New-York tribune., 1890-06-28
FOR FAIR ELECTIONS.
REPUBLICANS MUST DO THEIR DUTY.

THEIR SOUTHERN MASTERS" ALL
THE SOUTH WANTS Is 1,BE LET
ALONE" SAYS MR. COVERT.
FBr TELEGRAPH TO TIE TnBuSE1
Washington June 21.-It is asserted that con-'cer
able number OF southern Democratic Repre- ia ives
10 favor leaving the House when the Election bill
GAa be brought 10 vote in the hope Of bicah'hS
quorum and they trying to persuade thcir parry
sssociaes to agree 10 that course whether thoN VIII
succeed remains to be seen. III the meantime a'
many Democrats practicable arranging pairS
with Republicans with an eye TO gaining sonc pru'"
advantage They were somewhat successful III dpihs
that last week I'm the contest over the reference {" ~
Senate amendments 70 the silver bill and they no"
hope 10 repeat the victory TIE pairing oi Demo
Gratis who seldom present in the iion~c-somr OF
thcn hardly once monih-with Republicans VINO
sre usually present and attentive to tler Iesi>auNc
duties is a favorte Democratic trick and the men
who have charge Of pairs on that SIDE are ahoPS III
PLAYING IT, II Is said that they have already SUE
ceehed in over reaching several good natured Repuil
cans In this with reference 70 the votes Wmcn
are 10 be taken on the Election bill Tuesday and
Wednesday.
Friends OF the bill are feeling Uncomfortable on ac-
count Of the growing tendency To absenicesin among
Republicans A good many Of them are now absent
and more are leaving every day. IL is much easier
for Peprese ntative to go away from Washington III
hot weather than IL for him 10 return 20 his post
of duty II is Of the utmost importance that every
Republican who is not kept away from the House bv
serious illness should be in his proper place on DOM
Tuesday and Wednesday The Election bill Is the only
Republican caucus measure Of the session except the
Silver hill SO far as the Iouse Is concerned and Rc
pubicans certainly ought 10 be as attentive ana earnest
In support Of IL and Of the pledges OF their party III
favor Of honest elections In five National con'ehucs
and I'm hundreds of state and Congressional conventions
as the Democrats earnest and active in opposing
the bill and upholdng fraud and theft In elections
In fact. the Republican Representative VINO silir"s hs
share OF work and responsibility in behalf of this meas
ure must seriously impair the confidence whlch MS
party and his constituents have placed in hlm
During the next few DAYS the list OF aosenees VIII
be scmtinized with unusual care. and Repubhcah
RspresenIatives who are physically able 70 be In their
places on Monday and Tuesday. and who are not IN
their seats paired With live Democrats VINO are
IN their places probably will expect 10 nave puoc al
tention called 70 the fact At time since December
has the demand Of duty been more clear or pressing
than il will be from this time forward until the Eec-
ton bill as well as the conference report on the s-
yer bill shall have been disposed of by the House
II is known tha, four Republicans are strongly IN
clincd 10 against the BILL and 1t Is prObaoe 'o'
that several other Republicans may do 50 unless GER
tain amendments shall he adopted, and that makes
IL all the more important that Republicans VINO are
In line with the declarations and pledges oil INC
party In regard TO free ballot. fair count anu
honest election returns should not neglect their duty
In the debate today the Southern Democrats were
morc sly than usual: they kept themselves in the
background and ordered their Northern conscrpts 10
the front 10 bear the brunt OF the battle. which went
steadily against them II must be said however, tnat
the "doughfaCe1 contingent did It's very best while
fighting under the eye Of its southern masters. Mr.
Covert. for example. seemed almost enthusiastic as nc
raised his shield and took his weapons to defend cleo
ton frauds violence. theft and forgery He declared
with great emphasis and small amount Of mock
eoquencc that all the south asks is - be lc alone
Mr. Covert Is old enough II remember that ali tAat
jefferson Davis and his follow traitors asked in 1Sf1
10 be let alone Mr.. Flower ard Mr.. NanN
also spokcthe former with much eanestness. claiming
for the party 10 which he belongs the lions share OF
credit for the Improvement of election methods in the
Empire State in the last twenty years an improve
ment, which, everybody. including Mr.. Flower,
knows Is mainly due n National and state legislation
carried through and enforced by the Republican party
in Con eress and the State Legislature. Mr.. VauX's
speech divertinc in some respects and in other
respects ii trod the verge of vugaFlty. on the Re
publican side strong speeches were made by Mr.
lIaugen, Of Wi>consn-whose careful study Of the
testimony in election contests had thoroughly equipped
him for the discussion of the pending bill-and Mcssrs
Smyscr and Kennedy. of Ohio.
Mr.. Iiaugcn was the first speaker He dccarcd
that the bill did not propose to touch state elections
but did propose to supervise National e,cctions-a
clear right OF Congress Tho bill not local. but
general 10 its application
evidence Of the dsrust felt by Republicans of q gov
ernmcnt Of and for the people. and was intended to
undo the work Of the fathers of the Constitution. The
clause Of the Constitution upon which 1t founded
was allowed to remain In the Consntut ton only upon
solemn that 1t intended solely 10 meet
the emergency Of the refusal of to send repre-
sentitiveS TO Congress. The small army of Federal
officials at the polls with powers superior to those
possessed by the inspectors of the Sacof the people
signalied and heralded the end of the government by
the people and for the people. Where then would be
that government Gone. the leaves swept away
by the blasts OF autumn. Gone forever, and the
people Of this Republic would longer govern them
selves.
Mr.. Flower. Of New-York denounced the bill a. I'M
republican, undcmocratic and mn American. a meas
ure constructed upon the idea that the small Republican
majority now in Congress could better legslate for
the people than the people themselves The bill
sought TO provoke conflict between State and Federal
ocers and never before In the history Of the country
had there been such iumbe Of local and Federal
functions In any law. The attempt to control State
ofcers in the discharge Of their duties Is dangerous
and threatening incursion into the domain of local self
government that thirst for power justly no
hypoortea pretence Of desire for free ballot can
excuse II IS best he said TO leave this subject t0 be
dealt with by the public conscience in the raj states
Mr. smyser. Of ohio, said the measure Vas con
servative and not radical In nineteen Ohio districts
thcre was no need Of United states election officers
but there was need Of them In the Isl and Id Dis
uicts.
Mr.. Naux. OF Pennsylvania, then arose 10 make
his maiden speech. and the menlbers eathor,4!
around hU and listened 10 him with mjcre- {;
This BILL he said virtually overturned the Coustu-
ton and destroyed form Of government. lie
argued that the power Of Congress was limited 10
prescribing the form OF choosing Representatives, and
that when the election itself began authority ceased
iie wanted 70 tell his friends thst the Democrats of
the North would that Maine of the first
places where this law should be carried out II ii
cost xl5,OoO.OOO they would IL carried tie
North, and every della: wrIng from the Western
farmers would be the seed OF angry Republican votes.
For the beneft, he said, OF the Republicans he read
approvingy extracts from recent address In which
Justice Harlan said il the states that We
must look primarily for our liberty The Democrats