New-York tribune., 1879-06-12
THE ARMY BILL IN THE HOUSE.
ONLY TIIRTY-oNE VOTES AGAINST IT-A NOISY
TIME IN DEBATE UPoS THE BILL.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.l

WASHINGTON, June Ill ne House OF hcpTe-
sentatves was in an industrious though noisy mood
again to-day. 1t did good stroke of work. The
Democrats, being tired of trying TO force through
the iniqutous bill relating to the transfer of causes
from State to Federal Courts, agreed to Mr.. Fryes
motion TO postpone the further consideration OF it
until next December.
The Army bill was then taken up. When the
ninth section of the bill was reached General Joseph
L. Johnston moved to strike ont the provision for
bidding the promotion of any officer above the rank
of captain. After some discussion the whole section
was stricken out on motion of Mr.. Clymer himself
This section, it is understood, would have excited
very strong opposition in the Senate.
An hour was allowed for general debate on the
sixth section. relating to the use OF troops as
police force to keep the peace at the polls. Mr.
Baker, of Indiana, said that he had no objection
to the section save as he considered it mere idle
thunder.
General Hawley IN brief speech said he had
come to the conclusion that there was nothing III
the section which would prevent the use of organized
military force to execute anyaw when the ordinary
civil police was unable to do so. General Haw
ley said that he had carefully examined the
meaning Of the term "police force" and had
come to the conclusion, after reading the decisions
on that subject that be had objection to this Sec
ton, except that it Is general legislation He in-
sisted that there place. second of time, where
the Government has not the power to execute every
law and is not bound 10 exercise it,
General Garfield recalled the history Of the Dem
Ocratic attempts to repeal the laws which are OBJ
noxious TO them, and contrasted the programme at
the beginning with the present position of the party
He declared that he knew man anywhere In
favor of running elections by the bayonets." He
made a strong point and one which reused the Re
publicans to great applause when. after declaring
that the only military interference with elections
he had ever known was by armed enemies of the
United States, he described in graphic language
the scene in Chattanooga in the Au-
tumn of 1862. when he and 5000 other
Ohio soldiers cast their votes for Governor
of Ohio under the the fire of rebel batteries,
and amidst the shrleks Of rebel Shells which killed
some men as they were gong TO and from the polls
General Garfield closed by describing the section
under discussion "a stump speech haylng no legal
effect whatever."
Mr. S. S. Cox then essayed to speak. The Demo-
Gratis were impatient, and drowned his voice with
cries Of "vOte, vote" and for some time the Demo-
cratic side of the House was a mob Order at
length restored, and Mr. Cox was permitted to pro-
coed. His speech was not worthy of him. Speaking
of the reason why the Democrats had not repealed
the obnoxious law, Mr.. Cox said "We cannot
brush tn EN- away long as you have fraud In
the White House, and the remainder of his speech
was in similar vein.
Mr. Clymer spoke for some time amidst great con-
FUSION and hastily suspended his remarks ntimat-
ing that be would print the speech in The Record,
announcement which was a relief to rybody.
There were few Republicans who opposed the
bill not because they desired that troops should be
used as "A police force, but because they wished
that the section should be placed In a more
explicit form. General Kelfer, Mr. Williams, of
Wisconsin, and one or two Others who held this
view were incensed because they could not get
hearing and if the Democrats had been anything
except the bluuderers they they would have
allowed the gentlemen opportunity to speak
with the hope of getting upa rebellion in the Re
publican camp and making 1t appear that the Re-
publicans were hOpelessly divided. For two or
three days the Democrats have ndustriousy circu-
lated stories of dssensons In the Republican ranks,
and they expected to-day that majority of the he
publicans would vote against tue bill. In all
this they reckoned without their host. On the
final vote only twelve Republicans voted no, and
not one of these voted because he is in favor OF
using soldiers as POLICE force at the polls.
Interest was felt in Mr.. Blackburns vote by those
who recalled his declaration in the famous speech
of April 3, when he said: " We do not intend TO
stop until we have stricken the last yestge of your
war measures fgom the statute DookS;" ana also
that "this side of the Chamber, which has DEM
onstrated its power. never means to yield or sur
render until this Congress shall have died by
to have experienced a great change, for
without even "A word OF personal explanation he
meekly voted for the bill.
The stalwart Democrats did not all surrender.
Nineteen of them, under the lead of Mr.. Cox and
Mr.. Bliss, of New-York Mr.. Hurd, of Ohio, and Mr..
Knott, of Kentucky, manfully stuck TO the princi-
pies of the party TO which they belong, and voted
in favor of the rule ruiz" policy. The bill was
paSsed by a vote of w TO 81 nays.