The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-07-03
THE FEDERAL ELECTION BILL PASSED.
1t Completes Legislation Which
Many Believed Impossible.
Speaker Reed the One Man whose
Courage Never Failed Him.
The Closing Debate Marked by Many
Eloquent Speeches.
special to the Press.l

Especial 10 the Press
WASHINGTON, July 2.-The Republicans
of the House have passed the federal elec-
tion bill. The measure which has been
called for In Republican platforms as long
ago as when many voters were in their era
dies is at last passed in the legislative body
where the most resistance has been expert
eDced. 1t is the last of the great measures on
which party lines will be drawn this session.
The tariff, silver bill and federal election
bill are more than many sanguine Republi-
cans dared hope for. The Democrats loudly
asserted that the majority were to be tied,
but today the Republicans are able to point
to q list of achievements which their adyer-
saries boldly proclaimed could not be done,
and nearly all of which have, at times
seemed unattainable to the Republicans.
There has been, however, one Republican
who has seen the end from the beginning
That one is the Speaker. Through series Of
parliamentary contests unparalleled in Con-
gress for many years he has marched stead
lily ahead, and now at last sees his party tri-
umphant at every point. The closing mo-
ments of this debate have been exciting, i'm
pressive and sometimes dramatic. Many a
Democrat, with hand stretched to Heaven,
has lamented what he has considered death
q
but these melancholy Democrats are gener-
ally men who had hand in the only serious
effort that ever was made to break up the re-
public.
The first thing this morning was the rectf
cation of the misfortune of yesterday in that
part of the bill relating to the jury system.
Mr.. Rowell of Illinois. presented an amend
ment providing that federal judges shall ap-
point three district jury commissioners
without regard to party, who shall draw the
IN LIST tn ~ hn &c
opposed this fiercely, but were beaten by a
vote Of $50 to IA
An amendment was next proposed by Mr.
Hemphill to that portion of the bill allowing
the use of the forces of the government to
sustain the DEGREES of the courts, and on
most conspicuous Republican speakers were
Messrs. Boutelle Of Maine, Taylor Of Ten
nessee, and Mckinley Of Ohio. Mr.. Bou-
telle's speech was very eloquent and forcible
and was repeatedly cheered. he reminded
Mr.. Hemphill that he Mr.. Boutellel and 9TH
ers on the Republican side were patrolling
the dreary coasts of South Carolina, keeping
up blOckadeS against the rebellion, when the
young gentleman who now declared that the
negroes should not vote in South Carolina,
the North had waited for a new generation
in the South to bring about new sentiment
in regard to civil and political liberty, only
to be confronted at this late day with def
ance as perniclOus as that OF the days OF
John G. Calhoun. The time had now come
for the federal government to assert and
maintain the integrity Of the suffrage. A
storm of applause on the Republican side
signifed approval of Mr.. Boutelle's senti-
ment.
When the hour for voting arrived e
o'clock the galleries were filled with large
audience that had listened attertively to the
spirited and eloquent debate, probably the
finest Of the session. The first roll call was
on a motion to lay the bill on the table. This
was the last vote and showed that the
federal election bill would be passed
Messrs. Coleman and Lehlbach voted with
the Democrats. Mr.. Ewart was paired
against the bill. Messrs. Frank of Missouri
and Brown of Virginia did not vote. Other
wise all the Republicans supported the bill.
MIR. Hemphilps amendment was voted down
and the vote, naturally in order, was the en-
grossment of the bill, but Mr.. Springer Of
Illinois began to call the yeas and nays on
Trivial motions and appears thls lilbus-
tering, after several hours had been waNs5sSesai,
was ruled out OF order as dilatOry by the
Speaker. At 5 o'clock the House came to a
square vote on the engrOssment and third
reading OF the bill and the Republicans car
ried it by vote Of 155 TO 143. The Demo-
Gratis interp0se1 more dilatOry roll calls.
Time hung heavily during the long hours Of
this flibustering At one time a group of
gray haired members gathered in the lobby
and joined in the chorus while Van Setback,
aged y, Republican Of Dutch extraction,
representing the Milwaukee district of Wis
consin sang baby Nine" Governor Ding
ley sat near the group but did not join in the
chorus, though evidently greatly pleased.
Finally about o'clock, after continuous
session Of 10 hours, the House at last came
to direct yea and nay vote on the passage
OF the bill. As Coleman and Lehbach vot-
ed against, they were cheered loudly by the
Democrats and in turn as HOuk and Tayor
of Tennessee, Turpin OF Alabama, Wilson of
Kentucky and the other Southern Repubi-
cans voted fol it, they were loudly cheered
by their side. Only the three Repu blicans
before mentioned were against the bill on
this vote. 1t passed 155 to 149. Several Re
publicans were absent impaired and faile d
to get here, one being detained by railroad
accident. All the Maine men were here and
voted aye. The announcement OF the result
was greeted with loud applause rs the great
contest of the session and of years was fin
ished. What will the Senate do with the
bill ? is the question now. From the best in
formation at hand the only warrantable pre-
dicti0n is that the Senate Will pass it.