The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-06-27
NATIONAL ELLC1lON BILL.
Tho Grcht Debate Beguu-Ths Provision
OF the ii ensnro


WASHINGTON, D. G., June 26.-TLe
House met at IL o'clock to-day. On mo.
ton Of Mr.. ketchum, of New York, Sec
onded by Mr.. Flower, Of New York,
who said he could endorse the measure
in every particular, the House bill was
passed granting fifteen days leave to
clerks in the first and second class post
offices.
The regular order being demanded,
Mr.. Lodge, Of Massachusetts, began the
debate upon the National Election bill.
He said he did not think more grave
and serious subject had ever come be.
for the House, 1t demanded serious and
deliberate treatment. The bill proposed
to extend existing laws regarding the
election Of members, so that.they would
beeifective throughout the United States
whenever the people wanted them ex.
tended. He proceeded to state the plan OF
tho bill in outline. No local machinery
was disturbed, he said; ballots were to
be cast as at present, and no secret bal
lot system was to be interferred with
where it now prevailed. Everything
that concerned the government phould
be open. Under its terms the conceal.
men: BECAME impossible without re-
sort to violence, and violence was pub.
licity. It was not enough that elections
were fair. They may be known to be
fair. 1t had been charged that the bill
was sectional. The acts which it was
proposed to extend had been called into
existence by the gigantic frauds in the
city Of New York prior to 1870 and 1871.
That certainly was not a sectional origin
in the sense that the charge was now
made. In his own State there had been
complaint Of the registration system, aud
accusations had been made that the
lists were not right II they were not
right, the bill would remedy the wrong.
WANT THE TRUTH KNOWN.
He did not believe that any body or
party OF honest intentions and purposes
would be afraid to have the truth and
the whole truth known. The other side
had criticized the frauds committed in
Northern cities. He would put the
secret official ballot in use in every
election district, because he believed
that was the only way to stop the use oil
money in elections. 1t must not BE- sup.
posed that legislation against bribery
must be national in its character. The
bill, however, went as far as possible
toward meeting that.
MIR. Lodge presented a number OF sta.
tistics to show tho insuilicency OF repre-.
sentation in the South. He said that in
forty-one election districts in the South
the members were elected by an average
Of less than l5,0O0 votes.
HEMpHlLL's HOWL.
Mr.. Hemphill, OF South Carolina, ar.
gued that tho bill was unconstitutional.
and not national, but sectional, He
had marched before the glitte,ing bayo.
nets OF U. S. soldiers to cast his ballot,
A troop Of soldiers had been sent to his
town and every soldier had cast ballot
for Greeley. The result was that the
Democratic party had a larger majority,
than it had eyer had,in any preceding
election.
The whole bill seemed framed against
the voters and in favor Of the Supervisor,
who was said to be an angel from heaven,
because, he was appointed by United
States Judge, who had place ior life.
Continuing, Mr.. Hemphill !, said,
Messts. Hiscock and tEvarts were on the
floor OF the Senate misrepresentine the