The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1879-05-08
Secretary Sherman at Mansfield,
Ohio.

Mansfield, Ohio, May 5.-Secretary
Sherman arrived here this morning,
and took rooms at the st. James hotel.
He was visited largely in the forenoon
by citizens of all politics. In the even
ing he was serenaded at the hotel, and
in the course of his speech said 1.-The
great question that is now agitating the
public mind is the attempt by your Rep
only laws that in many cities and in
some States give the people fair and
full voice. Have you ever thought tina:
your only voice in the National Govern
ment lies in the election of members OF
Congress once in two years! Yon are
called to elect a member of Congress
and that man represents you. So far
as the National Government is concern
ed your only voice in the government
is when you vote for member Of Con-
gress. In a great number of the large
cities elections are carried by fraud and
unfair means. In the great city of New
York there are wards that have been
carried by fraud and repeaters for forty
years. In some of the Southern States
intimidation and fraud is carried on
openly at the polls. There are now
members in Congress who hold their
seats by fraud and intimidation in South
Carolina. Thousands of tissue ballots
were cast last fall--little bits of paper,
forty of which would not make as great
bulk as one ticket voted by you here.
These were voted all at once and by one
voter in South Carolina. More votes
were cast there last year than there
were men. women, children, and cats
and dogs. In the city of New York
at one election more than thirty-fiye
thousand illegal votes were cast. This
was proven by an Investigation Com
mittee of Congress, who made an elabo-
rate report on the same. In large cities
there is great danger OF this being done.
You are free from this species OF fraud
here. You do not know what fraud is.
One of the greatest duties of Congress
is the preservation of the purity of cleo
tons. There is but one safeguard against
fraud and repeating provided by Con-
gress. and now an effort is being made
to repeal it. Tome this question is par
ticularly important; law provided for
us is not as proficient as il might be.
Congress can easily change it-but in
stead of making it better they ask to
repeal it, and how do they try to do it,
by passing bill as the laws are ordina-
rily made.
Now, there is bill which protects The
settlers of the west from the raids of
the Indians. There wO,ild be no Objec-
ton to the passage of this bill alone. but
they add to this bill measure for the
repeal of the election laws: pass it and
present it TO the President for his sigma
turc. Some think it is just and right to
add measures to appropriation bills. |
have seen it done many times, When
this is done for the purpose of aiding
and sustaining the independent depart
ments of the Government, l agree to it.
Congress said to the President, you con-
sent to the repeal of certain laws or we
will make you no appropriation. The
President has sent back one Of these
bills with his objections. He has the
right to do so. Now, my cOuntrymen,
don't believe there is going to be any
serious trouble in regard to the apprO-
priation bills.