The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1879-04-29
BLAINE.


WAhHlN0lON, hpfll lf.-Altcf the
usual morning business consideration
was resumed OF the army appropria.
tion bill, Mr.. Blaine rep, Me- hav,
ing the floor. He said the method
adopted in the pending section TO get
rid Of the eight closing words OF the
section of the Revised Statutes propos
ed TO be repealed, namely: "Or to
keep the peace at the polls" was an
unusual and extraordinary method.
The ordinary way 10 repeal a single
sentence is TO strike ont the particular
words objected 10, but the mode chosen
in this bill is TO repeal and to re-enact
the whole section except the last eight
words. He was persuaded that this
unusual course was not taken accident
ally, but desiRnedly. IL he might so
speak, il came Of cunning, the intent
being to create the impression that the
Republicans in the administration OF
the General Government had used the
troops right and left every direction,
and that, as soon as the Democrats got
into power they proceeded to enact
this piohibitory sixth section, and the
Democratic stump speaker would
doubtless make great political capital
ont OF this idea. whereas every word Of
il, from first TO last, was an enactment
OF the Republican party. Whether in
tentionslly or not, the issue thus pre-
sented was dishonest one. The law
was passed 10y Republican Congress.
There were 40 Senators sitting in the
Senate Chamber at the time, OF whom
only 10, or at most | /, were Democrats,
ha ~ 90
overwhelmingly Republican. We were
in the midst OF war. The Republican
administration had ,O0O, 900 or posi-.
bly, 200, 600 bayonets at its command
and under the circumstances with the
amplest power 10 interfere with cleo
tions had they so chosen, with soldiers
in every hamlet and county OF the
United States, the Republican party
themselves placed that on the statute
book aud Abraham Lincoln signed IL.
He asked attention TO the fact that this
was the first instance of legislation OF
the United States IN which any restric-
tive clause whatever was put upon the
statute books in regard 10 the use OF
troops at the polls. and that II was
passed by the Republican party and
signed 10y Abraham Lincoln when he
had more troops under his control than
Napoleon BonAparte ever had. But
the point is, said Mr.. Blaine, 10 strike
out the few words authorizing the use
Of troops TO keep peace at the polls,
and the country Is alarmed, or lac
would rather say amust d, at the effort
made TO create the impression that the
Republican party relied for its popular
strength upon the use Of bayoncts.
This Democratic Congress has attempt
ed, by raising an issue false in every
detail, TO create the impression, not
only in America but in Europe,
throughout the civilized world, that
elections IN this country are attempted
TO be controlled by the bayonet. He
denounced the issue as false. and
though not at liberty to say that any
gentleman making il knew it's ialsity,
and though ho hoped they did not, lac
proposed 90 prove its utter lack Of
foundation. lie held in his hand an
abstract Of all the troops Of the United
States east OF Omaha, including states
bordering the Mississippi River and
the west embracing a territory populat-
eel by Al 900, 900 al least, ont OF the
-, 600, 600 supposed to be in this coun-
try to-day. BY tins statement he
showed that in all that great territory
only 2,797 soldiers are stationed.
Within this domain i5 Notifications
are manned and l / arsenals protected.
To every million people there are about
GO soldiers. The honorable Senator
from Delaware was alarmed about the
overriding OF the popular ballot by
troops of the United States, but there
is not single Federal soldier in Della
ware. The honorable Senator from
West Virginia (Hereford) had spoken
of his state being trodden by the iron
heel Of military despotism, but there Is
not a solitary man in United States un.
form on the soil OF West Virginia. In
Maryland, 1872 artillery, men AZ Fort
McHenry guard the entrance TO Balti-
more's beautiful hsrbor. In Virginia
there is q school Of practice at Fort
ress Monroe. Outside OF that school
there is not a Federal soldier in the
state There are about 80 soldiers IN
North Carolina, guarding fort at the
mouth Of the Cape Fear River. In
South Carolina there are 100 artillery
men 10 guard the entrance TO Charles
ton harbor. There are % soldiers in
Georgia and 1872 in Florida. There is
not one in Tennessee, Kentucky or
80 in Alabama aud 239 in Louisiana
The great state Of Mississippi has not
one on its soil; nor has Texas, except
those guarding the frontier on the Rio
Grande. In the entire south, said Mr..
Blaine, there are ,l55 soldiers TO in.
timidAte. overrun, oppress and destroy
the Liberties OF 5000, 900 OF people, in
l ,203 counties, or not quite one soldier
10 each county--one soldier TO about
700 square miles Of territory. There
was an old saying, he continued, that
the sooth-sayers in Rome could not
look each other in the face without
smiling, and no two Democratic SEN
stors on the floor can go into tho cloak
room and look each other in the face
without smiling or rather blushing
over this talk, the whole thing was such
a miserable pretence, such q miserAbly
manufactured false issue. In New En-
gland they had $50 soldiers, OF about
100 10 every million people. whereas
the ratio ia the south was not quite 20.
Yet the people Of New England never
complained OF the military power
The tendency Of this talk, as he had
said, was 10 misrepresent us abroad,
and the Democratic party stood indict-
ed, and he hereby charged them with
the public slander OF their country,
creating the impression in the civilized
world that we are under military
despotism.
But. continued Mr.. Blaine, the real
motive Of the Democrats must be look
ed for elsewhere. 10 is simply TO get
rid Of the Federal supervision at Fed
eral elections, 10 get rad Of the civil
powers Of the United States in the
election Of representatives 20 Congress, ),
aud therefore this bill connects itself
/ directly with the bill which was before
| Congress al the last session, known AZ
| the legislative, executive and judicial
appropriation bill He was aware that
parliamentary rules forbade ham TO
discuss n hill pending before the
House Of Representatives, but lac also
knew that nothing forbade him 10
speak OF what was not done ia the
House but in the Democratic caucus,
where this legislation was perfected.
Mr.. Blaine discussed the legal ques.
tions involved aud, continuing, said:
The design now IL 10 get rid Of all civil
officers Of the United States under pre-
tense Of keeping troops away from the
polls, and the amendments which will
4 be offered will test the sincerity Of the