The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-12-24
ENDOF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
Senator Kenna Gives 4 Graphic Descrip-
ton Of the Happy Event.

Senator Kenna Gives a Graphic Descrip-
tion OF the Happy Event.
WAsHINsToN, Dec. l7.-1n the Sen
ate Yesterday Kenna addressed that bod!
in opposition to the election bill. The
country was about to witness, he said
the final acting OF the read politica
drama which the Republican party haC
been playing at the rate Of star for g
quarter Of century.
The play had beeen long. 1t had paid
well. Its receipts had been enormous
The last preceding scene had closed il
muttering disgust. Whether the perfor-
nance should end in comedy or tragedy
remained to be seen. Awaiting paitien'
ly the final elimination Of the play, the
interval might be devoted, he said. not
without profit to somewhat casual re-
view Of the general plot and general
performance.
Kenna proceeded to sketch the history
of the Republican party, beginning with
the reconstruction period, much to the
disadvantage of that party. lie de-
nounced the policy OF the Republican
party in regard to the Mormons, public
lands, tariff, navy and Indians, and
then addressing himself to the bill, said
that there was no mistake about what it
meant. There was no mistake that 1t
was a cunning contrivance to place IN
the hands of the minority the control of
the institutions of the people with a
bayonet fer every ballot.
The Senator from Massachusetts
(Hoar) had told the Senate that no time
should be wasted in debate as no ones
Judgment would be affected by it. He
(Hoar) had desire to have the bill
passed without discussion, as there
was, perhaps, evidence that that desire
was concurred in by the other side OF
the chamber. All that had a tendency
to impress on his mind at least the idea
that for some good reason it was consid-
cred wise for party reasons to smuggle
the bill Though Congress; wise to have
it invade the statute book. silently as
the tread Of thief by night.
Was the bill, he asked, the producet OF
a felon or Of fanatic? Of q Solomon or
a fool? Its terms and provisions were
before the Senate. It's objects and its
purpose were stamped on its face. It
was understood that John I. Davenport
was its author. 1t sounded like him,
looked like him and read like him.
Every section, everey clause and every
letter, FROM one end 10 the other, spelled
Davenport"
Its chief promoter in the Senate was
the distinguished Senator from Massa-
chusctts (Hoar,) and the second in COM
mand seemed to be the equally distln-
euished Senator from New York
(Evarts.) 1t seemed to be meet and pro-
per that those two distinguished gentle
men should be selected (either by others
or by themselves) to take charge Of the
bill. One Of them had made part of
the electoral commission and the other
had been the chief Republican counsel
before that tribunal.
Kenna gave highly graphic descrip-
ton Of the scenes before the electoral
commission anG in the House of Repre-
sentatives and referred to Mrs. Fasset's
painting in which Evarts was the CEN
tral figure addressing the tribunal and in
which Hoar appears as member OF the
commission.
That picture, he said, ought not to go
down to posterity solitary and alone.
There should be a companion picture
painted for it showing an eXtemporlzed
bastile in which some of the 100000
American citizens for whom Davenport
had Issued warrants were packed,
crowding each other to look out through
bars, and showing Davenport as the
central figure. If an honest man Gas
Davenport was represented to be) could
snatch the liberties Of 1000 American
citizens by the strocke Of his pen, what
was to be the fate Of the voters when
there was to be a bayonet behind every
ballot, and Davenport behind every bay
onet. (Some applause in the galleries.
If a scanning Of the bill from the title
page to the conclusion afforded no OBJ
lection on which to cast vote against
It, its authorship and its source would
condemn and damn its every line and
letter forever. 1t had never been in
tended to promote the honesty Of cleo
tons. It had never had associated with
it any design to promote the honesty
or purity. Or freedom Of the ballot.
After occupying some three hours,
Kenna said that there were other
features of the bill which he would like
to discuss. but he did not feel in view Of
his health that it would be safe for him
to continue the speech.