Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-06-28
HGTLY CONTESTED.
The Fight Over the National
Election Measure.
BOTH SIDES LAYING ON HEAVILY.


Intimates That Such Legislation May
Raise Cain-Kennedy's Comments on
C1eveland's Election-The Senate Passes
tho Wyoming Admission BiiI-Signing
of the Dependent Pension Act-The
House Original Packages Measure.
WASHINGTON CITY. June 2s.-The food
of eloquence on the national election law
was continued yesterday in the house,
two of the most interesting speeches being
those of Vaux of Pennsylvania (Randall's
successor) and Kennedy OF Ohio Haugen
of Wisconsin opened the debate for the
bill, saying that it was not local in its APP
plieation, but general, and that southern
objection to it was an insult to the south
He referred to the movement in that sec
ton for property qualification for voters,
it being openly advocated because it would
disfranchise the negro, and quoted Judge
Cate, Democrat from Arkansas, and
contestant for seat in the house. who had
justified the outlawry by mob violence of
certain negroes who had been elected to
local offices on the ground that they were
not property holders.
Blast at Col. Dudley.
Covert of New York said the bill was
evidence of the distrust of the Repub-
icans of government of and for the peo-
pie. After referring to Speaker Reeds
speech to the Pittsburg Americas club,
in which he discussed the southern cues
ton, and intimating that the speech was
delivered to have an effect on the house,
Covert quoted Reed MS speaking of"an emer
hat ta1 no
hcan party, said Covert, was used to
meeting emergencies. They had met
them in Indiana when they sent in Dor
sey with his money and Dudley with his
foaters in "blocks of five" and Quay, the
archangel of the party This bill was in
tended to undo the work of the fathers of
the constitution. The bill would revive
race prejudice which now was extinct. In
Gods name, as lovers of the country, he
besought the house not TO seek to revive
the prejudice now. Applause.
Flower Objects to the Expense
Flower said the bill stood preeminent
as reckless and undemocratic measure.
The agitation for reform ballot he at.
tributed to the "fat-fryings," 'blocks of
tive," etc, of the last election and he said
that in view of these the Republican party
had chosen a most inappropriate time to
enact this law. He spoke of the prospect
i've expenses under new local election laws
and said that single election in New
York now would cost 81 600, coo for ballots
alone. He thought the people who would
subject themselves to this burden could
be as safely relied upon to conduct fair
elections could irresponsible federal
officials.
. Fair Elections Worth Any Cost.
Smyser of Ohio said the measure was
conservative and not radical The cost of
executing it had been exaggerated, but
fair elections were well worth any cost.
The south had been let alone for fifteen
years to work out its own destiny. He did
not know whether it was any nearer the
kingdom; but he protested against its
seeking to work out the salvation of the
north on the same line.
Vaux Interprets the Constitution.
Vaux of Pennsylvania said that the bill
virtually overturned the constitution and
destroyed our form of government. The
constitutional meaning of the phrase ''the
time, place and manner was that the
power of congress was limited to prescrib-
ing the form of choosing representatives
and that when the election itself began its
authority ceased. The manner of hold
were entirely distinct and separate and the
power of congress ceased with the former.
A Threat of Revolution.
He said that this bill would drag the
circuit court judges into the din and filth
of partisan politics. Tie assured the Re
publicans that the Democrats of the north
would see that Maine was one of the first
places where the law was carried out no
matter what the cost He warned the
other side that as our forefathers had sep
arated from Great Britain because they
did not believe in taxation without repre-
sentation, so the time might come when
legislation depriving the people of repre-
sentation would drive them to another re-
volt for the same principle. Loud APP
plause on the Democratic side
Kennedy's Solution of the Problem.
Kennedy of Ohio said it was idle to say
that the majority had ruled in this coun-
try. All preteuce that Grover Cleveland
was elected president by majority was
subject to the further statement that
large numbers of qualified voters were not
permitted to vote against him. He charged
that at least thirty of the southern men,
bers were here because the blacks WIRE
counted in the census of 1890 When the
appOrtionment was made under the new
census, that provision of the constitution
which required reduction of representa-
ton in the case of states which permitted
the rights of citizens to vote to be unlaw-
fully abridged should be put into execu-
ton in the southern states
THE ORIGINAL PACKAGE BILL.
ID,