Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-03-25
QUALIFICATION.
The Democrats I'm Congress still Ire.
i.lsinS 10 Wake Appropriations "a
carry out the Election Lavs-A ShSl
From Garfield.


There was an excited debate IN the
house Of representatives ON Wednesday
ON the deficiency bill, during which Gen.
Garfield touched upon the continued
attitude OF hostility on the part of the
Democrats To the election laws. He said
that his colleague from Ohio (McMahon1
made statement, and the statement re-
manned uncontradicted, that the Demo-
cratic party had not in this bill and
would not III any future bin make any
appropriation whatever for special deputy
marshals. either us to the past or MS tn
the future. He further declared that il
made no difference to him or 10 his party
whether the law WAS constitutional or
not, and recognizing the fact that the
Supreme Court (the only tribunal
which could declare on the constitutions
atty of law had declared that the law
was constitutional, he had undertaken to
throw contempt upon it by referring to
1t rs an eight to seven decision. IL WIS
Il seven to two decision. The election law
was now law of the land, and the gentleman,
speaking for his party in this house, had
arisen, not on the plea that the law WAS
unconstitutional, and had declared that
the Democratic party would not execute
it. Congress, which WAS the sworn law
maker of the land, which, before it took
Its first step in legislation, was sworn be-
fore God and before the country to sup
port the supreme law of the land, was
invited by the gentleman from Ohio
tMcMahon) to lead the law breakers of
the land. He had announced his pur-
pose to break them, and invited congress
to associate itself with him IN breaking
the laws BY far the greatest danger ~
the republic to-day was the spread Of
hw-breaking. 1t was hardly tolerated
on the sand lois of San Francisco, and
the chief law breaker there had yester-
day taken his sentence to penal scrvi-
tude. What dare congress say to Den
nis kearney and his associates, If it
announced itself IN the leader of the
law-breakers of America? His coli
league set the example before the peo-
pie of proposing deliberately and with
clear-sighted purpose ahead to yio-
late a law of the land. He hoped TO null
fly the law. Did his colleague reflect
that he must vitiate every election when
he succeeded III breaking the law? Sup
pose his lead were followed, and demand
of the people for special deputies was re-
fused ? Did he not see possibility of
vitiating every election in that way
And yet, he would destroy the validity OF
all congressional elections, rather than not
enjoy the pleasures of being leader Of
law-breakers of the land. He Garfield
! should deem it cowardly and dishonor-
able in him if De shirked behind his leg
islative privilege to destroy n provision
of the supreme law of the land. The
issue had been somewhat toned down
from last year, but 1t was none
the less dangerous. He would
gladly waive all party advantages
! for the sake of that sweet, calm
manful peace that ought to reign IN this
hall, if everybody obeyod the law But
if the leaders on the other side am
nounced that they would still rush on
their fate, still push upon the American
people this issue-because they hap-