The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-12-05
HOUSE oF REPRESENTATIVES,.

The galleries to day contained the customary
crowd at the opening Of the session of Congress
At noon speaker Randall rRrped the House to or
der when the Chaplain made prayer and the
roll was called.
The roll call showed 229 members present. Two
new members, Messrs. Bailey Of New York, and
Majors Of Nevada, then took the iron clad oath
and Messrs, Atkins, Cox and Garfield were ap'
pointed to inform the President Congress was in
BeBaon.
After recess the Presidents message vas re-
cetVed from Private Secretary Rogers and read.
THE ELECTIONS IN THE SOUTH.
when the reading OF the message was ended,
Mr.. Wood IN. " rose and moved that II be re-.
feTed to the Committee of the Whole Of the
House and ordered printed. But first, he desired
to make some comments upon 1t. Although, as q
whole, the document was highly satisfactory, yet
there were some references In 1t which should be
met at the earliest practicable moment. He re-
ferred to that part relating to the Southern States.
He wood failed to see (What the President saw
any disposition in the South to avoid or annul in
any degree recent Constitutional amendments.
He failed to see any indication in the South at
any election, at any time, under any Circumstanc
eB for series Of years of an unWili gneBs to live
In entire amity with the whole country in regard
to the laws or to the Government He regretted
the President who had commenced his admins.
tTation with such noble and patriotic position,
as sgainst military depotism exercised by his pre-
'decesSor, should now indicate change Of policy
He bad watched with interest the course Of the
dent would he forced from the manly and noble
pOhdon taken by him. He knew that there was
wing Of the Republican party dissatisfied with
that position, and 1t had been matter of interest
to the whole country TO know whether the Presi
dent would continuously maintain his attitude |
While the President expressed his views in very
mild and very decOrous language, yet he indica. |
ted quite clearly that the condition of things in |
the south was not satisfactory to him.
The President bad referred especially to the |
elections In South Carolina and Louisiana. He |
had been able 10 single out two States and only
TWO Isolated instances in those States That was
an indication OF VaCillstiOn on the part Of the
Executive and 1t was only because il was such
an indication that he wood felt 1t his duty to
declare that there was no foundation for the allie
CATION OF wrong by the South 1t was to be re.
gretted that, while the Presidents eyes were open
to Congressional elections in South Carolina and
Louisiana, they were CLOSED TO what occurred In
the city of New York on the 9TH Of November
where four thousand legal voters were dragged
to prison by Government officials; where hun
dreds Of them were plunged into the Vilest dens
Uncommon prisoners, and where besides those
who had been arrested, ten thousand other vot.
ers had been intlmidaled thus making a differ.
ence OF at least 1000 votes in the city of New ,
York. The Presid Mt had not seen that. The Re-
publican press Of New York had not told that 10 | ,
lhe President but 1t had pointed him to the South
He (WoOd) regretted that the President had | /
thought proper to lend his high portion TO The
Teteratlou Of Misrepresentation organized for him
by the Republican press He had the highest re. 4
sard for the President, believing him 10 be al 4
honest and patriotic man. Ii was q matter of nt,
found regret that the President should PERMIT /
himself TO be an instrument In the hands Of an
ultra Wig Of the Republican patty. b
REPLY OF Mr.. GAGFGELD
Mr.. Garfield replied to Mr.. Wood He character D
1ed 1t as very unusual to interrupt the ordinary form
II proceeding (Which was simply refer to the Pres
dents message and order Its printing! by DEBATING
of itg nd bo >
made by the gentleman from New York
still more unusual. The exact language of that nj
art of the message, with which the gentleman found
lult was not, In mis- Garields) mind but the gente
lan's language was very plain. He (Woodl crltl y
led certain references In the Presidents message AZ 30
some disturbances in the OF the Federal OF
lection In several StRtes contrasted that with what pl
chose to call the noble beginning Of the admins ri
alton In favor ofselEGovernmen and said that the th
resident had shown vaccillation because he had st
zen t 10 refer to disturbances In the Federal eIac m
On. II the right Ofa State to attend to It's own local mr.
'ncerna undisturbed In any way inconsistent -
1th the right Of the national Government TO attend gu
national elections and II that was what the gen SS
eman called "vacillation," he hoped that thew Tei
lOuld all "vaclllAte' in that way. He 6GaraeId nj
ld never made himself particular advocate or de- ca
nder OF any administration for It's vacatIon or th,
mt OF Vaeilaton but fthe gentleman could make no
better case against the administration than he had IN,
Ade no had not very well opened the balp this IN,
inter-. 'I'
That gentleman could not sec that there had been
y disturbance in matters Of elections, Cafter a sn'
use), except In his own State he CWood had seen 70
ms, II not Of disturbance, at least Of yaclston the
the city Of bis adoption and in his State but thew to
re not such Instances Of "Yacaton" as the gen. uri
man would have brought up in discussion. II did /
signify that the gentleman had not seen any dl, an
bance In the elections elsewhere Ifthe Presldont oro
seen them It was the Presidents duty to saw 40 -
the President had said 30 In hls message. n the -
esdent had seen them, and had not sald 80 no "el
uld not only have been guilty of negligence bnt ca
postlVe fault. The President had referred TO Il nay
desty. He had Invited the attention of Congress In
II Did the gentleman object to having attention ren
nted TO It In that way? Had he or any gentleman mil
the other side any reason why he did not wsb t bul
enti0n Of Congress pointed to elections in the h,,
lthern StatesG For his own part he welcomed !. :.
calling Of attention. The President ought To
thanked for Il by the gentleman from New York ohe
afforded an opportunity to have this ''vacllIa 70
2 examined into closely. He (Garheld) had had 81
impression made on bis mind from somewhat ASy
stnl reading Of the public Journals that very Ia h
siderable Illegal disturbance had taken place in Der