Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-04-17

| in that chamber voted against IL and
! put the seal OF their condemnation upon
IL, Mr. Powell among the number
Here stands Senator Powelis utterance,
in which he explains how and why IL
was that the Democratic members in
that body and this body at last accept.
ed this as the best that could be had:
Notwithstanding. against their protest,
the migrating OF the Pomoroy amend
ment, because IL Was to be taken in
lieu OF what they charged was true, Of
what the President of the United States
in an official communication 10 Con.
| Rress had declared to be true. that in
the absence Of even the limitations that
amended bill would give, the military
authorities and officers Of the Govern.
ment had arrogated to Themselves the
power IN all the lately seeding states
OF declaring what should be the qualifi.
cation OF voters and what should be the
qualification TO hold Office. II was as
the least offensive of two offensive alter.
natives. IT was not candid, it was not
fair the record rcbukes the gentleman
for seeking to place IA dead statesman
IN such false position.
But, Mr.. Chairman, il IL useless to
follow these thingy further. II j. not.
cir, Tor me 10 waste the time and trench
upon the patience Of this committee by
following out the regeneration. through
which the Republican party has wound
itself 10 this high plane Of protest
against revolutionary legislation. Why,
s!r, the gentleman from Ohio, in 1872,
made speech upon this floor which
he will not deny. II waa, AZ il always
the case with his efforts. an adroit on
well as an ahlo speech. In that be do.
clarcd that the minority to which We
then belonged, but which in Gods prov.
itenc" We are no longer found-he de.
clared that the minority were guilty of
revolution. For what? Becahse they
insisted that cztrancous matter should
not be put upon appropriation bills.
lie said that was revolution. Laughter
and applause. We took him At hi-
word, and now where does he stand?
II was revolution then 70 resist the in.
lection of extraneous matter over the
protest of the majority. II is revolution
now for the majority 10 resist the same
protest OF that minority but in the one
case it was his side protesting, in the
other it was ours.
All, Mr. Chairman, let ono take the
darkeued pages of his country's history
for the last seventeen long years and read
il carefully, and tell me then whether
il lies ia the mouth of that worthy lead.
er OF a once great but wanning party TO
read lectures TO any body, either upon
tho scare Of revolutionary Legislation or
of extraneous introductiOns into appro.
priatlon bills. Better far in the face Of
the record that they have made, better
to listen patiently to the confirmed in.
ebriate as he dilAtes upon the virtues OF
temperance, better let the queen Of the
demimonde, elaborate the beauties of
female virtue, or let the devil prate Of
the scheme Of universal redemption,
than for bomilies upon good morals and
lectures upon revolutionary legislation
to be delivered from such = source.
Applause.
There is but one issue here, and in
sist that neither this House nor the
people Of this country shall be allow ed
to wander from H. II is but this. and
nothing more: whether the military
power shall bo allowed at your polls +;
whether the elections shall be guarded
by the mailed hand OF military power !:
whether the ballot box, that last and
safest shield Of the freemAn's liberties,
shall be turned over to the tender mer.
cies of the armies Of your land. Or to
state it yet more ;ersely and probably
more fairly, IL is simply whether the
spirit and the genius Of this Government
shall be reversed, and whether the civil
shall be made subordinate 10 the mill
iary power.
Why. sir, among the most favored.
the most cherished and precious princi
pies ingratified on our system OF govern.
ment from our old prototype, the Eng
lish people, is that provision which
would not tolerate not only the inter
ference but the presence OF the military
at the polls.
over one hundred years ago an Eng.
lish statute declared the will of Eng.
lishmen upon this vital question.
| read the statute:
BE /; enacted by the King's most excel
lent Majesty, BY and with the advice and
consent Of the Lords, spiritual and tempo
raj, and Commons in Parliament assembled,
and by the authority Of the same. That
when aud as often As any election Of anv
peer or peers 10 represent the peers uf
Scotland in Parliament, or any member or
members 10 serve in Parliament, shall be
appointed TO be made the Secretary at
War for the time being, or in case there be
no Secretary at War, then such person
who shall ofiiciAte in the place Of the Sec
retary ct War, shall, and is hereby requir-
cd, st some convenient time before the day
appointed for such election, 10 issue ard
send forth proper orders, in writing, for the
removal Of every such regiment, troop or
company, or other number Of soldiers as
shall be quariered or bille;cd in any such
city, borough or town or place where such
election shall be appointed 10 be made, out
of every such city, borough town or place,
onc-day at the least before the day ap-
pointed for such election, 10 the distance of
two or more miles from such city, borough,
town or place, IS aforesaid, until one day
at the least after the poll to be taken at
such election shall be ended and The poll
books closed Statute George II.
From that time till now do declare