The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-05-21
ELECTIONS MUST BE FAIR.
spNAToR DAVID DAVIS SPEAKING FOR
THE FREEDOM OF THE
BALLOT,

speech of Senator Davis OF ILLINOIS,
His assumed political independence
of both parties, his personal rela,
tions with Mr.. Lincoln, and his po-
sition as an occasionally talked Of
candidate for the Presidency, gave
additional interest to his speech
Many members of the House came
over to hear what Judge Davis had
to say. Mr.. Blaine quit his side of
the chamber and took seat imme-
diately in front of the speaker, so
that half the time Judge Davis
seemed to be speaking for his espe-
cial benefit. The Senators on both
sides listened with the closest atten-
ton. He read his speech from man
uscript. 1t was short, concise, ad-
mirably poised in temper, and
framed in q judicial tone that gave
peculiar force to his argument. Be
ginning with reputation of any
caucus or party influence, Judge Da-
Wis condemned the excited and sec
tional character of the debate. He
said there was an attempt to revive
all the passions of the war fourteen
wears after the war had ceased and
while the. Federal Government was
obeyed throughout the entire Union.
The cry Of revolution he regarded as
absurd when four per cent. bonds
were sold at par. The charge was a
mere fiction. But while it had no
foundation it tended to demoralizc
the country and unsettle the coun-
try and unsettle business. Instead
Of reviying sectional animositles it
was the duty of politicians to devise
methods of relief to the impoyer-
ished people of the country. Turn
ing to the disputed section of the
bill, Mr.. Davis most strongly con-
doned the use of troops at the polls,
arguing that it was purely a war
measure. and that none of those who
voted for it expected it to remain as
permanent law of the land. The
days of the republic, he contended,
would be numbered whenever the
people should consent to put the bal
lot box under the protection Of the
bayonet. Can it be possible that q |
principle of common law, the right
of the people to have an election free
from the presence of troops, so dear
to Englishmen one hundred years
ago, is not equally dear to their de-
scendants at the present day.
Mr.. President, it will require some
one now living to write accurately
the history of these times; future
historians will be slow to believe
that there was basis Oh which to
rest such m inquiry in the Congress
of the United States during the lat
ter part of the nineteenth century.
Why then should not the law of 1865
be altered in the manner proposed
by the bill? It is said that President
Lincoln signed it, and the inference
is that it would reflect on his memo
ry to change it To say the least,
this is pretty strong presumption.
from such a predicate. No man
loved Mr.. Lincoln better, or honors
his memory more than l do; nor had
any one greater opportunities to
learn the constitution of his mind
and character, and his habits of
thought. He was large hearted, wi
ser than those who associated with
him, full of sympathy for strug-
Cling humanity, without malice, with
charity for erring men, loving his
whole country with deep devotion
and intensity; anxious to save It,
Believing, as do, that he was raised
up by providence for the great crisis
of the war of the rebellion. / have
equal belief that had he lived we
would have been spared much of the
strife of these latter days, and that
we would be on the high road to
prosperity. Such man, hating all
forms of oppression, and deeply i'm
bued with the principle that induced
she men Of 1776 to resist the stamp
AK would never have willingly in
,rusted power to any one, unless war
vas fragrant, to send troops to over
Zee an election. Why then, I repeat, i
should not the proposed measure
,ass? There is no rebellion, nor any a
threatened; nor any domestic uproar
anywhere. The Union is cemented
y the blood that was shed in de- U
enee of it's integrity; the laws are v
beyed North and South, East and (
Vest; and our only real differences T
elate to the administration of the =
Internal affairs of the Government. II