Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-07-03
NATIONAL ELECTION BILL
MIR. LODGE MAKES A LONG sPEEOH
ON IT.
is PROPOSED BY THE BILL
COMPARING TIE VOTE OF aIIssIs-
sIPPI AND HER JEESEK.


tlOhns
WASHINGTON, June 26.-In the House
to day ON motion OF Mr.. Ketcham, SEQ.
onded by Mr.. Flower, who said he could
endorse the measure in every particular
the House bill was passed granting 15
days leave to clerks in first and seoond-
class post-ofices.
The regular order being demanded Mr.
Lodge began the debate upon the
national election bill. He said thai he
did not think a more grave and serious
subject had ever come before the House.
1t demanded serious and deliberate treat
ment. He had no personalities or Eefleo-
tions to make but desired to treat the
question dispAssionstely. ,. The bill proposed
to extend existing lava regarding tne oien-
ton of members SO that they would
be effective throughout the United States
whenever the peopls wanted them 40 ex-
tended. he proceeded to sketch the
plan of the bill in outline. No local ma
chinery was disturbed, he said, ballots
were to be cast az lat present, and no secret
ballot system WIS to be interfered with
where 1t now prevails. Everything that
concerned the government should be open.
The business of the people must not be
aud before the peoples eyes. The assur-
ancs of honest elections lay in making
public every step and aot by which the
representatives Of the people were
chosen to their high Office. 10 secure
publicity at every stage OF the cleo
tion therefore was the leading principle
of the bill. Under its togms con-
oealment became impossible without
resort to violence and violence was itself
publicity. As to the power Of Congress
to enact such legislation the eonsitution
and the decisions of the Supreme COURT
were absolutely conclusive The power
was found in section 4 article l of the
constitution relating to the time, place
and manner Of electing Representatives.
II was not enough that elections were
fair. They must be known to be
fair. The question OF expediency
wan most important one. It
had been charged that tine bill
was sectional. Observing the heat
of certain persons and newspapers and
their vehemenee, he was led to remember
that suspicion always came TO guilty
minds. The acts which il was proposed
to extend had been called into existence
by the gigantic frauds in the city of New
York prior to 1870 aud 1871 That GER
tainly was not Hectional origin in the
sense that the charge was nov
made. Mr.. Lodge gave description
Of the state of sffIirs at that
time in New York Oily citing among
other cases the Tenth district Of the
Sixth ward where he said the Democratic
vote (Rfter throwing out the other votes)
WAS 1884, or ID moro than the total num-
Der of every man, woman and child resi-.
| in he fok lar.-
acted to meet those frauds had been Of
enormous value to the cause OF honest
elections. There were other cities sud
districts where the law was needed.
Investigation in one case had revealed in
q patent locked balloi-box the cuffs and
buttons Of an inspector Of elections. In
| his own state there has been cnnplhlpt
of the registration System and Rceuss-
tions had been made that the lists were
not right. II they were not right the
bill would remedy the wrong. BE did
not believe that anybody or party, honest
in intention and purpose, would be
afraid to have the truth and the whole
truth known.
The other side had criticised tho frauds
committed in northern cities. He would
put the secret official ballot in use in
every election district because be be-
liev d that was the only way to stop the
use of money in elections. 1t must ret
be supposed that legislation against
bribery must be nsiional in its character.
The bill, however, weat as fsr az pos
sible towards meeting that evil. He asked
| the gentlemen who were SO Tarm
in their denuncistion Of corruption
and bribery to unite with him
in attacking those and other evi beset-
ing elections. AS to the southern states,
it was apparent that many people be-
lieved that great frauds were there COM
mitted. II the belief that such thing
as fair election in tho south was un.
known then it was high time the United
States should put a stop to the evil if it
had to exercise every power the oonstitu-
tion put into its hands.
Mr.. Lodge presented number of
statistics to show the insuffioiency of rep
resentation in the south. He said that IN
Al election districts in the south the MEM
bers were elected by an average of less
than 15, 900 votes. He compared Missis-
sippi and New Jersey where the populR-
tions in 1880 were equal In number. The
total vote In hississippi was 117,000; in
New Jersey 2f5, 900.
The government which made the black
man citizen was O oowardly govern
ment il it did not protect him in his
right. A failure to do right brought its
own punishment. The bill had been
called revolutionary; the revolution was
to be found in the speeches ne read
speeches which showed that the consti-
tuhonsl representation did not exist.
The first step toward solution of the
race problem was to take it out of
national politics. The national government
must extend to every citizen the equal
rights which the constitution guaranteed.
In conclusion he said; "Let us do our
whole duty to every American citizen
rich or poor, black or white, weak or
strong, and we can safely ebide by the
result. Let US secure to every man the
liberty and freedom which Is She corner
stone Of American liberty.
Iwould make men free.
As much from mobs as kings,
From you Us me.
Applause.
At the conclusion Of his speech My.
-N-.I- l.. -.