Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-10-09

psople o, Delaware, to sop that march.
lApplauss
| NO ARGUMENT IN JUJTIFIoATIoN.
Now, want to say a word in reggrd to
the whole thing. This is not the place
for technical argument nor for the read
ing Of mere authorities, but / wAnt to
make one statement which shall portray
the historical aspect of this question,
whether the government of the United
States should take into its hands and
control the pre- $50 OF popular election
for representatives in Congress, and this
mean to say; no argument can be
found justifying such q proposition ex-
cepting in the extreme alternative OF
danger that the states will neglect or re.
fuse to hold their elections, and thereby
onnihilate the government of the Union,
of which they are part.
ONLY AS ''THE LAST RESORT"
Mr.. Hamilton-the great Hamilton
gave the strongest and only argument
known to me, ut that time, in one o. his
papers in The FtdTa!ist lie placed his
argument upon the basis that it would
not do to give the states an uncontrol-
able power over the question OF their
sending representatives to the Congress
of the nation; but he gave them con-
trollable power, power which, in the
event of their refusing to keep up their
election system and send their represen-
tatives, would enable the National Gov
eminent to step forward, for its own self
preservation, and elect members. II only
was what the French call 'the last ro-
sort" 1t was only to DO used in the ulti-
mate condition of things, or when there
was danger that the Union might perish
for want of representatives in Congress;
that then, and not until then, Congress
should use the power to have elections
in order to fill the lower House, or what
is called the popular branch of the Ma
tional Government That is the fact,
and bear it in your minds. Let me read
to you the words of Hamilton.
In the Goth number of the Federalist,
in which he referred to such doctrine as
is talked Of by Mr.. Lodge to-day, refer
ring to the attempt of Oongress-this was
suggestion that it might be done--to
promote the election of some favored
class of men to the exclusion of others,
he said:
"Of all kinds of chimerical supposi.
tons, this seems to be the most chlmeri-
cal. The improbability of the attempt
may be satisfactorily inferred from thus
single reflection, that it could never be
maze without causing an immediate re-
volt OF the great body of the people,
headed and directed by tho state govern
msnts. 1t Is not difficult to conceive that
this characteristic right of freedom''-
that 10 to say, the freedom Of holding
your own eleotions--"may, ia certain
turbulent and factious seasons, be Vio-
lated in respect to part cular class of
citizens by victorious majority; but that
SO fundamental a privilege. in country
situated and enlightened as this is,
should be invaded 10 the prejndiGs of the
great mass Of the people, by the dslib-
crate policy of the government, without
oec1sicning popular revolution, is alto.
gether inconceivsble and Incredible"
AMERICANS CANNOT Tolerate II.
Hsye you carried with you, my friends,
tho infinite soorn OF this great and Just
man, so instrumental la securing the
adoption Of the Constitution under which
we have lived for 100 years? QAn you
not see how utterly impossible it was for
him to conceive that the American people
should tolerate, for moment, such
proposition as that contained ia the
Lodge Election billp For he says here,
''that so fundamental privilege should
be violated in respect to q particular
class of citizaDs by victorious ma.
jority."
vENABLE- ELLIOTT CONTEST.
Have you read-I am sure you have
the proceedings by which Mr., Vanable,
of the Petersburg district of Virginia,
was ousted from his seat, and Mr.. Elliott
OF South Carolina, vas ousted from his
seat, in order to please particular body
OF citizensa Do you not know does
not all the country know, that, in the
Petersburg district the negroes are in
majority; that they outnumber the
whites2 1t is where Malone lives,
proper place for him to live. Applause.
A man named Langston was nominated
for Congress; Malone opposed him, and
they nominated another black man. Ana
so, when the Republicans were divided
by double nomination, the Democrats
nominated man of responsibility
and character, q Mr.. Venable, and they
elected him in the split caased by the
difference in the Republicans. That was
the case; there was no mystery about 1t.
The rogues fell out and the honest men
got their dues. Malone split his party,
and Venable was elected in consequence
of it. Applause. Aud yet, with case
as plain as that, with majority OF 1900
votes in his favor, the Republican House
have seated Langston, and they complain
that the Democrats should walk out of
the House and refuse to be present to
assist, in any way, or to seem to consent,
to such an outrage. Applause.
GREAT SAFETY VALVE REMAINS.
Now, fellow-oitizsns, there ia the clear
defeat of popular choice; there is tbs |
clear defeat of the will OF people. But it |
only lasts two years. II the psople ere
indignant with those who perpetrate
these wrongs, the great safety valve re-
maina and the American conscience can |
be appealed to and the American vote can
rectify the wrong; but that cannot be |
where the machinery TO control the elec-
ton and to count the votes is handed |
over to the partisans OF one party. That
is what the Lodge bill is; that is what
the Lodge bill does. 1t brings troops to
the polls to execute the mandate of par
tisans. 1t provided for domiciliary
visits. Men were to be visited in their
homes, and it so provided that, in the
pho.cs Of agents, the ultimate control, in
every case, was with the Republican
party. Why, the object was plain, and
the result was plain. May read you
here Just q few words from a paper, the
Republican OF the city of Wash
ngton, published on the third day OF
July last, after the passage Of the Lodge
bill through the house; ....
With the Lodge National Election law IN
ull force over the south, and various DEM
,cratic strongholds up north, we may conf.
iently look for a different state OF political
lffairs than now exists. New York city
will then return several more Republican
than at nraRanr while mora