The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-03
FOR FAIR ELECTIONS.
The House Passes the Federal
Supervisors Bill.
BY NEARLY A PARTY VOTE.
Tie Senate Rec ,des From Legislative
Appropriation Amendm. nts.
Fraud Charged Against q Land once
Ofhcial-BilIs TO Restore the Ameri-
can Merchant Marine Silver Con-
ferecs Make Progress.


amendment offered by Tucker OF Virginia
requiring the judge of the circuit court to
be associated withethe district Judge to pass
upon applications for supervisors OF elec-
tons. fuckers amendment wss rejected.
Rowell of Illinois offered an amendment
making it the duty Of the circuit court
judges in each circuit, within one month
after the passage of this act. to open special
circuit courts in their respective circuits.
and the said judges shall appoint for each
judicial district three discreet persons of
good character and standing, who shall be
known as the United States juror commits
sioners. 1t shall be the duty of such
commissioners to organize as a board
and from time 10 time make
from the qualified voters q list Of
persons who under the laws of the United
States and of the state shall be eligible
for jury duty, without respect to race or
color. Hereafter all panels for jurors shall
he drawn by tie board in preference to the
district or circuit judge. Springer of Illi-
nois opposed the amendment, declaring
that its purpose. to pack the juries with
Republican partisans, was the elimination
of the outrage contemplated by the bill.
Powell's amendment was rejected, 146 to
143.
A good deal of confusion followed this
announcement, amid which several Demo-
Gratis demanded the yeas and nays, but in
so low tone that it was not heard by the
speaker, who recognized Struble of Iowa
TO offer an amendment. Then Cultivate
called the attention of the speaker to the
call for the yeas and nays, and
he
opinion that the demand came
too late. Cultivate himself requested
all those favoring she demand to rise. The
entire Democratic side of the House rose,
but the speaker entirely ignored it, and
did not count those rising. He stated,
however, that if there was no objection
the speaker would direct the clerk to call
the roll. and amid a volley OF protests from
the Democrats at being granted as favor
that which they demanded as a right, the
amendment was adopted. The vote stood:
Yeas $50, nays IA
Hemphill offered an amendment to sec.
ton 80 of the bill, to insert the words sex
cept section $3.50 OF revised statute of the
United States" He explained that that
section OF the bill empowered the super
visor TO use the army and navy at the polls,
and the rurpssess of his amendment
was TO eliminate this provision.
Lodge denied that the bill had any
such effect as stated. Blount. of Georgi a,
said that the bill provided for the appoint
ment of partisan supervisors and sur
rounded those supervisors with United
States soldiers and empowered them to
make voters feel that they were under the
orders OF the military authority. Mckinley
said that the amendment would take from
the president all the power he had to en-
force judicial processes. The bill would be
destroyed if the government wers deprived
OF The right to use federal power to exc
cute judicial processes under the proposed
measure. HemphiIl's amendment was
lost. Yeas, lag; nays. 155.
Mckinley said that no honest man could
object to the bill. 1t was said the bill
would be expensive, and would cost MIL
lions. That assumed that the $50 districts
of the country would invoke the operation
of the law. but there was not man who
did not know that not 1O0 districts
would invok, its operation. They would
diminish the cost of administration of the
law in the rate at whicn they diminished
fraudulent voting and false counting and
suppression of the votes OF Republicans
lApp,ause. 1t would cost nothing
if there was no need for it. This ques-
ton would not rest until Justice came. 1t
was the supreme duty of the nation to en-
force the constitution and laws of the
United States. The gentlemen on the
other side should obey them as the Repub-
licans oheyed them, for he told them the
people of the North would not permit two
votes in the South to count as much as
five votes in the North. Republican ap-
plause.l
Mcmillan of Tennessee said the Repub-
cans might, like madman. grasp the pill
lars of the constitution and pull down the
edifice, but, like Samson. they would per-
ish in the wreck. II he could register a
wish in heaven he would ask
not for an extension of boundaries
or multiplication of territory, not
for flowing rivers and fertile fields, but that
the man who laid violent hands upon the
constitution, might drop dead as did the
sacrllegious Jew, who laid his impious
hand upon the ark of the covenant. Dem
ocratic applause.
Perkins of Kansas aud LaFollette of
Wisconsin made eloquent pleas in favor of
the hill
The hour of having arrived, the speaker
declared the previous question ordered on
the bill and pending amendment
Springer moved TO lay the bill on the
table Lost, yeas 14S, nays I56. Springer
changed his vote from affirmative to mega
tive, in order to move reconsideration
This, upon motion of Rowell. was laid on
the table, yeas 15S, nays l4s.
The vote then REQUIRED on Hemphill's
amendment relative to the use OF troops at
the polls, and it was rejected; yeas AS,
NAYS l56.
Springer, having voted in the negative
for the purpose, moved reconsideration.
The motion was tabled.
Springer moved to lay the bill upon the
table, stating that his former motion was
TO table the bill and the pending amend
ment. The speaker ruled the motion out
of order Springer appealed, and the ap-
real was laid on the table, yeas l5s, nays
li6
Springer, having voted in the Affirmative,
moved a reconsideration. Grosvenor
made the point OF order that this was a
iilatory motion, point which was sus-
tanned by the speaker.
Springer appealed. but the speaker de-
clined TO entertain the appeal. Springer
protested that this was the first time in
the history of the government that mo-
ton TO reconsider was not recognized, but
his voice was lost in the calls for the regu-
lar order from the Republican side.