The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-07-18

CoSGEEssioNAL--Wash shington June 81
Tie morning hour was dispensed with and the
House went into committee Of the whole on the
bill aPpropr!a;ing 500, 900 to pay fees of Uni
tel States marshal. and their general deputies
the general debate being limited 10 one hour
The debate was opened by Garfield. He
grouped together some Of the leading points
made during the present session ON the Dem
oSra,ic side, particularly by McLane, Of Mary
land, and Carlisle, Of kentucky These prop
osl,!ons were that there are no national elec-
,ions tha; the United States have no voters;
tba; the States exclusively have the right to con-
trsl the election Of members Of Congress that
Senator's aud Representatives are State officers,
agents or ambassadors that the United States
have NO authority to keep the peace within
state, AMI have no peace to keep that the
United States IS not nation, but a con iederacy
Of States and, finally, that the States are SOW
ereign. lie declared these propositions consti-
tuted body Of doctrines more extreme than
has ever been heard before, except at the very
rise Of secession. lie believed that doctrine to
beerroneous and vicious, and proceeded to lay
down ami support, by argument, counter prop
ositions.
At the conclusion Of Garfield. speech, Hurd
Of Ohio, took the floor and replied on behalf Of
the Democrats. lie recapitulated the points for
which the Democratic party has been contend.
Ing, reviewed the debate Of the past three
months aud declared that the arguments Of the
Democratic side had not Geen fairly met. 4
has been said that the Democratic party had
backed down, but it was not true. When they be-
gan the fight they did not expect to win in day
In the Forty fifth Congress they had said the
army, their army, should not be used as a posse
eomitatW. In the .Forty-sixth Congress they
hal sad 1t should not be used as police force,
and before the Forty v-sixth Congress adjourned
they should have taken from the statute book
every law that proposed the use Of this creature
Of theirs at the polls to intimidate American
eiiizens in the exercise Of their rights (Ap-
plause) There had been, he said, no surrender
OF the great principle that Congress can with
holu supplies as o means Of redressine priey-
ances aad so long as the Democratic party was
IN the majority in the House it never would be
surrendered The present extra session. he
SAID, had made up an issue between the parties.
Inc democrats had declared that the army
should be Kept from the polls that the test oath
ehoud De repealed, and that the Federal au-
thority should not intervene in elections in the
o'a'es. Upon these points the Republicans took
issue and If with this issue the Republican
party should be successful it would mea the nd
Of the republic and the upraisng of an empire
Gould there be any doubt as to a controversy
axe ms and should civil liberty perish on its
own threshhold, at its own freside? The past
ana the future protested against it; the hope.
and fears of the world protested against il and
what was practically Of more value, the Demo.
cratic party, with its majority of half a million
OF American people, protested against it, ZAP
Plause.
Reagan then replied to Garfeds argumen
on the question of State sovereignty, and tn,
debate was continued by Cox, Conger, McMa
hon and liawlcy.
Inc committee then rose and reported the hill
10 the House and it was passed--ycas So nav
o. Only one Greenbackcr voted stevenson
OF iilinois,) and his vote was in the affirmative