The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1879-05-09
TgESEES Oh TEsE ARHK
ESEEE
Free Elections. Free JuT5
EslatS. No Esay0net5
sta tEse EsuEss

Z
Oscar Turner SAYS:
Mr.. CdAIRMAN-This is substantially
( bin which passed the House Of Represeh-
/ tatives few days before the adiournmeh'
/ Of the Forty-htth Congress, aud was de-
fcated hy the Republicans in the senate
~ to the iicras of appropriations ana the
amounts. presume theys are correct as
tho bill went through the ordinary sore
+ Tiny OF The committee. and the items nave
been agreed to not only by the last Con
gross, but hy this in Committee OF me
/ Whole on the State Of me Union / Shah
therefore vote for the bin, although 40
not approve Of the amount appropriated
and only vote for it on account OF the l.e
culiar circumstances surrounding tDe ON,
as am new member Of this body an"
an compelled TO rely upon the Jutse ,acH'
Of others in regard 10 this bill. / oeleFc
/ the army ought 10 bc still further re"o'
~ IN numbers, AMI consequently 'he eN
( penditaro sustaining it ought TO De arg
( y reduced, which believe will Dc Gone
At the next regular session, aud snail hot
regard this bill as any precedent here
after
/ Mr.. Speaker. come now 70 the discus
sion OF the sixth section Of this BILL which
/ is IS follows:
Sgc. q. That section 20)2 Of the Re
visod Statutes be amended SO as TO read
as follows
"No military or naval officer or other
! pevsoa engaged IN the civil, military, or
naval service Of the united >tates shall
I order bring, keep, or nave under ms AH
th9ritv or control any troops or armed
men NJ tho place whore any general or
special election is held ia amy State, Ua-
less IL ba necessary 20 repci the armed
enemies 7f the United States"
And that section 5,52s Of the Revised
Statutes De amended so as % road as fol-
lows:
"Evorv oaicer Of the army and navy.
or other persons in the civil. military, or
naval service Of the United States, who
orders, brings, keeps, or has under his
authority or control any troops or 0vmet
men at ANY place where a general or spe-
cial election is held in any Stnte, unless
such force he necessary 80 rePel armed
enemies Of the United States shall be
fined not more than S50Ji, anj suffer ian p
prisoumcut nj hard labor not loss than
three months nor more than five years.
The adoption Of this sixth session. so
cminentlv proper in ans republican gov
eminent j. resisted By the Republican
members Of This body It is a matter of
surprise to me that any aen who loves
constitutional liberty should oppose il, no
matter what his politics are, whether he
is Democrat or q Republican, and yet
we have been detained here ia coasidera-
ton of this section for four days. and
speech after speech has been made against
the adoption Of this section o. the bin by
the Republican members Of this House.
We have been in formed By them thut ihsy
~ n body, intended TO resist its adoption
hv every possible means known TO par
Namentary law. We have been toll 10
would brinr On revolutions that il meant
destruction Of the Government; that the
President would veto IL; that it iUtcrter-
Ell with his power as commander 81 the
army under che Constitution aui all Thar.
Now, sir, let us pause aud look az the
question ia its true light. laying aside
party prejudice. VIII any man say il Is
not right2 Ought il not % be the law of
the landl Is IL not right for any militia
~ or naval officer, or any other person in
I the civil military or naval service OF the
United States, 20 bring troops 20 any
place where an election is being held un-
less 70 30 20 repeu The armed enemies Of
the United Statcs' There Is no man u
thjs Republican Government who dlres 90
answer this question ia any way except
in the negative. No man has yet, la ibis
debate. had ;hc bold eI-oltory 90 say 81
is right for the officers OF he Federal
Governments 90 have armed soldiers go tbe
voting places in a time ocprolouua peace
WHY, sir. as has been repeatedly said,
EWES II MoSARCHIAL ENGLAND
it would not be tolerated, and is forbid
den ny law. In Eagland armed soldiers
are prohibited from going 90 the voting
places on election day hy act OF par.Ia
ment. ana no English officer would dare
order IL. net even the highest officials.
And are we, sir, TO be told that here in
free America. Boosting OF our love Of lib
/ erty aud free institutions. armed soldiers
should g to the polls IN the absence Of
armed enemies Of the nitei States3 No
man on this door has dared to say so; not
( even the bold member from Ohio Mr.
/ Garield), no Informed as on Saturiay
: that he voted against the act ot S53 pro-
I hibiting the presence Of armed soldiers
/ a. the polls Even he said he would NOT
discuss the merits Of this question: hat
would vote against tilis section. they
7 dare act face the music ami sag 10 IS
right 10 have armed soldiers ~ the elec-
] tom when there ia noavmcf enemy there
/ Yet. sir. their opposition TO this section
means that. and nothing else. l. is use
{ less for gentlemen "a Disguise their on
pcsition: the people viii look ~ IL in it
/ irue light. and they need not try 20 put
/ this opposition en- different ground.
Il there a necessity for this law2 The
pass history OF the country shows that
I fhore Il "a necessity for il. There is no
fact better established than that arm Ell
/ men have been, under Radical rule. or
derci 10 the voting places naroniy in the
/ Southern States, but in Kentucky. Num-
/ he.s Of Representatives on this floor have
/ seen IL. They have seen white men
driven from the polls aud iutimidated
while carpet -baggers from other States
+ have marched up the negro and voted
+ them as they pleased 70 maintain their
party in power. But suppose these facts
I are denied; what reason have gentlemen
/ on the other side Of this House 20 desire
! in time of peace, the presence OF armed
men at elections when there are no arm
I ed enemies of the United States present.
IL il is not for intimidation, If IL is not 10
influence the vote in their favor why
have them there? Why should the peo-
I pie be taxed to maintain them aud 20
/ send theu there? Let gentlemen be
! frank aud meet the question here, for
/ they will have to meet 1t before the people.
They can not Disguise il.
Sir, this sixth section ought always to
have been the law, but or wise and
I patriotic forefathers never dreamed OF
I its necessity. After having emerged
from the revolutionary struggle FOR lib
erty aud freedom, whom they formed our
Constitution aad attempted 10 secure the
rights Of the people, they
Fo Sor DREAH Of TINS nAD1cA L9ARrT;
they did not dream Of the outrages of
that party since they have been in power.
II they mad, they doabtless would have
guarded strictly the liberty Of the ballot
box, the right Of suffrage, from Federal
interterenee--the right 10 choose our
rulers without the influence Of bayonets
at elections, or of Deputy Marshals and
Supervisors. They would have guarded
II IN the organic law Of The land, and We
arc trying to secure it ~ act OF Con-
gress
Why, sir, who would have thbught
when our form Of Government with its
three independent departments, the ez-
Sou'iTe, legislative anl Judicial, each in
dependent Of The other, fraaed as checks