The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-03-05
THE ARMY IN ELECTIONS.
A Lively Debate in the Senate.
Interesting Colleagues Between
Mr. Blaine aud the Democrats.

WASHINGTON, March AIN the Senate Monday
nlght Mr. Nlndon reported that the conference on
the Legislative bill wes unable 10 agree, the point be-
ing the proviso of the House fixing The ply of jurors
in the United States Courts at two dollars day;
repeating the tesi oath, and also so much of the
Revised Statutes provides for the appointment of
Supervisors of Elections The House took the posi-
ton hat the only n,lition which an agreement
could be made was that the conferees the part of
the Senate should recede from that point The
latter could not consent to this condition He might
say in reference to ali the appropriation bills that
they had all been agreei upon by both Houses ex-
cept the Army bill and the Post Office bill there
FIRE the Senate would see that the items o. appro-
priaion relating to money TO carry theGovernment
have been agreed to- and the only grounds for dis
agreement were contained in the legislative provi-
sions. He believed that there WIS a disagreement in
regard to the army bill well that pending.
For the purpose OF testing the sense of the Senate
upon the subject he moved that the Senate insist
upon its amendments although the Senate confsrees
did net believe it was possible TO obtain an agree
ment upon the egisla i've provisions.
MIR. Blaine said that the only point of difference
between the conferees the Army bill was the 5lst
section, which at his request read. 1t proposes
to ameni the Revised Statutes so that no army or
naval officials shall bring troops armed men at
places where elections held unless such forces be
Necessary to repel armed enemies Of the United
States. Mr., Blaine said no charges had been made
iu any STATE that voters had been hndered in any
way interfered with by United States soldiers, and
he thought that as of the conerees he repre-
sentiug the Senate when he said that if the army
interfered in such the grievances should not
remain another hour; but nobody had suffered in
that way.
MT Eaton-The great principle of English law had
existed here until within the last sixteen years and
ought to continue to be the law Of the lan1.
Mr.. Blaine And the Senate conferees believe that
voting should be without intimidation and nee, and
that the Government il strong emo ugh to see that
this il done.
Mr.. Eaton-The Senator should take some other
means to secure that without The use of soldiers.
Mr.. Withers said some of the conferees NAM
tanned that the presence of soldiers at the polls
incompatible with freedom of elections.
Mr.. Blane-Does the Senator intimate that the
section OF the Revised Statutes referred to gives
permission for soldiers to bs near the polls when
matters are going on peaceably?
Nr Withers-I mean to intimate that the pre-
sence of armed soldiers during the progress of an
election is incompatible with freedom of the election.
Mr.. Blaine-Does the Senator mean to show any
such cases?
Mr.. Withers-There was ane case in my own
State.
MIR Blaine-That was the Petersburg case. II
Petersburg had not been in possession of an armed
mob and the city in coDfagration you would not
have permitted soldier to appear.
Mr.. Withers-The mob would have been much less
OF an evlfor the presence of soldiers ntereres with
the privilege of a Tree people.
MIR. Blaine thought cases of interference had not
occurred in is years. Your party come in and say
that we must surrender to the demand of the House
Mr. Beck exclaimed how the Democrats had been
prevented from taking action the repeal of these
sections before aud to the revolutionary matter he
thought these measures were as fair, as just and a:
necessary as The election laws to which reference was
made.
Mr. Blaine said the bill to repeal section 800 Of the
Revised Statutes passed the Senate on the goth OF
December, but for some cause or other could not be
passed in the House. and this was the reason as
signed for placing it in the bill. He had the Con-
gressonal Record of the 26th of January nearly five
weeks after the bill passed the Senate from which it
appeared that four hours given to the Commit
tee on Judiciary to report bills and not one was re-
ported in relation to the jury law. The committee
did not even report back the Senate bill to repes
one section of the Revised Statues on this subject
The Senator from Kentucky in error. For some
motive the bill was deliberately withheld or sup
pressed More than that, Representative, mem
Der OF the Committee on Appropriations, said there
was no reason to incorporate the substance of the
bill in general appropriation bill because nobody
objected to its passage as a separate me assure.
Mr. Beck said, as having no knowledge of the facts
personally, he relied on the stae ment OF a member
OF The Honse, who made it to him when be- went to
speak.
Mr.. Blaine said he did not intend to blame the Sen
ator, but merely to correct an error.
Mr.. Garland remarked that the section in question
was repealed by Republican Congress but found
its way into the Revised Statutes, placed in there by
Republican, Why did not a Republican Congress
hasten to repeal the section at once?
Mr.. Blaine-Why did not the Democratic House do
il by passing the Senate bill? They had it more
than two months.