Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-07-10
CLOSING THE DEBATE.
HERDS GREAT SPEECH DEFENDING
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.

UOuS APPLAUSE FROM CONsERv vArivE
MEMBERSHIP SURRENDER NOW OR
HEREAFTER-THE ISSUE CLEAR
LY DEFINED AND THE
CONTEST OPENED.
The following is the speech of Hon.
Frank II. Hurd, in the House, on
Friday, June q, in answer to Mr..
Garfield:
MR CHAIRMAN: A session of unusual
excitement appears To be drawing to u
close. Questions of the greatest inter.
est to the people of the United States
have been from the first day until now
the subject of discussion, and it seems a
proper thing at its termination TO in.
qure into the result of it, and inquire
whether or not the action Of the MAORI
~ of this House meets with the appro
val OF the American people.
Ny colleague from Ohio Mr.. Gartield),
who has Just taken his seat, has seen
fit, in answer to the positions which
have been maintained by the Democratic
party in the progress of the argument,
to enter upon disquisition as to the
nature of the Federal government and
the relations of the states to that Gov.
ernment under the Constitution which
they created Never, in all my studies
of the political history OF this country,
never in all my knowledge OF the po.
litical debates which have taken place
in the Congress of the United States,
have heard such views OF consolidation
advanced as have been suggested to-day
by that gentleman.
lie advanced the extraordinary pro
position that the Union preceded the
states, when the 1th article of the Con.
stitution declares THE ratification Of
the conventions OF nine States shall be
sufficient for the establishment of this
Constitution between the States 80 ratI.
fying the same" Applause on the
Democratic side of the House.
But in order that all doubt might be
removed upon the subject, that the
Constitution and the Union was the
creature OF the States. it was declared
in the tenth amendment OF the Constl.
tuition THAT the powers not delegated
to the United States 10y the ConstItu.
ton, nor prohibited by it to the States,
are reserved to the States respectively,
or to the people
Nor is the opinion of the highest ju.
upon this proposition. In the case OF
Lane County W. Oregon, the following
j. the decision of Chef Justice Chase.
to be found on page 76 of 7Ih Wallace
"The people Of the United States con-
stitute one nation, under one government,
and this government within the score OF
the powers with which il is invested, Is SUI
preme. On the other hand, the people OF
each State compose q State, having II. own
government, and endowed with all the
functions essential to separate and indc-
pendent existence. The States dIsunitcd
might continue TO exist Without the
States in union there could be no such po-
litical body as the United States
But. Mr.. Chairman, for the purposes
OF the present discussion it u not neces.
sary TO enter into an elaborate consid.
GRAFTON of the doctrines of states rights
or the power of the Federal Govern.
ment. 1t is sufficient for the bill now
under consideration that we should in.
quire as To whether it is within the
scope and the powers Of the Federal
Government to pass laws to interfere
with elections in the states and only so
far as this question is involved do pro-
pose to discuss the doctrine OF states
rights at all.
At the beginning of this session OF
Congress the Democratic party declared
three propositions We insisted that
the army should be kept away from the
polls that the test oath should be- re.
usaled, and that laws should be enact.
ed for the impartial drawing of jurors
and that the Federal Government
should not exercise authority over elec.
tions held within the states.
We insisted and main tanned, that be.
cause of, and by virtue OF the ConstiIu.
tonal provision, that the House Of
Representatives alone shall originate
money bills that the representatives
of the people had a right to insist that
the grievances of which they complain.
ed should be remedied before appropri.
ations should be made for the support
of the Government.
In the discussion, which has continu.
ed for three months, one of the most
earnest and able that has ever occurred
in an American Congress, the Demo.
cratic party has maintained these prop.
ositions. II is not necessary to enter
into the details of the argument it is
sufficient for my purpose TO briefly re-
Capltulhte tDtlHs
We said that the measures to which
we objected were unconstitutional we
said that there was no such person as a
voter Of the United States IA such that
every man who had right to vote. had
il because of State authority and under
State laws, and that. therefore, the Fed.
eral Government, not creating the voter,
had no power to interfere with him in
the exercise of his rights Of franchise.
We insisted that under the laws as
they now stand there is no such q thing
as a National election that under the
provisions of the Constitution, in order
that there should be National election,
it was fundamental that Congress should
fix the places, times and manner of
holding such elections. In that event
there might be National election, but
that ia not this case for in every in.
.,.r,o ,ha tir,aS ulaces and manner of