National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-04-07

at the stake and danced TO Bacchanalian music
round his pyre" The House had also had the
Niger catcher" from Connecticut (Mr. Hawlcyl-
the gentleman would excuse the expression--who
had said; " You, gentlemen of the South, are re.
lying upon treaeherous friends. You must know
that In the Northern States all patriotism all intel
ligence, and all capital belonged to the Republican
party III that gentleman We're onehalf as wise as
nc thought he was, and knew anything about the
southern States, he must know that all the intell.
genee all the property all the virtue, and all the
worth there belonged TO the Democratic party.
Applause ON Democratic aidel
lie had heard from men of eminence cOnslitu-
tiQnal arguments, but he had only to listen from
which side Of the House the voice came to know
,he CONVICTIONS of the speaker; and that led him to
believe that there was not so much constitutional
construction required about the matter. The law
which II was proposed to repeal had been parti-
sun measure, passed by Congress for the purpose
on upholding partisan power. In 1868 he had
been permitted for the first time after the war to
vOte but on going TO the polls he had found sen:
Safeguarding the approach to the balot-box and
an officer sccrcted behind the box. lie had there
upon refused to vote, saying that no freeman would
vote under duTess; tDerlsiye laughter on the Re.
votes cast ut that poll In 1872 he had gone to an
other polling place and had found soldiers quar-.
tered within ffy yards of the ballot-box, and not
Republican vote had been cast at the poll. Why2
Because they had understood that the military
were Democrats. aud had taken the liberty OF not
voting under duress,, Laughter and applause on
MIR, oCoSHoR believed That the President would
De equal TO The emergency, and would think more
VI lHt hppuusct lne peace anu inc happiness OF
4ioOO,OOo Of people Than Of party pride or the re.
luctdnce OF aparty to abdcatc power.
Mr. HASKELL replied TO Mr. Aiken. lie admitted
the recent lynching of negro In Fort Scott for
Infamous outrage and LEFT the Justification of the
fact TO the people of tho country lie spoke of the
border nilhan troubles IN Kansas and said that no
Beechcr rifles had been Sent TO Kansas until after
the South had marched armed men into that terri
tory and tried to subyert free election. lie thanked
God that Beecher rifles were sent there, and that
the North had sent her truest men there. Tho
South had flung down the gauntlet there as II now
lung II down here, and IL found that 1t was not
then dealing with downtrodden plantation hands,
but with the best blood and sinew and bone of the
United States
Mr.. Cox-was reminded by the remarks of the
gentlemen (Messrs. Haskell and Aiken) that the
FIRST speech made by him In the House was on the
SUBJECT OF bleeding Kansas but he asked. had
lhere Deen no progress made since? The Beecher
rifles and the John Brown raid had at that time
danced through the debate but had nothing been
learned since, and was the same old seCtonalism
p be revived p? Congress should have made progress
since then, both as to the ethics and practice of
parliamentary bodies, and first as TO the practice.
lie had urged In the Democratic councils prelini-
nary 70 the introduction Of this bin that the re:
pealing DIS should be introduced independently of
The appropriation bills-that they should be pure
and simple. He thought that that was the best
practice ana was more in consonance with the
progress OF political science.
He wished that members could have had the
right TO vote on the repeal of those obnoxious
measures pure and simple. But he had bowed in
the councils of his party to the superior wisdom but
not superior experience of others. Why was 1t that
the House was now debating n question that had
been settled in England and In almost all other
nations hundreds OF years ngo-the question be-
tween force and freedom, right and wrong? Gentle.
men on the Republican side still insisted on hay.
ing force at the polls That was not right. Eec-
ton meant choice, free choice without compulsion.
Had the American people made no progress In the
last 200 years? Judge Holt had decided In England
IN leading case, that there was a common law
right OF acton to any man who was debarred
wrongfuly Of his write to vote Thatw the com
mon law both of England and America
If this bill as 1t passes both Houses and goes to
the President and If the Presidential veto that has
been so trucCuently threatened comes down upon
US Vs.; then let The Senate send to US these repeating
men on the other side Of the House.
Mr. CoNGER. Bring them in.
Mr. PRICE. We are ready for them
Mr. CANNON, of Illinois, moved an amendment to
strike out the word civil" where It occurs IN the
sixth section, and spoke in favor Of the PROPOSE
ton.
Mr. McCoiD remarked that the Democratic side of
the House did not recognize that there could be
any such thing as EARNED enemies of the United
States, and he asked that the members Of the
armed enemies of the United States" to rise and
show their hands. No one responding to the call.
Mr. MeCoidtaccepted that amid much laughter, as
proof OF the correctness OF his position.
He went on to say that the country was sensitive
on the question of whether or not the Democratic
party was patriotic party, and he confessed that
The experience of the lastweek rather strengthened
his suspicion that 1t was patriotic party He had
not heard single member on the other side deny
the proposition which had been submitted by
the gentleman from Ohio (Mr Garfeld) that the
Government could be destroyed without firing a
hostile gun. He alluded 10 the fact that one of the
distinguished members from Kentucky paraded TO
his constituents the assertion that his primary al
legiance was to his own State. He said that there
had been an avowal on the other side of a willing
ness to rebel again. There had not been single
denial the other side of the right of secession;
but on the contrary, the purpose of secession had
been disclosed and not single sentence had been
spoken in contradiction of the theory.
The country was waiting for evidence of loyalty
of the Democratic party to the Union, and feared
to-day treason in the form of law and under the
specious cry of the Constitution moro than 1t did
treason on the tented field. This measure was moth
ing more than the first step of n new revolution,
and had features similar to the last one. In 1861
the Government had sent ship laden with sup
plies for the troops In one of its forts. Then the
gentlemen on the other side had placed cannon
on the shore and had tackled to that bill of sup.
plies for the army. the secession ordinance, and
had said to the Government: you shall not,supply
your army unless you take this secession ordinance
with it," So to-day the same thing was done. The
other side said TO the Government: "Unless you
will give to us "a bare majority of this side of the
House the control of the election machinery of the
therefore, was simply thls-that the United States
shall not use any force to keep the peace in any
State in the Union.
He recalled visions Of history, going back to 1861,
and said that in the background he saw the smoke
Libby Prison and Andersonville and the flag of the
Stars and Bars then again little later he saw the
last act of the rcbellOn-a violation of the sOver-
eighty of the United States-whon the White House
was draped IN mourning; then he recalled the
scenes of murder and outrage committed by the
Ku;Klux organizations. lie closed his speech
with protest against the pending measure,
Mr. WAIT said that one of the claims on which
this legislation was asked was that the presence of
the troops had embarrassed voters in the exercise
of tho elective franchise. In an investigation
into ono of the contested election cases from the
South he had discovered that the presence of the
troops had not inundated voters on the contrary,
had had
cratic votes at the polls at which troops had been
present than at those at which they had not been
present
All debate on the bill and amendments were
then closed, and the amendment offered by Mr..
Cannon (ll.) was rcjeCted-l21 to 1877
Mr. BAKER offered an amendment making II a
penal oiense for any person, by menaCcS or threats,
to disturb any meeting assembled for Il lawful pur-
pose in any campaign for the election of members
a division OF time In speaking. Ruled out on n
point of order.
Mr.. BREWER offered an amendment providing
that nothing contained In the bill shall In any way
Government to keep the peace at tho polls at such
time as Is prescribed for the election Of members of
Congress Rejected-ll7 to 1856.
Mr.. CoNGER moved to substitute for section the
THAT sections 2O02 and 552S of the Re.
ylsed Statutes be, and the same are hereby, re-
pealed." RejeCted-lO9 to 1856
Mr., LAPlIAM moved 10 amend by providing that
any person who shall appear at the polls at the
election of members of Congress with u deadly
weapon shall be subject to the penalty provided
in the bill ReGcted-Sl to $780,
Mr., CAsWEIL moved 10 strike out the portion of
the section providing for penalties. Rejected.
The question them REQUIRED on the motion made
BY MI Lowe To- strike out the whole OF section
The committee then rose and reported the bill to
the House.