Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-05-16
CONGRESSIONAL.
GREAT SPEECH OF SENATOR THUR
MAN
On the Repeal of the Jurors Test Oath
A Sound and Eloquent Presenta-
ton of the Case-The Silver
Bill in the House.
WASHINGTON, May 10.
SENATE.

! President oil the united states 10 open
a correspondence with the Republic OF
France for the purpose Of negotiating a
proper treaty of reciprocity and COM
merce with that government on terms
alike honorable and just. Three com
missioners are TO be appointed on be-
half OF the United States as prelimina-
~ to the making of such treaty, their
compensation to be fixed by the Secre-
tary of State. Referred.
Mr.. Farley introduceda bill for the re-
lief OF John \. Su;ter, on account OF
lands taken from and services rendered
by him to the United States.
Consideration was then resumed OF
the legislative, executive and judicial
appropriation bill.
Mr.. Beck explained the provisions OF
the bill as it had been amended, stating
that the increase made by the Senate
was S945, 900, making an entire sum OF
SlS,54l, 900. Among the amendments
were S2S,O00 for mints and S27 900 for
the Interior Department additional to
the appropriations in the bill for these
purposes. He suggested what reforms
should be made. BY the reduction OF
the number of stOrekeepers and gaugers
under the Commissioner of Internal
Revenue, $4,000 annually could be
saved. He thought hundreds of thou
sands of dollars might also be saved by
readjusting the machinery OF the GUS
toms departments, as in numerous cases
the expense OF collecting revenue tar
exceeds the receipts. He hoped the
Committee on Appropriations would
consult with the proper committee OF
the House, so that the next session OF
Congress would have data on which to
act intelligently. He would prefer to
have the reforms made now instead OF
when the Democrats came into power,
which they expected to do.
Mr.. Thurman then took the floor and
before beginning to speak on the pend
bill said, that he was surprised that the
Senator from Kentucky Beck had
taken the trouble to treat seriously the
proposition of the Senator from New
York, [Conklingl that the people re-
siding in the district where the taxes
are collected are the people upon whom
the tax falls. Such a statement rciuted
itself and was an absurdity not to be
tolerated by any honest intellect.
Mr.. Thurman said they had before
them an appropriation bill for the sup
port of the legislative, executive and ju-
dicial branches of The Government
Nobody denied that the amount was
sufficient, but opposition had been
made to the bill because OF the provi-
sions raating to trial by jury and
40 elections. Rather than agree to these
the minority say in effect they
will stop the appropriations and defeat
the bill. Scarcely any word had been
uttered by the minority on the merits
of this question. 1t was said these pro-
visions had no proper place in the ap-
propriatiOn bill, and that they were die
tated by the South, because the gentle
men in their Imagination Supposedthere
was a huge conspiracy to produce an
archy, as if the majority here and the
Democratic people ef the United States
have not as much interest in the order,
peace and prosperity of the country and
the Government as any man be-
longing to the Republican or
any other party. A most
inhammatory, uufounded and unjusti-
fable attempt had been made to array
one potion of the people against the
other, thus endeavOrlng to make see.
tionalism as permanent as the continent
itself. Why did not these gentlemen
point out the defects OF the provisions
if they believe they exist? They were
told these provisions were inserted at
the command of Southern dOmna-
ton, but there was not word OF truth
in it. They were not in the interest OF
Southern men, nor of Northern men,
practically, but in the interest OF all the
people of the country.
These laws were pretened, wheu
passed, to he for the protection of the
! freedmen in the South against ku-
KIux, but their real object was 10 OPP
press the voters in the North, and es-
| peCiallv TO disfranChise, lmprlsOn and
persccute the naturaliZed citizens OF the
North. The Almighty Father, said Mr..
Thurman, had given him a capacity to
| feel, for which he was truly grateful,
| though he was sometimes incOnvcn-
! fenced by it, His Imagination some
times made him forget that he was weak,
and ought not to give way TO his feel
! ings too much in speaking ~ the cleo
tion laws. There came to him apicture
] OF their operations in New York city,
of a cage full of men swelterlng and
suffering under the arbitrary and die.
! tatOrial mandate OF a corrupt and con
| temptible commissioner of elections,
and he could not suppress the thought
/ that a transaction had taken place IN
| this country that could not have oc-
| CURED in any other civilized country
without bloodshed. But he proposed
to speak dryly to-day, hoping thus to
make a better legal argument than If he
exhibited feeling.
HepropOsed to speak on the subject OF
/ the constitution. ii that instrument may
be mentioned with irreverence. He then
/ argued that trial by jury was a
/ shield of the people and a safeguard 10
/ liberty, but that the laws proposed TO be
/ repealed were enacted in the interest of
| the Republican party. Though no
/ Jeffries NAV hold his bloody assizes in
/ this country, yet in a minor degree, II
not to the full extent, If these enOrmities
should be continued, the court Of justice,
as Hallam SAYS, would become caverns
OF judicial murderers and mere instru-
mentalities of party feeling and personal
| advantage.
Mr.. Thurman proceeded TO analyze
the laws proposed to be repealed, and
/ argued that they were in the utmost de-
! gree oppressive, as they shut out intel
/ ligence from the jury box and punished
/ those who could not take the iron clad
oath il they had given a cup OF cold
water even to anyone who had opposed
the Government. Ii the law was justi-
! fable in war, it was not so now, at a
time when all should unite in the paci-
| fication OF the country. To restore har-
mOny everywhere we should 90 hack
to the old paths OF justice.
Under sections so and S2l, all parties
in a suit and all counsel are satisfied. In
steps the United States District
Attorney, and calls the courts attention
10 the presence in a jury-bOX of men