The daily gazette., 1879-04-09
Federal Election Laws.
SPEECH OF MR.. OSCAR TUR-
NER.

- HASNAA " II Ai ~ ~ q. ~ "A IL 4 " IL
NER.
MIR. OSCAR TURNER. Mr.. Chairman,
this is bill substantially passed b. the
last or Forty-fifth Congress, and which |
passed this House few davs before its
adjournment. As to the items of appro-
priations and the amounts, presume
they are correct AS the bI'l went tn, ouvh
the ordinary scrutiny Of the committee
and the items have been agreed to not
only by the last Congress but by this in
Committee of the Whole. shall there
fore vots for the bill, although do not
approve of the amount appropriated, and
only vote for II on account of the pecu-
liar circumstances surrounding the bill,
as am new member Of this body and
ain compelled to rely upon the judgment
of Others. believe the army ought to
be still further reduced in numbers, and
consequently the expenditures sustain
ing it ought to be largely reduced, " whch
believe will be done at the next regular
session, and shall not regard this bill as
any precedent hereafter.
Mr.. Speaker, | come now to the discus
sion OF the sixth session of the bill, which
is as follows
Sec. q. That section 2O02 of the Re-
vised Statutes be amended so as to read
as follows:
"No military or naval officer or other
person engaged in the civil, military, or
naval service of the United States shall
order, bring, keep or have under his al-
thorty or control any troops or armed
men at the place where any general or
special election is held in any state, I'm
less 1t be necessary to repel the armed
enemies of the United States"
And that section 552S of the Revised
Statutes be amended so as to read as fol-
lows:
"Every officer ofthe Army or Navy, or
other person in the civil, military, or
naval service of the United States, who
orders, brings, keeps, or has under his
| authority or control any troops or armed
men at any place where a general or
special election is held in any State anless
such force be necessary to iepel armed ell
emies of the United States, shall be fined
not more than $4,000, and suffer impris-
onment at hard labor not less than three
months nor more than five years"
The adoption of this sixth section, so
| eminently proper III any republ can gov
ernment, Is resisted by the republican
mem hers of this body. 1t is a matter of
| surprise to me that any man who loves
C Institutional liberty should oppose it,
| no matter what his politics are, whether
he IN democrat or republican and yet
we have been detained here in cOnsidera-
| ton of this section for four days, and
speech afterspeec ch has been made against
! the adoption of this section of the bill by
, the republican members of this House.
We have been Informed by them that
| they as body intended to resist its adop-
| tion 10y every possible means known TO
parliamentary law. We have been told
II would bring on volution that it
meant destruction of the Government /;
thA the President would veto 1t; that it
interfered with his power az commander
of the army under the Constituon and all
that. Now, sir, let uS pause aud look at
the question In its true light, laying aside
party predjudiee. Win any mau say that
it is not right? Ought it not to be the
law of the land? Is il right for any mill
tary or naval Off Ger, or any other person
in the civil, military, or naval service Of
the United States, to bring troops to any
place where any election is being held
I unless II be TO repe1 the armed enemies
Of tide United States? There is no man
in this republican Government who dares
| to answer this question in any way ex-
! cept in the negative. No man has yet,
in this debate, had the bod effrOnterv to
say it is right for the officer-.of the Fed.
eral Government to have arihed soldiers
| at the voting places in time ofprofound
peace. Why, sir, AZ has been repeatedly
said, even in monarchical England It
would not be tolerated, and is forbidden
by law. In England armed soldiers are
prohibited from gong 10 the voting
places on election day by act of Parla-
ment, and no English officer would dare
order it, not even the highest officials.
Has 1t not been done even in England
under n monarchical government, by the
| House OF Commons frequently In the
course of two hundred years whenever
ie encroachments have been made upon
TIE liberties OF the people by the Crown?
And # we do it, If we follow the exam
pie of the republican party by putting
lhs SECTION, right aud proper in itself,
into an appropriation bill. we are told by
lhe gentleman from Ohio Mr.. Ga tield
tn II revolution Is to be brought upon
the country; the Government "starved
to deathw How? BY the veto of the
President. Well, sir. it Nr. Hayes We
Goes this bill ON account of the sixth sec
ton guarding the right of suffrage, then
, the responsibility will rest on his shoul-
, ders, and not on ours, for starving the
Army. 1t is the first time in many yeas
that the county has had democratic
: House of Representatives and Senate
and the American people look to us to
repeal the uIjust laws that were passed
in passion and prejudice aud to maintain
, a dominant party in power i'll violation
' of the free will of the people. The peo'
e pie expect us to give tnem free and un
tramin~led elections, which Will prevent
scenes that many of them have witness
ed in Kentucky and other States oi
armed men deterring and preventing
them from exercising their rightt1 vote
: do not believe Mr. Hayes will veto ths
I bill on account of the sixth eecuon.
f, know that the people Of of Kentucky, O.
. both political parties, will indorse tht
sixth section of this bill, and believe ;
= large majority OF the people ofthe Uni
}. ted States will approve it,
But If he does, and persists in that We
y to, aud thereby starves the Army of thu
U tied States, then let the responsible it.
Ives where II belongs, on d. head of tn
g l. .csdeut, for vetoinK "a bill right, prop
, er, and constitutional, passed by IA M.
ijority of the representatives ofthe pc Cpl
II lin the exercise of their constitutions
d rights. As far as l am concerned, | al
- ready to meet the issue: and / believ
eyery lover of constitutional liberty o.
& the democratic side of this House is de
termined to give the people free election
and free jury trials by prohibiting tn
= pr-sence of armed soldiers at the ele6
If lions, by abollshing this swarm of hire
partsans, the supervisors OF elections an
IL the special election deputy marslials, an