Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-02-20

oppression. The secret of all this movement
Is found in an order issued from New York
and published in the Democratic organ here
which says that if the election laws be not re-
Pealed, there will be enough Democratic mem
oers elect to the next Congress, who will be
imprisoned for crime before the next Congress
meets, to give majority to this side of the
house, and that, therefore. these laws must be
repealed or the Republicans will organize the
House, and on that call, on that party bugle
call, the caucus has ordered these proceedings
today and this Ironically is the party of peace
ana good order which does not want trouble.
but wants Cancellation and a lively union of all
elements in the country.
Now, Mr.. Chairman, if this be the purpose
Tor which we are called upon here to vote, we
of this side are compelled to meet it in the
spirit of the constitution and our rights and
that we propose to do, if it takes one night,
two nights or ten nights. applause on the Re-
publican side.) Not while this Congress lasts
s hnnI, i you strike from our statute
OF the election franchise. When you do it
you must do it because you have the whole
power to do 1t, and not by our help, not by our
consent. hundred criminal prosecutions are
to-day pending before the courts of the United
States to punish crimes against the elective
franchise. Already enough men from the city
OF CINCINNATI have been sentenced to the peni-
tentlary for fraud, to take away the majority
OF one of the members this floor from that
city applause on the Republican side) and all
the proceedings in the criminal court are to be
abandoned at the cry of party order which
demands 1t for party success.
| At this point Mr.. Blackburn havingyleft the
chair and came down on the floor, replied to
the implied reflection in the remarks of Mr..
Garfield as above. In reply to question of
Mr. Blackburn, Mr.. Garfield stated that the
fuu scope intended by his remarks was that
MIR. Blackburn and his party were acting under
n fha 0or1 $<~ %hnk
were not free agents.
Answering this explanation, MIR. Blackburn
SAID: 1t is very evident, and am glad recognizes
| the fact that the gentleman from Ohio does not
propose to stand on that now, when submit to
! MN the question as to whether he then intend
cd, or does now propose to be understood as
telling this committee that I, as it's chairman,
received instructions either directly or indirect
| ~, or even any instruction from Democratic
caucus as to how was to rule, as to how /
was expected to rule on any question of order
that was ever to be presented. am not able
to to reach direct issue with the gentleman. I
DO not understand it now as he puts it, that he
even charges that. I wish to add just a
single word, and am sure
that am not violating any obligation that
| belongs to caucus action. There never was
the slightest intimation given me by that eau
Gus OF any member of it, either in caucus or
since, that was expected to rule this way or
|
| order should be raised. never saw the amend
ments offered to this bill by the gentlemen
from Alabama and Ohio, Herbert and South
ard, until they were sent to the clerks desk.
did, OF course, know what their general pur-
port was. did not know their scope I did
| not know their framework. They had never
| been explained to me or read to me, nor had
they been seen by me until the point of order
was raised. This statement was due not SO
much to myself as it was to my party asso-
| cIates in the House and in the country,
Not 80 much due either to them or
ID me as 1t was to the gentleman from Ohio,
who, according to this report, had made a
charge that could not be sustained, and had
taken position where he could not stand. 1t
was more on his account than On that Of nv
self or my associates, that came here TO right
what conceived to be wrong, and as 1 never
do anything grudgingly, say now that it is
not IN any grudglng spirit, but very freely
and very cheerfuily, that accept the expla-
nst1on and statement given by the gentleman
from Ohio as to what was hls purpose as COM
pletely generating both myself and nv partv
associates in the House.
MIR. Davis-As the gentleman from Ohio
knows what was done in caucus, perhaps he
will tell us where any member of the caucus
was bound by its action.
Mr.. blackburn will answer that question
myself and will say that that question was
passed upon and was declared in caucus that
no one was bound in any way by its action.
The caucus was simply for the purpose of con-
Mr. Blackburn's remarks were frequently
applauded.
Without taking any action on the amend
ment, the committee rose and the House adj
journed.