The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-04-18

before the committee of which he was
chairman, and declared that even white
democrats in good standing testified to
both lawlessness and intimidation at the
elections to prevent the coIored people
from voting as they desired in Louisiana
aud South Carolina.
Senator Teller said he did not know
what the president would DO but he did
not think any threat to deprive the army
of its sustenance would effect the action of
any republican senator nor of the presi-
dent.
Senator Conkling asked if q vote could
not now be taken upon the pending
Blaine'sl amendment, but Senator But
Ter thereupon moved au executive session.
Agreed to, aud upon the doors being re-
opened the senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, April l7.-Mr. Kelley,
in his speech on the legislative appropria-
ton bill. said he would vote for the repeal
Of the test oath should it come before the
house as a separate measure. During the
last congress he had ADVOCATED its repeal,
and he said now as he had said then, it
was an exasperating congruity in law and
therefore it should be repealed. He would
also vote for the repeal Of the section un-
der which soldiers were sent to the polls,
as proposed by Mr.. Garfield, to vote for
the provision in restraint of the use of
the military. He would also vote as a
separate proposition for the repeal of the
provisions OF the law under which the dep
uty marshals were sent to the polling
places. lie believed those provisions of
law nad been abused; at any rate, some
secIlons had been all passed when the
country was at war, or during process Of
| RECONSTRUCTION, when a majority of the
voters OF some OF the border states, at
least one OF them, had been discrapchised
by the state constitution. But he would
not vote for the repeal or essential modif-
cation of the law authorizing the appoint
ment and fixing the duty and power of
i supervisors of elections, as he understood
| the constitution. 1t vested ultimate con-
troll OF elections relating to the national
Offices CT the congress Of the UnitedStates,
| but he would no. vote for any of those
provisions, IS riders on appropriation bills,
and diaclaiming all knowledge of the pur-
| pose OF the president, he would say
here, a2d now, that if the bills were
| sent to the president in this present
form, and he should veto them, he
| Kelly would sustain the veto with all
his power. If the president disapproved
either of those bills, it was his duty,
under the constitution, to veto them,
and he warned the gentlemen that the
party who attempted TO override the veto
| by any other means than those provided
By the constitution would be trampled out
of existence. The American people loved
the constitution, and neither North nor
South will sustain any action outside OF
| the constitution for subvertiDg the powers
OF any department OF the government
Within two years the people would have
it in their hands to determine whether the
veto was right or wrong 1t right. K
maintain ii by sovereignty Of the nation
Il wrong, TO send congress here which il
conformity with the provisions Of the con
stltUtion would redress the executive actior
as to the point Of riders on tae bill. He die
not charge that putting sucl provisions or
the appropriation bills was revolutionary
1t vas not revolutionary, ;ad such aD as
sertion was simply rcyosterous. Thr
whole system Of putting riders on appro
pria;io0 bills was Yiciou and to be repu
dated, but was not revolutionary, as ha(
been said by Garfield, whose speech wa
laid before him under the title OF "RevQ
Iulon in Congress"
After disclaimer on this head from
F Mr., Garfield, Mr.. Kelley continued: -
say to the gentlemen on the other side 0
; the house now that they have out to ad
ljourn, leaving light houses on our coast
, iuulighted, courts and all other branches c
the government dependent on these bill
5 unproYided Ter to make the North as soil
= rs it was from 1861 to 1863 1t will, IRE
r spectiya Of party, stand by the constitu
( ton as it stood By It when it was being az
piled to maiotGin the life Of the nation an
: the unity OF the country. Nor (addressin
the democratic side of the housed are 70
. sure Of a solid South on SO unconstltI
: tioGa} matter. Your South is not soil
] to day. Of those who constitute wha
r you sneer at as the centre, on
;, comes from Texas and one froI
5 Alabama, representing Democratic di
i trlcts. You have on your side three ind
L pendent Democrats who beat regular non
+ inees, and there among you a score Of gel
?. tlemen who although enjoying the right
O go into Democratic caucuses, know but Fl
e the greenback vote IN their districts othe
r would have occupied their places. n
i gentlemen, the South is not solid and Eye
ir have but to threaten war by invading tt
a constitution, to find your party crumblir
Y in the South as it will crumble in eve
q northern State. have no fear of war
:. threats of war Behind US all lie Il
n people, the depository of power, az
IS they viii look to it that if tht
! haye mistaken their man for on
2 they will not make such mistake in Il
il future.
Sc Mr.. Kelley then protested against Il
3e further retirement of legal tenders and t
OF withdrawal Of the nations life and it's
I'd questration in the treasury vaults [
ID compared the condition of free trade
of England and Germany with that of Fran
r, and Italy. The former nations were 10
al depIorable condition, while France a
IS. Italy were rapidly becoming rich and pr
no porous. Those we're questions for discl
ch sion which would prove instructive a
ut beneficial. He traced the great progrt
b. aud results Of RepublicaDism, and conc
I'D ded with an exhoItation to give more
v tention to finance and less to seetonalis
nd Mr.. Carlisle showed the inconsistency
TO the Representatives who claimed this .
IS posed legislation is revolutionary becat
he it is attached to the appropriation b
be Although there was every preced,
on for enacting Laws in that way, he beies
.se the Democrats thoroughly united in p
10 pose to repeal the election laws
he should not be sectional question, it V
ion more vital 10 the North even than 10
at South. These laws must be repealed. I
gu power of the executive to control the ei
10 ton of the DeODIe's representatives N
etc be taken away. Applause on the D.