Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-04-26
HOUSE.


In Committee Of the Whole, Thurs
days session was continued in consid-
ering the legislative appropriation bill.
Mr.. Ewing closed the debate on the
Democratic side of the question. He
commenced by remarking that the Re
publicans had seized upon the pending
legislation "a preteXt for inaugurating
the Presidential campaign on the issue
OF sectional hate and distrust, for the
purpose Of preventing their trial and
condemnation at the bar of public opin-
ion for vicious legislation, for which
they so richly deserved to be expelled
from power He would not yield one
jOt or tithe of the results of the war at
the demand OF any section, but, as a
Union soldier, proud OF his service and
unwilling that anything won should be
surrendered, he denounced the legisla-
ton which it was now proposed to re-
peal, as the plague spot on the body pol
itic.
At this point a message announced
the passage OF the army appropriation
Till by the Senate, at which announce
ment there was considerable hand clap
ping ON the Democratic side, at which
Mr.. Garfield quoted the prOverb, "He
laughs best who laughs last"
Mr. Ewing resumed his speech, and
said that he and his colleague, War
ner, J who had left the Republican party
to 20 into the army, and his colleagues,
Finley and Lefeyre, who had left the
Democratic party to 60 into the army,
had fought Motor party supremacy, but
To- preserve the Union unimpaired. He
referred 10 the offer made by Mr.. Gar
field at the close of the last session, TO
accept two of the propositions, which
that gentleman now denounced Us rev.
OlutiOnary.
Mr.. Garfeld-Are you willing to give
up the Other2
Mr.. EWING will talk tO YOU about
that out OF this Congress. | notice you
have given up one Of them, but 4 little
reluctantly.
Mr.. Gartield-Not at all.
Mr.. Ewing, resuming, asked what
there was that justified the tremendous
charge Of revolution made against the
Democratic party? What changes had
taken place between the time that the
gentleman Garfieldl offered to accept
the propositions and the time he de-
nOunced them as revolutionary? The
pretext OF the Democratic caucus had
been set M, but before the bills had
been reported a Republican caucus had
resolved that no general legislation
should 90 through, so that the
Democrats were forced (if they wished
TO repeal these laws to put the
repeal on the appropriation bills.
Referring To the reconstruction
measures, he declared that their object
had been to produce race antagonism,
and Congress, in that legislation, knew
very we'll that il was organizing hell'
in the South. Federal interference had
been the great and lasting cause Of race
disturbances in the South. The proof
Of that fact was that in the States Of Nir-
ginia. Texas, Georgia and North Caro-
lima, from which the Federal power was
first withdrawn, there had been hardly
any talk of race disturbances. Such talk
had come from States where Federal
arms were largest kept and where cleo
ton machinery was most thoroughly
organized; in the States where the Re
publicans had kept up the hateful, inn
practicable and mOnstrOus organization
OF party by color; where the threat OF
black domination had been constantly
held over the whites, and where, under
carpet-bag direction, there had been a
rule OF prodigality and corruption. APP
plause on the Democratic side. Must
negro suffrage on that account be abOl-
ished? Not at all; but the color line
must be abolished. Mr. Ewing was pro-
ceeding TO argue the unconstitutionaIity
OF the election laws, when the hour to
which the debate was limited arrived
and cut off further remarks.
The committee then rose.
The Speaker presented las enrolled
and signed by HIM the army appropri-
alton bill, and the House adjourned
until tO-mOraOW.