestion that anybody should be punished
for refusing to make contribution, and
there never was any contribution what
ever to the Republican National Commit
tee from department clerks.
Mr.. Cox IN. Y. said he would not fol-
low the argument of the gentleman from
Maine, which had been sufficiently an
swered by the badluage of the gentlt man
from California, and by ironical cheers
of the galleries. The point before the
House was simply whether the House
should be disregarded by the Returning
Board of louisiana.
Mr.. Kasson argued against the resolu-
ton, because it would establish a prece-
dent that a Committee of the House could
summon the Governor of State to bring
before it papers of his Office, and could
bring that high official before the Bar OF
the House, degrading him by asking him
to stand at the bar and answer for con-
| tempt.
Mr.. Garfield argued against the resolu'
tion, aud quoted authorities against the
power therein asserted, referring among
other thing, to the fact that in 1900, when
our fathers we're discussing the question
of election contest they distinctly exclu-
ded in bill which passed one House IN
one form and another house in another
form, the idea that petition touching
the question of how vote went inside
of Stale should be presented or heard
He denied that any prince or potentate
or Legislature, or Congress, or Committee
of Congress could wag its tongue against
the act of State in that regard. He re-
ferred to the famous Plaque Mines fraud
in 1874 by which the vote Louisiana
WAS given to Polk and said that no one
then claimed the right to go behind the
vote ofa State to undo that outrageous and
open fraud. He argued that provisions
of the Constitution in regard to the Pres
dential election were imperative and
left no time or authority for a contest,
and he chaleny ed the name ofany states
man who had ever claimed that Congress
had the power within five limitations
mentioned by him) to go inside of State
to look at the vote If the vote of one
State we're examined, the votes of all the
States might thus be, and thus an cleo
ton OF President might be at any time
rendered impossible. He appealed to
the Democratic side of the House to
pause before it committed this act of as.
sault and destruction on whatever there
was of sovereignty in thirty-eight States
of the Union.
Why Partisan Committees Went South.
Mr.. Davis IN. C.) asked Mr.. Garfield
why it was that partisan Committees had
been sent to three Southern States by
President Grant? Excitement and ap
plause in the galleries and general dis
order).
Mr.. Garfeld-If the galleries will stoT
their clatter, will answer The gentle
men who went to Louisiana at the re-
quest of the President went there only
as invited witnesses, and on our arrival
we were asked by Democratic Commit
tee to Join them in hel ping to secure a
count of all the votes actually cast, We
answered that we ere not there to BE-
cure anything, but least of all were W.
til ere to direct anybody in Louisiana tt
violate the laws of that State. That wa
their business not ours,
Mr.. Davis-By what authority did thu
President invite them there7
Mr.. Garfeld-If the gentleman need
to know by what authority an American
citizen travels in the United States b,
will learn the authority by which |, fo
one, went to Louisiana
An Unanswerable Question.
Mr.. Davis-Why was it that severa
years ago your party threw out the cleo
toral vote of several States? Calls h
order and increased coniusion) Mr. Hoa
called attention to the disorder, and scat
ed that il was only within the last tw,
months that the practice of interruptin
proceedings by applause on the floor O
the galleries had arise. He called upol
the Speaker, before exciting matter
would be presented, to enforce rigidly tn
rule, and to have it understood that an
member who indulges in applause !
guilty of disorder, and that if it is al