Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-12-22
~ CONGRESS-.
Senator Sposuer Defends the Flee
ton BiIl.

SENATOR Spoouer Defends the Eiec
ton BiIl.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20. - The
morning hour having expired, the
presiding officer laid before the Sem
ate tine election bill. Paddock gave
notice that after consideration of
the pending bill he would ark the
Senate 10 take up the pure food bill.
Edmunds demanded the regular
order and the floor was taken by
SpOoner, who defended John 1.
Davenport from the attacks made
upon him and coptended that the
federal election law, instead OF be-
ing offensive TO the democrats Of
the North, had been put into opera
alton at their request
SpOoner spoke IN advocacy Of the
election bill. A stranger in the
gallery, he said, listening to the de-
bate, without knowledge cf the
country, would lie impressed with
the idea that all the love Of liberty
and dev ton to the Constitution
and freedom from partizanship were
to be found on the democratic side
of the chamber. He hoped the
gentlemen en- the other side would
not assume that the republican Sem
stors were not equally with them
lovers Of liberty.
Ii had been said on the other side
that the bill was aimed at the South.
Il was In part. 1t was aimed at
every part Of the United States
where, by fraud or force, men who
had a right TO vote for members Of
Congress were cheated out Of that
right. The South, he thought, was
where the bill was specially needed.
1t had been said the other day
that the negro should never have
had the right 10 vote, but II was TO
late now 10 argue that question.
The right had been given him,
whether in wisdom or unwjsioni,
aud could not be taken from him.
Referring TO Stewards speech yes
terday, and his remark that the cleo
tons Law coul1 not be enforced in
the South because public opinion
would not support it, Spooner said:
"Have we fallen to n condition in
our country that calls for the pre-
servation by law Of the purity Of
the ballot Of the North, but that we
must stop at Mason and Dixon's
line because public opinion in the
South Is in favor Of dishonest and
fraudulent and violent suppression
Of tue suffrage: l can not believe
it,"
Spooner spoke over five hours, and
his speech vas listened to with
marked attention on both sides of
the chamber. af
Ingalls, said Il was the conviction
Of the great mass OF the people in
the North that the constitutional
convention Of Mississippi assembled
for the avowed purpose Of disfran-
chising q majority o. its citizens
who were also citizens o! the United
States. 1t had been assembled for
the express purpose Of multiplying,
and overthrowing an
amendment to the constitution Of
the United States, by agreeing to
which the State Of Mississippi se-
cured readmiseion into the Union.
The Southern people had retained
representation in the House Of Rep
resentatives and in the electoral col
lege while they suppressed the
colored vote. They had retained n
representation which has given
them for fourteen years supremacy
In the House, aud once placed IN
the Presidential chair q man who
never had been elected to that Office
In any Jest sense. Contrary to the
usual course pursred in free coun.
tries. the results Of the Mississippi
|convention would not be submitted
to the people to be voted upon. II
had been arranged to have II de-
clared the organic law Of the State
without any action on the part OF
the voters
Edmunds added that this conven-
ton came into existence by methods
entirely outside Of the constitution
of the State, which provided par
ticularly for its own amendment.
The conference report on the bill
for a public building at Kansas City
was agreed to, and the Senate adj
journed.
THE HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 30.-In the
House Nfilliken Of Maine presented
q pu.,,her of conference YepoYts on