The Portland daily press., 1879-04-05
THE GREAT DEBATE.
Thursdays Scenes in the House.
Speeches of Representatives
Robson and Blackburn.

NEW YORK, AlIil A Washington special speak
ing of yesterdays debate in the House on the army
appropriation bill says: "The advantage still mani
testify remains with the Republicans their opponents
having thus far been unable to escape from the cor
ner into which they were driven at the outset by the
speech of Gen. Garfield.
The discussion was opened this morning by Repre-
sentative Knott of Kentucky, who read the English
statute of George II the presence of troops at the
polls, expressed profound sorrow over the speech OF
Mr.. Frye, gave long account of military interfer
ference in the Kentucky election of 1868, delivered
glowing eulogy upon the late Senator Powell of that
state and closed with the usual remarks the re-
served rights of the states.
Representative Houk of Tennessee, a new member,
followed in speech lasting nearly hour, taking
for bis text "The United States a Nation.'' 1t
is very seldom indeed that new and comparatively
unknown member succeeds in gaining the attention
of the House and holding it as long as Mr.. Houk did
today. During the delivery of his vigorous speech.
in which, speaking as Southern man, he declared
that in many sections of the South the only free fair
and peaceful elections that had ever been held were
those where the voters had been protected in their
rights by military authority, he was very outspoken
in bis denunciation of the white leagues and rifle
clubs, whose terrorism has prevented fair elections in
number Of states since, as he faid, Preside mt
Grant committed his sgreat mistake In 1875, and
allowed the election OF Federal officers in Mississippi
| to he conducted under the shotgun policy.
Representative Robson of New Jersey spoke next
and in logical speech of halt an hour, devoted to
the legal aspects of the case reply to Representa-
tive Hurd, he drew clearly the distinction between
the State power to clohe the voter with the right of
suffrage and the power Of the General Government
| to protect him in the exercise of that power in
| voting for Federal officers. "The attempt which is
| being made here, and which we are resisting" he
| said, sis attempt to take away from the civil
authorities the power to keep the peace" Mr. Robe
| son proved himself ready and skiful debater and
his speech made an excellent impression On the
| House. His peroration equalled in eloquence any
| thing that has been heard in the House for many
| day.
When Representative Blackburn took the floor
| there was hush of expectation, as it had been
| whispered about that he had since last Saturday
been preparing himself to demoish the speech oil
| General Garfield. He began by stating PROPOSE
tion which has, he said, been accepted since the
| foundation of the Government, that the House oil
Representatives alone has the power to control OF
limit the use of the Army by Withholding supplies
He claimed that more than one-third of he statutes
in force relating to the Army have been enacted
as riders on appropriation bills. Secretary Evarts
the floor OF the House when General Garfield
spoke last Saturday, and Mr.. Blackburn excited
much merriment among Republicans by charging
that the Secretary's presence and his evident ap.
proval of the speech were meant to ''indcate and
overawe" the Democrats. 1t was noted that when
Mr. Blackburn had occasion to refer to Louisiana he
did so by saying that "she is, thank God sovereign
State in the Confederacy.'' After an eulogy OF
Senator Powell Mr.. Blackburn concluded by de
clarng that the Democrats have determined to carry
out their purposes to sweep from the statute book
every law enacted as war measure, that they will
sit here till the Sd of March, 1881, before they vii
| yield, and that any Democrat who fails them nov
| will prove himself ga coward and craven" 9Th
| gage of battle" he said, sis laid down. Lift i
i when you please AS rhetorical, if not as
| logical effort, the speech of the distinguishes
Kentucky Representative worthy of his higl
reputation, and its close he received many heart
congratulations from his political friends.
Representative Gibson of Louisiana followed blu
as the hour for he had few listeners