The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-26
FEDERAL ELECTIONLAW
A MOVE TO PUSH THE BILL IN THE
HOUSE.

Resolution offered by Lodge - It
Proposes to Rush the Measure to a
Vote in Six Days-Lively Opposition
by the Democrats.
WASHINGTON, June 25.-Speaker Reed
had to fight both in the committee on rules
and the House to-day to get the Johnny
Davenport election bill taken up and set
for vote on July 2. Messrs. Blount and
McMillin are more belligerent than Mr..
Carlisle, and they made things SO lively for
Speaker Reed in tho committee meeting Of
the morning that he adjourned it till the
afternoon. Then, however, he pressed
through the resolution providing for dis
posing Of this last important measure in six
days. On the floor Mr.. Cannon, to whom
Speaker Reed had deputed the manage
ment Of it, had to encounter
the same vigorous opposition, and
it was really by appeals to partisan
feeling that it was passed even by less than
the normal republican majority, the
southern republican opposition to it ap-
pearing again. Speaker Reed hopes by
cracking the party whip real loud to get the
bill through next Wednesday, but it is be-
lieved to be foredoomed to defeat in the
Senate.
THE BATTLE IN THE HOUSE.
By the associated Press.
WASHINGTON, June 25-In the House to-
day Mr.. Cannon, from the committee on
rules, reported back the substitute for the
resolution introduced by Mr.. Lodge of
Massachusetts, setting apart five days Of the
present week for the consideration of the
national election bill. The substitute reads:
Resolved, That Immediately after the passage
of this bill (the silver bilD the House will pro-
coed to consider House bill No. 11,045, the
national election bill, until July 2, at O'Clock,
when the previous question shall be considered
as ordered, and any pending amendments, and
any substitute for the whole bill which the
right to offer; that during the last two days
amendments may be offered to any part of the
bill in the House, with debate under the five
minute rule. That this shall not interfere with
the general appropriation bills.
No sooner was the resolution read than
Mr.. Springer was on his feet with motion
to adjourn, and Mr.. Enloe of Tennessee
shouted: This is bill to revolutionize
the government"
Mr.. McMillin of Tennessee wanted to
know if the gentlemen would be given
chance to offer amendments to any section.
Mr.. Cannon replied that that might re-
quire from thirty to sixty days time.
THE TARIFF BILL EXPERIENCE.
Mr.. McMillin recalled that some hundreds
of amendments had been left pending when
the tariff bill was passed, with no chance
to vote upon them. He feared that this
rule would work in the same fashion as that
applied to the tariff bill-no one except a
selected few were to be given opportunity
to have their amendments considered.
Finally it was agreed to'allow forty min
utes debate on the resolution, with the
understanding that the previous question
should then be considered as ordered, and
Mr.. Springer withdrew his motion to ad-
journ.
Mr.. McMillin, democratic member of
the committee on rules, proceeded to attack
the bill, charging that the gentlemen were
tired of being elected by the people and
wanted to be elected by the government.
For all these years the principles of the
trainers of the government had been re-
spected and the three departments of the gov
ernment had been kept jealously apart. But
this good work was to go for naught and
the legislative was to be turned over to the
judiciary.
MEANT TOTAL REVOLUTION.
Mr.. Blount of Georgia, another member
of the same committee, declared that the
bill meant total revolution in this country
in the manner of electing representatives.
The propositions contained in the bill were
monstrous and degrading to the best, most
intelligent and most virtuous element of the
country.
Mr.. Cannon of Illinois sarcastically OBJ
served that the bare proposition to consider
the bill set his friends from Tennessee and
Georgia into a fever of excitement and
defamation.
Mr.. McMillin wanted to know where the
bill was to be applied in the north.
Mr.. Cannon replied that 1t was now In
operation in New York city.
This little reference brought many OF the
New York members to their feet. Mr..
Flower challenged any republican in the
state Of New York to say that under the
new American ballot system unanimously
adopted by the legislature the people of
New York were not satisfied with elections.
Mr.. Belden of New York asserted that the
registry law had effected that result, and
MIR. Cummings shouted that the ballot bill
was passed by the state legislature and not
by the government.
CONFUSION IN THE HOUSE.
There was good deal of confusion at this
stage, but the speaker finally secured order
by calling out that the gentleman from
illinois and not the state of New York had
the floor. =
So Mr.. Cannon started out with the taunt
No rouge e'er felt halter draw,
With good opinion of the law
and was proceeding to set out the
necessity for the law, when MIR. McMillin
of Tennessee again interrupted to ask what
part of the north IL was proposed to apply
the law to.
Mr.. Cannon replied-Wherever the num-
Der of people referred to in this bill, north
or south, east or west, believe it is necessary
that the general government should have
an eye and see that elections are fair and see
that the ballots are counted.
MIR. McMillin wanted more specific re-
ply, and Mr.. Cannon said it was simply pro-
posed to extend law that had been on the
statute books for twenty years.
Mr.. O'Neall of Indiana wanted to know
whether the bill would prevent the frauds
alleged to have taken place In the Fifteenth
Illinois district-the buying of votes.
MIR. Cannon replied that no republican
votes had been bought there, in his opinion.
In his district fair elections had always
obtained. The gentleman seemed to
intimate that fraud had been perpetrated
there.
A SERIOUS CHARGE.
Mr.. O'NealI retorted that if the gentle
man himself had not been connected with it
ne had been slandered.
In the wrangle which followed, Mr..
ONeall for some minutes shouted against
the speakers gavel amidst great confusion,
his words haino artfrelv ind ha hla