Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-02-26

yeas ITO, nays li5. Inc House then Went int
committee ON the legislative appropriation bill
PERSONAL EXPLANATION.
Mr.. McMahon stated he had voted yesterday
for the passage of the civil sundry appropria
ton bill under the impression that it contained
nothing but appropriations. 1t did, however
centain legislation in regard to arrears of pen
sions which, had he known, it would have
made him vote against the bill.
FRosT-METcALF.
Mr.. Harris, chairman OF the committee OF
elections, reported resolutions in regard to the
contested election from the Third Con-
gressional district OF Missouri declaring II. G.
Frost cont estant is not, and l.. S. Metcalf sit
ting Der, is entitled to the seat. Laid on
the table.
LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATION BILL.
The House then went into committee of the
whole, Mr.. Blackburn in the chair, on the legis-
lative appropriation bill, the question being on
Air. Southard's amendment repeating the law
creating the Office of electoral supervisor, etc.
Mr.. Banning quoted from Mr.. Garfield
speech of last Wednesday to the effect that SO
many men had been sent from Cincinnati to
the penltentiary for election frauds as would
take away the majority Of one of the members
| from that city. He said so far as I am aware
this Is the first time that this infamous false
hood has found any one reckless of truth as
to become its endorser upon this floor. In 1872
| l was elected from the Second Congressional
district of Ohio over R. B. Hayes by majority
| of J, 5O5. In 1874 reelected by ma jority
/ of $50 over Job E. Stevenson. IN 1876, after
the most exciting contest that had ever occurred
| IN the district in which every appliance known
| in corrupt politics was used against me- Gov.
Hayes certified my ma jority t" be rs over SEN
ator Stanley Matthews. l believed then, as
do now, that fair count would have given me
a much larger majority. Judge Matthews gave
me notice of contest. which l answered. Suf-
! fee it to SLY that he abandoned the contest and
never took word of testimony.
| After the election, charges of fraud were
made by both parties and examined into by the
| United States district court, with Republican
| judge, a Republican district attorney and a Re-
| publican marshal. What, sir, was the result?
! In the whole Of Hamilton county, comprising
| two Congressional districts, fifteen persons in
all were convicted of Illegal practices, of whom
! i've were sent to the penitentiary. Ten of
these fifteen were flom the Second district and
| three of these ten were Republicans, one being
colornd Republican. This, sir, is the record
regarding the Congressional election in 1876 in
the Second district of Ohio it has been fur
nlshed to me. district composed Of honorable
men, who hate fraud and deteSt f-.lsehood. In
their behalf, in the interests Of truth and as
matter of justice to myself, I pronounce the
assertion made by the gentleman TO be untrue,
and l derounce its author, whoever he may be-
as falslher. Before this assertion the gentle
man should have been certain it was true and
should not have made himself responsible on
this floor and before the country for that which
the record shows to be false. | am informed
that the gentleman was wont to clothe himself
In the white robes of an evangelist. and. as
cending the pulpit, to preach the gospel of Him
who commands, Thou shalt not bear false wit
ness against thy neighbor." Surely he of all
men in this House should satisfy himself of
the truth or falsity of an assertion before
placing it upon the records of the nation.
One word more. l desire to be distinctly
understood about this matter once for all. If
any person means to assert that single fraud
ulent vote was cast at the election of 1876
with my knowledge, by my authority,
through my procurement, I here and nov pro-
nounce the assertion malicious falsehood.
l might follow the usurious example offered
me and retaliate by gathering up all the SLAM
ders connected with the gentleman's official
record, SO well known to the press and people
of the country, and pour them out on this floor
but as l know nothing of my own knowledge
as to the truth falsity Of these charges, 1
scorn to do SO, and here leave the gentleman
to a full enjoyment of the position he has
made for himself.
Mr.. Hayes took the 1oor but he was asked to
yield the floor to Mr.. Garfield. and he complied
with the generally expressed will OF the House.
Mr.. Garfield said that he had no particular
desire to say anything in reply to his colleague.
He had made no charge against that gentleman
He had not named his name or his district. He
had not said anything implying that any mem
Der had noted any corrupt thing. If his col
league was ambitious to get into controversy
and to elevate himself to q position of a con-
troversialist with him he had failed, for he
(Garfeld) had. not challenged either his col
leagues personal character or his name, or his
district. He had been talking about the ne
cessity of a law remaining on the statute book
to protect the purity of national elections and
after calling attention to the frauds practiced
in New York. he had mentioned also the cleo
ton frauds practiced in Cincinnati. All that
he knew about them was what any intelligent
reader of current history also knew. His
only authority was the testimony of one Eph
Holland before a court of competent jurisdic-
ton, and in the nature of confession, to the
effect that he was an experienced repeater and
engaged, under promise Of pay, not from his
colleague, to carry on the work OF increasing
the majority Of certain party in Cincinnati,
| and that he, himself had put Somewhere in
the neighborhood Of 800 fraudulent votes in
the box. Eph Holland was sent to the peni-
Tertiary, and it was said in public print that
one car took seventeen of his associates to the
Ohio penitentiary. If that statement about
| the general state of facts had rendered his
| colleague restless and troubled, he (Garfeld)
| was not responsible for it, because the records
bore him out. He had made no personal al
| fusion.
| Mr.. Ewing took the floor, but was informed
by Mr.. Townsend New York; that there was
nothing about the greenhacks in discussion.
| He asked Mr.. Garfield whether Eph Holland
had not been pardoned out of the penitentiary
| by Gov. Hayes; and whether he was not now an
| active Republican worker.
| Mr.. Foster interposed the remark that Eph
| Holland had been delegate to the last Demo-
| cratic convention in Cincinnati.
| Mr.. Garfield replied that as Republicans had
never any success in that section he did not be-
! ieve that Holland would prove himself a sue
cess under Republican auspices.
Mr. Banning denied that Eph Holland had
1 been sent to the penitentiary. He had been
/, sent to Dayton Jail, where he had enjoyed all
the luxuries of life, and had been pardoned at
the instance and request of Republicans only
Mr. Foster suggested that the luxures had
! been furnished by Democrats.
Mr.. McMahon took occasion to say that the
Dayton jail was the best Jail west of the Al
legheny mountains.
MIR. Banning protested amid shou IS of order.
that his colleague, Garfield, had not explained
or justified the sentence which he (Banning)
| had quoted from his speech, and which he de-
clared was not true.
Mr.. Hayes characterized the attempted
amendment as note of alarm, and signal of
distress from the Democratic party. That
party was in trouble, and this House was called
upon to help it out. If these laws were en-
forced the Democratic party knew that the
penitentiaries would be filled with Democratic
voters.
Mr.. Davis, North Carolina, criticized the
right of the elective franchise in Rhode Island
and Massachusetts,. In the latter State no one
was allowed to vote who could not read the
constitution. If that we're a test in the South
ern States nine-tenths of the Republicans in
in those States would be excluded. In 1876.
by fraud by perjury, by forgeries. by improp-
er use of the army and of federal officers, the
voice of the people had been of avail, and
their will had been defeated. The pending
amendment protest against fraud and
against improper use of federal officers. Not
e gentleman on his side of the House approved
of fraud in elections, while known periurers