The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-12-12
MR. FRYE EXPLAINS
And Says Some Things wise and
witty About Democrats.

WASHINGTON, December lin the Sen
ate today. the consideration of the election
bill was resumed, Mr.. Wilson of Iowa speak
ing in its favor.
Mr.. Frye said that in his speech few days
ago the Senator from Virginia Mr.. Daniel
made reference to the Lynde report. The
reference seemed to point to the conclusion
that he Mr.. Fryel had joined in the report.
AS many as six different times. what was
known as the Lynde report had been cited,
and he had been charged (he regarded it as a
serious charge) with joining in that report.
In the House. at the last session, at least
twice he had been quoted as being In favor
of the repeal of the SUPERVISORS law and as
believing that John |. Davenport had been
false to his duty. He desired to say there
hal never been any Lynde report. No re-
port whatever had been made bv the COM
mttee appointed to investigate Davenport
In the Attn Congress. He had tried his best
to secure report. but had failed. A So
called report, which undoubtedly contained
tue views of Mr.. Lynd., had been presented
to the House and ordered printed and re-
committed IL had never seen the light of
day from that hour to this. He was aware
IL mad been quoted against him again and
again. Messrs. Lynde and FOrney and him
self had constituted the subcommittee sent
to New York to investigate Davenport. The
document which was called the Lynde re-
port had never been read to the judiciary
committee. Now. a bit of history: In the
45th Congress an effort had been made to re-
peal the laws for the protection OF the ballot
box Tammany united with the C0nfedera-
cy of the South TO break down every safe
guard and protection, and open up the ballot
box to every fraud and outrage OF every
name, character and description, and, Of
course, Tammany could not permit the
United States law providing for supervisors,
inspectors and marshals to remain upon the
statute books. Therefore, Fernando Wood
had presented, at an early day, memorial
signed by 63 citizens Of New York, In which
they represented that one John Daven-
port, despot, who neither regarded God
nor law, had arrested them on election day,
incarcerated them in prisons, and deprived
them of the rights OF American citizens, and
they demanded that Davenport should be
deposed and the laws under which he was
acting repealed. The House directed the
Committee on judiciary to investigate the
matter. The result Of that investigation
was that the committee were showed under
other committee appointed to investigate
Davenport. Five times had Davenport been
brought before the courts and five times pro-
nOunced not guilty.
Referred to the so-called Lynde report. Mr..
Frye said that in the House he challenged
h, had made speech which he would not
make in the United States Senate. He had
to choose his words and tone himself down
to senatorial dignity and senatorial courtesy.
In the house he could have free range as the
Senator from Kentucky Mr.. Blackburn
knew, and as they both had taken advantage
Of. Laughter Even after that aggravat-
ing speech. no disposition was shown to
make report. The pending bill was not
tenth part stringent enough, not tenth part
drastic enough in its provisions. II. in order
TO secure the right Of an American citizen to
freely cast his ballot and have 1t counted as
cast, 1t was necessary to put bayonet be-
hind every ballot; he would put the bayonet
behind it mingled applause and Misses in
The gallery promptly suppressed by the Vice
President.
Mr.. Frye proceeded to review and eulogize
Mr.. DavenpOrt's method Of supervising cleo
tiOns in New York, and incidentally de-
nounced the methods of naturalization ad-
opted by Judges MeGunn and Barnard who,
in II days, naturalized $1,000 foreigners.
After having read copious extracts from Mr..
Coxe's report, and the testimony taken be-
fore his committee, particularly that Of Mr..
Whitney, late Secretary of the Navy, giving
high praise to Mr.. Davenport for the honest
elections he had secured In the city of New
York, Mr.. Frye asked whether there was
any Senator who believed man not entitled
to register should register; or man not en-
titled to vote should vote. By the enforce
ment of the existing law the voting pOpula-
tion of certain blocks had been reduced over
| one half. Yet, he said, the Lynde report,
uldu0 db bLo uculduU VI 1dluudu1, odlu tuC
law should be repealed so that Tammany
should control the lower wards OF the city,
and get five votes where there were only two
legal ones.
Mr., Morgan asked what state Mr.. Lynde
was from.
Mr.. Frye-"From Wisconsin. The gentle
man is above reproach in everything except
| his Democracy. Laughter do not re-
| gard the average Democrat in politics as
above reproach. The moment a man be-
nannnOrat hea haa Saf
| able of any fraud in the matter Of voting"
Mr.. Gray-"I suppose you know that OpiL-
| ion is heartily reciprocated."
Mr. Frye-"Very likely. The devil was
never yet fond of holy water" Laughter. ]
| He went on to read an iitorial from what
he called good Democratic paper" mot
/ good" he added, 'in the sense that a saint
| is good " The editorial was from the New
| York Times, commenting upon Mr.. Gray's
argument against the house to house provis-
ion in the bill preferrlng to it the position
taken by MIR. Edmunds IN support Of that
/ provision.
Mr.. CRAY hope the Senator endorses
that editorial"
MIR. Frye-"No sir. III did 1 should re-
gard myself as prepared to b. committed to
Mr.. Daniel commented upon Mr.. Frye's
declaration as to associating the bayonet with
every ballot and that the suffrages should be
deposited at the muzzle Of guns. That, he
said, was the Senator's conception OF a re-
public, the bayonet and the ballot side by
side. But that was not the conception OF a
republic which its founders had, not the
conception cf republic the Americans pee
pie had today.
secure free ballot"
MIR. Daniel-"There is much virtue in an
'if'. This bill has got bayonet with every
voter If the supervisor Of elections chooses to
put it there"