The morning call., 1890-06-28
THE HOUSE.
Tbs Day Spent in Debating the Federal
Election Bill

Tbs Day Spent in Debating the Federal
Election Bill.
WASHINGTON, June 27-In the House
this morning Dockery of Missouri made a
motion to reconsider the vote by which the
Postal Clerks Leave Bill was passed yes
terday. He had been informed yesterday
by the gentleman who called up the bill
(Ketcham of New York; that it did not in
volve an appropriation, whereas he now
learned that it would involve the expendi-
ture OF S316.o00 AS Ketcham was not
present Dockery was permitted by unani-
nous consent to enter his motion, leaving
it pending for the present.
Consideration OF the Election Bill was
then resumed. Haugen of Wisconsin ad-
dressing the House In support.
The bill was further discussed by Covert
and Flower in opposition to it.
Smyser of Ohio said the cry of the South
was that it wanted to be left alone to work
out its own destiny. That had been tried
for fifteen years and lie protested against it
seeking to work out its salvation any longer
on the same line. What the South wanted
was to be let alone to appropriate the
negroes rights and do with the black man
as it pleased. He protested against that.
Vaux said the bill virtually overturned
the Constitution and destroyed our form of
government. This bill made slaves of men
brought on the Revolutionary War and
separated from Great Britain because they
did not believe in taxation without repre-
sentation. He warned Congress that the
time might come when legislation depriving
the people Of representation would drive
them to another revolution for the same
principle. Loud Democratic applause.]
Kennedy of Ohio said it was idle to say
the majority had ruled in this country, and
the fact was splendid illustration OF the
patience and fOrbearance of the people,
when it was considered that the ballot-boX
hap been trampled under foot for the pur-
pose OF defeating the majority of the peo-
pie in the exercise of their constitutional
rights. All pretense that Grover Cleveland
was elected by a majority was subject to
the further statement that at that election
large number of qualified voters who
would cast their votes against him were not
permitted to do so. The Constitution was
mandatory in requiring reduction OF the
representation of States which permitted
the rights OF citizens to vote to be unlaw-
fully abridged. When the apportioument
was made under the new census it was the
duty of Congress to make this reduction in
the case OF these Southern States if they
persisted in depriving their citizens of the
right of suffrage. If the ignorant black
man is unworthy to exercise the right of
suffrage let him be stricken from the list of
those entitled to representation, and with
him let the ignorant white man be stricken
from the list also. Ii ignorance was the
rock of danger let us erect lighthouses of
popular education.
AT this point the conference report on
the 3iosi sisitstive AppreFriation--Biill was
considered and a further conference Or
dered on some minor points.
The Speaker announced the appointment
of COnger, Walker and Bland as conferrees
on the Silver Bill.
Orders were entered setting apart Satur-
day and Monday nights for debates on the
Election Bill. The House then took a re-
cess.
The House at the evening session passed
number of private pension bills and at
80 o'clock adjourned.