The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-28
CESARISM:AT THE POLLS.
FLOWER AND vAUx RIDDLE THE
ELECTION BILL.

Both DenOunce It as the Most Dan
gerous Blow at the Liberty of the
People Since the Foundation of the
Government-Haugen Supports the
Measure.
WASHINGTON, June Decentralization of
The election bill was resumed in the House
ibis morning, Mr. Haugen of Wisconsin
addressing the House in support of the
MEASURE. He declared that it did not pro
pose to touch state elections, but
proposed to supervise national cleo
lions, a clear right Of congress. The bill was
not local but general in its application.
The objections made to the bill by the
southern members constituted deliberate
Insult to the south itself. A prominent
democratic leader in Mississippi had advo-
cated the requirement of property qualifi-
cation in the voter, and suggested that such
provision would restore supremacy to the
whites. That in itself was a confession that
the whites wrongfully exercised supremacy
at present.
AN EVIDENCE OF DISTRUsT.
Mr.. Covert of New York said that the
bill was an evidence of the distrust felt by
the republicans Of government of and for
the people. The proposition was to bring
back the returning boards of Florida and
South Carolina, the days Of the electoral
commission-days that every patriotic man
would forget if he could.
Mr. Flower of New York denounced the
bill as un-republican, un-democratio and
un-American; as a measure constructed
upon the idea that the small republican
majority now In congress could better legis-
late for the people than the people them
selves. Any court that would lend itself
to the execution of its corrupt purposes
and free the INSCRIPTIONS servants OF
political oligarchy, would richly deserve
the censure 1t was sure to receive. The his
torp of the political prosecutions Of some of
our federal courts was already rank with
unscrupulous abuses of the law, and this
bill, if passed, would add many more such
chapters.
RECKLESS AND DESPERATE.
Among all the other acts of this congress
it stood pre-eminent as the most reckless and
desperate measure to maintain the minority
in power in this country, whose purpose
was to offer an opportunity for fraud. The
bill sought to provoke a conflict between
state and federal officers, and never before
in the history of the country had there been
such Jumble of local and federal functions
IN any law. The attempt to control
state officers in the discharge of
their duties is a dangerous and threat
ening invasion into the domain of
local self-government that no thirst for
power can justify and no hypocritical polit-
ical pretense Of desire for free ballot and
fair count can excuse. Mr.. Flower con-
demned and ridiculed the 'house to house
canvass" by supervisors authorized in the
bill, called attention to the insertion Of the
word ''male" in its reference to voters,
argued that that word would exempt female
voters from supervision in the states and
territories where female suffrage prevails.
LITTLE ALLITERATIoN.
"Mr. Speaker" he said, in conclusion,
"if this measure passes and is sustained by
the courts it will revolutionize the govern
ment and set up on the ruins of our free in
stitutious government by fees, force aud
fraud. 1t means the inauguration of a
state of affairs throughout the whole coun-
try that prevailed for several years in a
single section with the substitution for the
bayonet Of the soldier of the club of
a deputy marshal Its immediate effect
will be most harmful to the country, but
the ultimate result will be that the people
will drive from power In the government
the party that sought to profit by it before
it can pull the whole temple down on their
head" EApplause on the Democratic side. ]
MIR. vAUX'S MAIDEN SPEECH.
Mr.. Vaux of Pennsylvania, successor of
Samuel j. Randall, then arose to make his
maiden speech, and the members gathered
around hlm in the seats and in the space
before the speakers desk and listened to
him with interest. He was going, he said,
to speak of a subject which seemed to have
been entirely ignored, and, he was sorry to
think. had been almost forgotten in this age
of our republic" "The constitution
of the United States, believe,n
he said, sis in the patent office
[laughterl and those who want to
understand its meaning must go to glass
case and, having tried to ascertain in this
way what this yellow piece of parchment
means, they turn away and say: The con-
stitution-that is forgotten subject"
Enough of the constitution, he believed,
was left to substantiate his assertion that
this bill virtually overturned the constitu-
ton and destroyed our form of government.
loud democratic applause The articles
of the constitution on which the bill was
based was that with reference to the time,
place and manner of holding elections.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WORD MANNER
Mr.. Vaux dwelt particularly upon the
word manner and time and again paused
to remark that he only had one word more
to say and that was this word manner" ;"
He argued that the constitutional meaning
of this phrase was that the power Of con-
greSS was limited TO prescribing tne
form of choosing representatives, and
that when the election itself
began its authority ceased. The
word "manner" must be construed strictly,
and not be implication The manner" of
holding and the "holding' of an election
were entirely distinct and separate, and the
power of congress ceased with the former.
If there could be injected in the word
manner the power claimed by the friends
of the bill, then there was no word of hmi-
tation in the English language that could
be used to put an end to their deYices,
which (sotto voce they seemed to have in
such plenty.
REED CALLS TINE.
The chair interrupted Mr.. Vaux to state
that his time was up, but all the members
shouted to let him go on, and repeated it
several times, when the speaker expressed
lear that he was taking up too much time.
Continuing. Mr.. Vaux said these super
visors responsible to nobody, might carry
their authority to the election of senators.
They might go In the legislative assembly of
MS state and say to any one they met there:
=, Are you member of the legislature of
the state of Pennsylvania
Yes. sir.n
Walk out then," and amid roars of
laughter, Mr.. Vaux himself, suiting his
actions to his words, walked out of the aisle
as lar as the aneakeriS desk ttThare was