The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-04-18
THE DEBATE ON THE ELECTION LAWS.

WASHINGTON, April 1.-SENATE.-
Pending motion by Edmunds to take up
the resolution heretofore offered by him de-
claring that the business and interest of the
country required that the legislation should
be confined to the objects for which the
extra session was called, the Senate went
into executive session, and upon the reopen
ing of the doors adjourned.
HoUsE.-In the debate, Muldrow, of
Mississippi, expressed his astonishment at
the means employed by the gentleman from
Ohio, Garfield few days ago, to make
party capital out Of the pending question:
That gentleman, standing on his record,
had attempted to make the people believe
the Democratic party was seeking to carry
out legislation by different methods than
those heretofore adopted by the Republican
party, which had set many such preccdents
His party was not in favor of the resolution.
They propose to resort to peaceful methods
and constitution methods then ifthc Pres
ident desired to stop the supplies of the
government the responsibility would be on
the President and not upon Congress. He
concluded: 1t the attempt to break the
chains Of tyranny from the people was rev.
olution, 1t was revolution which the people
would applaud, but he hoped that the Pres
ldent would not attempt to cocrce Congress-
lie hoped that in republican America the
spectacle would not be presented of the
highest officer in the land putting himself
between the operation of the government
and the people.
Chalmers, of Mississippi followed in an.
swer to Garfeld's remarks of Saturday, and
denying the statement of the latter that the
Southern Democrats Of 1861 had threat
ened to shoot the Union to death. In an
swer to an interrogatory by Price, of Iowa,
"Wherc was the first gun fired 2" Chalm-
ers said the first gun was fired near Har-
per's Ferry, when Southern blood was shed
on the soil. cloud applause on the Demo-
cratic side and in the galleries. He then
proceeded to declare that if the proposed
legislation was revolution then the Repub-
lican party had accomplished revolution af.
ter revolution. One of the most iniauitous
acts of usurpation ever perpetrated by the
Republican party was the attempt to violate
the constitutional right of the President in
the act which President johnson protested
against. In continuation of his speech, he
claimed that he had struck to the ground
the declaration of the gentleman from Ohio
(Garfeld) that the Democratic party was
the Inauguration of revolutionary methods
of legislation, and showed that it was the
purpose Of the Republican party to starve
the government unless it was permitted to
stlangle freedom Of election at the polls.
The name Of revolution has no terror for
us. [Sneering demonstrations on the Re-
publican side. We learned to love it in
our childhood. 1t brings back to us that
grand struggle for freedom when our revo
lutionary ancestors left their foot. prints
stamped in blood in the SHOWS of Valley
Forge, so that we their children "may take
heart again" whenever the hour Of peril
shall come upon us. military despotism
now threatens us on every side. Troops
have been assembled at the polls to intimi.
date free people at elections. Troops have
been assembled at the Federal capital to in
timidate the House of Representatives in
counting the electoral vote. The battle cry
Of 1880 has been already started. A gov
ernment Of law is not to be administered
by the judiciary, but with an army strong
enough to enforce it. Whenever it comes
to the question between freedom and despot.
ism, the Democratic party will be found
standing where our ancestors stood in 1776.
Conger, of Michigan desire to ask the
gentleman from Mississippi whether the sec.
ond revolution of 1861 had any terrors for
him.
Chalmers--Thc distinguished gentleman
is exceedingly witty. History tells us that