Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-04-26
House.

The House went into committee on the leg
islativc bill.
Mr.. Richardson of s. c. spoke in favor of
repeal. The South is solid only in adherence
to the constitution.
Mr. Sherwin contcnded members of Con-
gross were federal officers and therefore gov
eminent had n right to enact laws regulating
their election.
Mr.. Van Voorhees, of n. Y said the elcc-
ton laws were constitutional and necessary
for maintenance of an honest ballot bax.
Thomas of Ill. characterized the proposed
repeal as a conspiracy to secure dem. ma
jority at the election ut all hazards, and at
the expense of citizens having as many rights
as any member on the floor.
Mr.. Williams of Wis. was glad to see the
debate coming back to the naked facts of the
last elections. On no subject was the people
more ignorant than on the awful details Of
the outrages committed at those elections.
| The trouble was the men who never quailed
before cannon balls were put to flight by the
epithets ''bloody shirt and 'bayonet rule"
These had dismaycd more men than all the
dangers of war.
! Mr.. HAYES of Ill. characterized the pro-
posed repeal rs an effort to render the fruits
avail in its future prosperity.
Mr.. Hooker said the cutlery of free ballot
for the negro was all pretcnce. In Miss.
every man was free to vote as he chose. In
reply to Gariield's speech that the South had
been allowed to return to power in the two
houses. Hooker said: "Thank God. They
have come here by the omnipotent power of
the people, who were shaking the rep. party
from the strongholds of power it had so long
abused"
Mr.. Price inquired whether the rep. party
did not have large ma ority in both houses
when the people of the South were relieved
of their political disabilities.
Mr.. Hooker gave the rep. party credit for
doing its duty in this respect, but said they
ought to have passed that law long before
they did.
Mr. Price But we did voluntarily open
the door.
Mr.. Hooker. To an extent; but then of
course solid South was in the interests of
the rep. party. You never objected to a solid
South so long as the solidty was in favor of
the reps. Mass. would not have endured for
"A hours what the South has endured for ten
! long years but now the dems. are in power,
not by the clemency of the rep. party, but by
the power of the people, and it is intended to
sweep from the statute books whatever meas
ures impedcd fair election and prevented "a
| free ballot.
Discussion then proceeded without special
ly noticeable features.
Mr. Hiscock remarked of the dcnunciation
of the dem. side, that if credited there might
be doubt as to whether in 80 days hence this
nation would have an existence.
Mr.. Haskell said Kansas welcomed the
| colorcd cmigrants.
| Mr.. Manning advocated repeal of election
laws.
Mr.. Goode, dem, said if the bin should
fail the people would determine who was re-
sponsible.
Mr.. McCook argued against repeal of the
election laws.
Mr. Ellis said that the election law was I'M
constitutional, the South has accepted the re-
suits Of the war in good faith, and the rep.
party had been the worst enemy the negro
race ever had.
Mr.. keifer said the dem. party valued ''free
fraud" at the polls and unrcstrained violence
more than it valued the government.
Mr.. Springer argued that as under the con
sttution the House had the right to make its
own rules, it was not for the President to
question or complain of forms of legislation.
Mr. Ewing closed the debate on the dem.
side of question. lie would not yield one jot
or title of the results of the war at the de-
mand of any section, but as Union soldier,
proud of his record, and unwilling now that
anything won should be surrendered, he de-
nounced the legislation that it is now propoS-
ed to repeal as plague spot on the body
polite.
A message announcing the passage of the
army appropriation bill by the Senate, was
received with considerable hand clappng on
dem. side.
Mr.. Garfield quoted the proverb: He
laughs best who laughs last"
Mr.. Ewing was proceeding to argue the I'M
constitu,ionality of the election laws, when
the hour to which the debate was limited ar
rived.
The committee rose.
The Speaker presented as enrolled and
signed by him, the army appropriation bill
Adjourned.