Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-02-25
Sncec!, orI.on. Lol.n ". Danie!.

hours. The fret part CT his speech wl
devoted to an analysis OF the political situa
ton in the country, Intended to show that
while the republican Senators were disposed
to invade the rights OF The Southern States,
the republican party really held power ia
the Senate because the rights OF the states
were 80 fully recognized in giving to little
States with small votes 60 many Unlted
States Senators. He said that States rights
had elected benjamin Harrison Presidsnt OF
the United States aud mad recalled the re-
publican patty to power, while majority
Of "a 6O1 voters had cast their sutirages in
ievor OF Grover Cleveland.
Hero q side remark by Mr.. Hoar attract
I'd Mr.. Dane's attention, and be Inquired
what the remark Was.
Mr. Hosr-I owe an apology to the Sena
tor from Virginia, which will now make.
made remark to one OF the Senators near
me in rather too loud a tone. What | SAID
was that that was the very fact which we
desired to have inquired into.
Mr. Daniel-The inquiry would have beer
more felicitous if it had been made before
counting the vote FOR Mr.. Harrison.
He proceeded with his argumeot against
The resolution. As the republican party
President, so the country owed debt 10
State rights for the domestic tranquility
which hailed his coming. Having referred
to the democratic charges OF bribery IN New
York during the recent election, OF the pur-
chase of voters in Iudiana lin blocks OF
five" aud of the Colonization of aliens IN
West Virginia, ss well RS 10 the counter
charges made by the republicans, DO asked
"What a pandemonium, what terrible sus-
pense, what q paralysis of business Wou!c
have followed had not State rights exercis.
ed their conservative and healing sway"
Gen. Harrison's title CT President be said,
which bad been sealed and delivered TO him,
was not given to him by 81 nation, or by
mi }rity of its people, but by SOW
sereign States, which had commission
ed him as tbeir chief magistrate. state
rights, he said, had held the ladder tor
Benjamin Harrison to ascend the Ffesi-
dental chair; lad given Senators their
nrsrocatives, and had lifted the republican
party out of the slough Of despond and over
the hill Of difficulty, ard brought it within
! sight of the goal Of its desires. 1t was an
j, old axiom that the traveller must praise the
bridge which carried him over the stream ;
srd now that the States rights bridge nsd
carried the republican party safely over The
turbulent strenm OF conf ct, ii WAS time ioi
that party 10 confess that, after all, il was
: pretty good bridge. That republican
4 would be an migrate who would turn back
to destroy that which had done hi!n and his
party 80 good turn. Il would be astonish'
ing. indeed, if the New England Senators
: should unite to break il down.
Mr.. Hoar asked Mr. D0uis whether, in
, his judgment, Congress had authority 10
make iuquiry into the existence Of crime
against eectioYs Tor members OF the House
of Representatives, ana into whether the
constitutional right 10 vote was Abridged IN
any State
Mr.. Daniel ssid he did no. dcu6: The con.
sfilu,;onal authority Of Congress TO inquire
into the state Of The suffrage where it Yves
alleced-in such manner IS 10 commend
respec. and altentlon-ihat he Cons,itnFou
had been violated 10 relation thereto. AZ
TO iruui:ing into the election of Inenhers OF
The House OF Il prs sniaives ha admitted
that there might 5e tmea, citcumstances,
and conditions Grder which al inquiry
would not be JmprGpef but be could cen
ceve OF nothing moro improper, mora IN
decorous, oi more usugpGtcry q the proper
func ions C government than pending
contested eloc.i n eases IN the Houee-ior
the Senate to undertake. bg partisan com.
mittee, to throw ali Of is authority and
prestige in favor o. enc side. He had been
smazed and as;oundcd when he read Mr.
Hoar's resolution grnyeiy requiring the
Senate to ent, into an inquiry Of the elec
ton of raernbers Of the Hvuse of Represent
atives. IfanYthiug more un American or
more in conflict with the spirit OF the Amer
ican Constitution could have been suggested
ne was at loss to conjecture what that
thing was,
Mr. Daniel read soma veiy interesting
statistics in support CT his arguments. He
said that if the entire negro vote II toe
Southern Safes was eliminated and only
the white vote WAS counted, The South
would have more Senators than New Eng
land if the ratio of representation to popn
la'icn were observed. Instead Of thirty
Senators, az nov, the South woGld then
have thirty-six.
Mr. Daniel replied with considerable spirit
to Mr.. William f Chaudler's charges of
election outrages in Virginia. and did not
leave much OF the New Hampshire man .
statements. ii sent up TO the Clerks desk
to be read lot Of newspaper Clippings, re
citing outraees committed by negroes and
republican politicians in the South. Mr..
Daniels strong point against the RoHr roso-
luton was that it proposed en Investigation
of insufficient facts. M ground had
been ales ed, be said, for such en- 10
ouiry. II, challenged Mr.. Hoar 10 give the
reasons which led hin TO propose such
sweeping Investigation.
Mr. Hoar, in answering Mr.. Dans', as
serted that it was not only the right, hut
the duty, of Congress to investigate aud de
termine whether the States in which VIC
lence and fIaud were aaid to exist er yed
republican forms of government. He went
into the whole bloody-shirt discussion ard
talked about the recent murder OF Jnhu NJ.
Clayton ia Arkansas. lie quoted General
Sherdan's remark that the number Of &c
publicans killed in Louisiana since the war
exceeded the number of men killed on both
sides in our war with Mexico. Mr.. Hoar read
statistics, which he oontended showed the
suppression of votes in Southe-n congression'
al districts He said that in twenty five dis