Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-08-14

and exercise freely his constitutional
rights, sacred to each of us, can af-
ford to oppose this bill. No man
who wants less than this is entirely
loyal.
Yet for six days the Democratic
party as represented here on this
floor has assailed this measure from
first to last. Not because it invades
state rights, for it does not. 1t med
dies with no internal or domestic
affairs. 1t trenches upon no sta .e
or local election. 1t threatens no
law-abiding community with its ap-
plication. 1t is only for the guilty
1t lays its hand upon no man unless
he be caught in the commission of
a crime against the constitution and
laws Of the United States; and then
it inhlcts no punishment until after
full defense, fair trial by jury, and
due conviction.
Can it be possible that ycu oppose
it really for the things it does pro-
pose to do?
1t does make false registration a
crime, and you are against its pas
sage. 1t does make buying and
selling votes, intimidation and vio-
lence upon voters, crimes, and you
assert that it endangers liberty. 1t
does make illegal voting, ballot-box
stuffing, and fraudulent counting
and certifcation of votes, crimes,
and you cry out that it interferes
with the exercise of sacred personal
rights. 1t does make false swearing
perjury, and stealing ballot-boxes a
felony, and you denounce It as reyo-
lutionary, and declare that it shall |
never be enforced.
Gentemen.> ii will pass, it will be
sustained by the people, and it will
be enforced. The time has come
at last when the conservative,
thoughtful citizen knows that it is
absolutely necessary. In the great
cities, both north and south, the
present imperfect federal election
law is deemed essential. 1t mas
done much to lift the elections above
mere Juggling performance. There
is demand, there is urgent need
that i. be re-enacted, strengthened,
and extended. But outside the
cities, in the south where there are
colored citizens, the situation is ouch
that the people of this country will
suffer no further postponement of
this vital question. They know
that continued violation of the car
dinal principles of the Constitution
underlying representative Govern
ment is not only nationa! disgrace,
but a national crime and a national
danger.
Sir, | shall not stop to go into
figures now. | will add to my re-
marks some tables of election re-
turns more powerful and eloquent
in their appeal for this great reform
than anything any one will say here
or elsewhere. The people have
been slow to anger. The political s
upon the other side, north and south,
with the cry of the "bloody shirt, u
"let the south alone," "the war is
over" were able for score of years
to ridicule and silence this appeal
for honest elections. The north has
even been indulgent to the south,
and with infinite patience they have
waited almost generation since the
war for acceptance of and obedience
to the Constitution.
How have you met that forbear-
ance? Not satisfied to use your in
famous system within and for the
control, of your states, you have
employed the same methods to con-
troll the general government, and
make laws for us to obey. You
have become so careless and so
audacious in this practice that at
last the patriotic men of the land
demand that the reasonable practice
shall cease. You have walked the
sleeping giant and the issue is not
doubtful. You may fret and delay
the course of substantial justice
here and there, you may even make
it hard for the north as well as the
south, because no one section of our
country can suffer alone in any
national affair; but when once the
people are reused you can 10 more
defy the constitution and nullify
the Federal law by forged registra-
ton and debauched election returns
than you can by armed resistance
and invasion.
We have a right to expect, to de-
mand, that you not only obey but
yourselves enforce the Federal law Z.
You may conduct your own elections
as you please, but you must limit
your peculiar practice to purely state
matters. If you think you can
maintain domestic election system
rooted in perjury and fraud aud
watered with blood and not see it
finally blossom and fruit in bitter