Daily Republican., 1879-04-04
FOURTH EDITION.
CON NGRESS.

III tu0 " os bcnSsc yoosV'NSyS SN'VsT
al bills were introduced, among them
one for the appointment Of James
Shields, Of Missouri, as Brigsdier
General on the retired list. The New
Hampshire Senatorial case was discuss
ed and postponed until Monday. After
an executive session the senats ad
journsd. ~.
In the House, debate on the Army
bill was resumed and continued in eve
ming session. The principal speakers
were Messrs. Robson, Of New Jersey,
and Blackbu Of Kentucky.
Mr.. Knott, Of Kentucky spoke Of tho
great and historical importance Of
the principle involved in the question.
He charact. rized II as the great funda.
mental principle Of Republican liberty
that the ballot. hox should be protected
from tho slis hest approach Of the mili-
tary power, and that the vster shall be
left absolutely free in exercising at the
polls the highest prerogstivs Of citi-
sen.
He quoted this English statute OF
George II for the removal Of troops
from the place where an election IL to
b. held, and cited Blackstone as writ.
ing that it is essential that elections
shall BE- absolutely free, and that there
fore, all undue influences are illegal,
and are prohibited. He concluded his
speech with Z statement of the bsn1f-
cent reforms that would BE- effected
when the Democratic party had "cap-
tured the Capitol" as he firmly be.
lisved it to be in the plans OF Provi-
demos that the party Of tho people
should triumph.
Mr.. Houk, Of Tennessee, cared not
who had enacted the law which ii was
proposed to repeal, he trusted 1t
would be enforced again, the only fair
elections which the South ever had
since recOustruction had taken place.
All his life he had lived in the South,
and his sympathies were all with that
section When President Hayes had
inaugurated his policy Of conciliation,
and Withdrawn the troops from the
South, he (Houk) had trusted that the
era OF good feeling was approaching
" hen the lien and the lamb would lie
down together, and both sections would
clasp hands across the bloody chasm.
When tho President had offered
peace and Cancellation he had been an
swersd with blood-shed and riot. This
day it was we'll known that majority
OF the Southern States we're R-publi-
can, if an honest election could be had /,
and yet he looked around him and saw
but three Republicans from the South
ern States. He placed his opposition
to the present measure on the broad
ground of its merits. If permitted to
stand on the statute books there would
bs free elections in the South, and
Republicans would be returned to Con
gress by. the voice Of free people,
unaved by bulldozers and rifle clubs.
Others might do as thsy pleased, but
never while he had vote on the floor
would he vote to repeal those statutes
until every man in the South, whether
white or black, whether a et-hag-
ger from the North or a scalawag from
the South, should have free and
equal chance at the ballot-box. Ap-
plause on the Republican side
Mr.. HOuk said he should continue,
day after day and time after time to
vote against the repeal of this measure,
which, if wiped out. would give an
Opportunity to the Democrats to carry
elections by the Democratic methods,
which every body understood. 1t was
said that the present law was uncon-
siitutional. He was too young to be
much Ct . constitutional lawyer, but
he had never seen Democrat who did
not claim to be a great constitutional
lawyer, whether he could read it or
not. Laughter ON the Republican
side.
lie was not authorized to speak for
the President, but he knew that if the
President was a good Republican he
would veto the bill. 1t might be said
that he NIouk) was waving the bloody
shirt. Well, if his friends en- the other
side had not boodi-d it. he would not
have had it to shake. lie informed his
friends on the other side that in 1850,
the place that knew them now would
know them no more, forever. Then, if
lie were a member of me House, he
would vote for ILL providing for
holding all national elections un-
der the authority of the United
States, under the protection of the
United States, and to the exclusion OF
tie States entirely. Laughter on the
Democratic side.
Mr.. Rsbeson IN. j.. was the next
speaker. He said he intended to con-
tine himself to the question OF law in
volvsd in the discussion, and concluded
his speech with the following words OF
warning: my friend from Ohio Mr..
Hurd also took occasion to say III al
lusion to the Executive of this country
that his title was in doubt and that his
tenure was not yet certain. | do not
think that my friend meant that, he
caus. if he did, he ment to appeal to
the giant of rev clution.
Lrt ne say to him that the responses
all over the country to day ars but tho
mutte-ings Of a storm which will in
crease in vigor and in fury and in
resistIess power until the men and the
party who endeavor TO unsettle tho ii.
!le Of the President Of the United States
will be swept forever from the political
horizon Loud applause on t.:e p
publican side and IN the gallery
Mr.. Blackburn (ky.y followed. lis
speech was welcomed with loud ap-
plauss from the Democratic side, and
wound up as follows: ''The issue is
made. 1t is made on principle, not on
policy, aud it cannot be surrendered.
Standing on such broad grounds, cloth
Cd ir such panoply resting their case
) on the broadest principles Of justice, we