Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1890-12-16
Congress.

against the Force bill Mr.. Colquitt, after re-
ferring to the material prosperity and sd-
vancement during the past century. drew 8
bright picture OF the future, when the ma
tiou would De limited orly by the bounds
rias o! North America and when 1t would
contain population Of 600,000,000: But
this picture had darker side. Would the
country develop into another huge China
Under the iron tread Of corporate power
and gigantic wealth, would we drift back
iBto mcuarchical regime. with but sem
blence OF freeGon? Our dangers were eli
Internal. The cnuntry was threatened with
the powesfu Influence OF extended pluto
crscy. While all the people Of the United
States spoke the same language, the race
question which was presented was full of
more intriracies than the came question
| presents In Europe. He made an earnest
appeal for tbs abolition OF seotionalism.
Mr.. Wilson, OF Maryland, made legal
and constitutional argument against the
bill. II this revolutionary bill, he said,
should become law, it would epripg from
| an utter iorgetfulness and disregard Of
high and honorable obligation on the part
of Congress not to exercise such pow
| ers, except as lsst resort, and under cir
cumstsncss OF extreme necessity, or OF VI
gent exiSeucy. The existence OF such ciI-
cumstanco5 could not now be affirmed by
any one except by him who surveyed pass.
| ing events, through TIE magDif5ing snd DIS
| torsing lsus OF the most bitter partlsanehip
| he proposed 10 show that no necessity COW
ax'stsd Tor siop.ing what Hamilton haG
| CO Il ii "a last resort /" and that, therefore,
| the prcncss6 law was o sham hnd decep-
lion He would lot vote fer any measure
| to brosGan mr. continue the system OF FED
sral supervisors OF election, but would vote
to ropeai tho whole s}siem az mischievous.
| exaspeTa,,ag and unconstitutional H.
was firmly Convinced, be said, that, II tbe
| election bill became O law, its execution
would Do followed By riots, disorder and
| bloodshed. Hs was sometimes oppressed
! wish tee eu5picion that soms of it's euppor.-
srs wished that that would be the result, GO
that there wociG DC chance for armed in
terVenliou No 1ne would be Eso.e delight
sd than ho 20 gncw that such s suspicion
! @ss NJ foordst;. But the bill could nci fail
&c disturb tne harmony between the RACES
Is she South. Il would postpone indehni c
: aug possible solution Of the UcmenJou5
southern question. Why. be asked, could
not bis republican friends sac that, or, II
they did $50 1t, WHY we're they recklessly
Determined 10 60 forward 10 course { s
ruinous TO the Write peanle at the South as
destructive TO tho negro?
Mt Vance said the people Of North Care
lima were justified 10 viswiDg the proposi-
tion with suspicion snd alarm because it
proposed to change the manner ii which
they had been aecuatomed to execute snd to
declare their viii, sac provided that that
will should bs exSeuted acd declared at the
dictaiiou Of Others. CeDtaries ago the free
men of toe colony of North Carolina, while
still 6ws!lipg Ia The fores5, had been accus-
toned 10 elect the representatives TO the &C.
loaisl legislature ,hroUgs the i5Ssrnmantali-
ty of their oGn chosen officials, and for st
least one hundred enG thisty years that right
had on exercised, nuorckeo by single
precedent 10 The contrary, previous to the
time Then North Carolina became State
In The American Ucion. Ths object OF the
bill was declared to be to restore purity In
elections. He presumed tbet no Que would
deny that that was desirable, and even in
d!spenaable. But the manner ia which it
was proposed to bring it about in the bill
could only be spoken of properly as "the
joke of the egss."
TIE muddy waters of suffrage were. be
of election. Bat what, he said, would puFl.
fy the supervisors
THE river Rhine, it is we'll known,
Doth wash the City Of Cologne
Bat tell me what, sc powers divine,
Will herceforth wash the river Rhine?'
Every lioe and every iDtendment of The
bill was, he said. sn insult to the rights OF
the States aod calumnious re fl .ctIon on
the integrity of their people. 1t declared,
not that the Safe laws we're inefficient, but
that the officials were dishonest, while
federal officials, chosen from the nass CT
the people of the same State, he'd. neces-
sariiy, to bs virtuous and pure. What re-
ductio ad absosdum
At the close OF Mr. Vanoe'5 speech, the
Vice President announced the question to
be on Mr.. Gtay's amendment to strike ous
the House clause.
A long discussion OF the matter took
place. enc had not come TO a Close when
thu senats proceeded to executive business.