Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-12-11
GRAY'S STIRRING SPEECH
The Force Bill An Insult to a
Free People.
DAVENPORT SHARPLY SCORED
Deck Him in Ribbons and
Send Him to Russia.


A Washington correspondent under date
of on Monday writes When Mr.. Gray
finally took the floor to resume his argti-
ment against the Force bill, he warned
Mr.. lloar that, because he pressed his bill
TO the exclusion of all other business, he
need not suppose the Democrats would de-
fatilt in their duty of debate and let pass
without discussion a measurs that affected
not only business but the lives and liber-
ties of q free people. Mr.. Gray's argu
ments were so telling that more than once
his audience in the galleries applauded and
had to be warned that this was violation
of senatorial decorum.
His sharp reference to John !. Davenport
and his part in the Force bill were appre-
ciated by his audience, and there was more
applause, when MIR. Hoar, interrupting
Mr.. Gray, received smart setback from
MIR. Kenna.
Mr.. Gray, in resuming his argument
against the bill, spoke of the machinery
provided in. il as similar to that under
which Napoleon III, arrayed his plebiscte
in 1882, and erected an empire on the ruins
of the French republic. He thought that
the bill, if it We're not to be recomnlitted to
the committee on privileges and ELECTIONS,
should be, at least, sent TO a committee on
style, which would make plain what the
bill meant. s'I.et u.s. he said, adhere to
the rules of English speech, if we are not
To adhere to the rules of English liberty
and freedom. Let us have the lucid
periods Of the senator from Massachusetts,
and not the turgid, confused phraseology
of the chief supervisor of New York, and
then we can discuss the bill with more in
telligence than we can discuss it now"
Mr.. Gray having again referred TO the
New York Herald report of Il hearing be
fore MIR. Davenport in October, 1873, from
which he had quoted on Saturday, MIR.
Hoar said that he was authorized to say
that that report was absolutely false, and
that no such transaction had occurred.
MIR, Gray declared that he did not believe
that an ordinary newspaper reporter, re
porting proceedings from day to day,
would have ever so blackened his soul rs
to make and have printed Il report that
was deliberate lie. ON the face of that
report there were the marks of its verify.
He would not believe even the chief super
visor IF New York as against the reporter.
~" ci 'cf Hnrnrvisnr bad said to the coun-
sci in the case that he was talking to the
Thank Cod said Mr.. Gray, shat
there was a reporter to report it, Our lib
critics and our freedom are never so secure
as when the calcium light of the press is
turned on all these places where the liberty
OF the citizen, his right to life, liberty and
prosperity is concerned or may be passed
upon by his fellow-men. The counsel on
that occasion was talking to the news
papers Of course. and am now talking to
the newspapers, because senators on the
other side are not listening to me. am
talking through the newspapers to the
people Of the country, who, thank God,
will give me a hearing" Applause.
Mr.. Kenna asked Mr., Hoar as to when
and where the chief supervisor Of New
York had given him authority to deny the
correctness of the newspaper report.
Mr.. lioar intimated that the question
was extraordinary and very impertinent.
Mr., kenna said that he would answer it
himself by saying that the authority had
been given here in Washington, and that
for weeks and months the chief supervisor
of New York had been in the Hobbies pro-
noting the passage of the bill. Applause
in the galleries which was rebuked by the
presiding officer, Mr.. Dolph, who threat
ened to have the galleries cleared if the
offence was repeated.
In the further course of his speech Mr.
Gray, abiding to Mr.. Davenport, said that
if he MIR. Gray had the power to dispose
of him, he would put him on board of
battle ship, deck him out with the ribbons
of his order, and make him a present to
the ear of Russia. Let him. he said,
''go there and SOW the seed in that mys-
FERROUS country that will fructify in new
crop of Nihilists and people again the
wastes Of Siberia
In the course of colloquy between Mr..
Gray and Mr.. Edmunds, Mr.. GRAY mag
ined the case Of the Vermont senator going |
to the polls in his own town to vote, and |
having dirty deputy marshal INSPIRED |
by rum and politics. lay his hand upon his |
shoulder and say that he arrested him for |
offering to vote when not properly regis |
tered, or when not residing in the precinct, |
and take him before a United States com |
missioner. Was that consistent with the |
freedom of elections? Deputy marshals, he |
added, were (under the bilD to be at the |
polls to promote fraud. They would be
there to make elections one-sided, to arrest
Democrats for real or supposed election
frauds, and to allow Republicans to go
free; or in case Of Democrats being in
power to arrest Republicans and to allow
Democrats TO go free.
''fhe bill, MIR. Gray said, SHOULD be
trampled under foot; should never find
place in the statute book of the United
States; should be taken out and branded
by the common hangman as being an in
suit to the free people of free country
II was, to say the least of it, a stretch Of /
the power conferred upon Congress. Ibeg
you to let lis stand in the ancient WAYS
and not to disturb the ancient landmarks
There are principles so i,nbedded in our
constitution and scheme of government
that they cannot be touched and removed
without iostling and shaking the whole
fabric of our liberties. | beg you to CON
slider that we should conserve these fllnda-
mental principles these great doctrines of
local selfsoyernment, and let them re-
main for all time as immutable as the
snow-crowned peaks Of the western noun
tains, which have stood so long as the sem
tinels of the centuries
IL was late when Mr.. Gray finished his
long and able argument, and so, when Mr..
Berry had obtained recognition as the next
speaker, the Senate adjourned until to-
morrow
Ran,nr1.abIa ua.