The advocate., 1891-01-14

this Congress is ioating with th0 public
welfnro.-sponding Che time OF the Senate 40
Tho consideration OF billsof this description.
Either we are In EARNEST, on Wo are not, Ia
our prutansea or our declarations chat thorB
are great emergencies Ia public Affairs now
pressing upon uA; and II wo are In earnest 10
seoms 10 me idle that 1--we waste one or two
hours every morning on these twO-panmy
billa likO chat which 10 now before tho Sem
ato.
On the elections bill Senator KonnA,
Of West Virginia, rang out brilliant
speech, saying:
We arc about DO witness tho Anal aOb Ia
tho great political drama Ia which tho re-
publican party has been playing Che role OF
star for a quarter OF a tentury. A true con-
CoptiOn OF the plot can not DO formed BY Tho
casual observation OF this last forthcoming
sCOno. The play has been long, but Il has
paid we'll. Tho receipts have been enOE-
NOUS. Tho great body OF its patrons have
at tiIkob been WOll nigh exhausted by tho
constant drains upon their resources. Tho
poor man has paid a. much for HE aeat Ia
The top gallery on for standing room In che
alsloa ~ bho. millionaire for thS glitter and
glt OF hie ieprivato box. But tho nobne hnb
boon Bhieted as The oEigonoiUs" OF tho ootA-
sion required, and tho band has continued
90 play,
Mhs liqhts have suCOossivoly burned high
and burned low. The curtains have risen
and fallen. The audience ha0 alternately
Kissed and applaud0d. The last preceding
sosne closed upon a populaoe loud In 100
mutterings OF universal dlsguot, and now In
tho last act the scheme Of tho actors Ii 70
pass iis FINAL ordeal.
Senator Ephraim X. Wilson, Of Mary
land, told plain truth In the following;
/ do not believe a scheme could be more
cunningly coptrived 10 stiho tho expressed
will OF the people and 10 promote the In
tFiguos OF unprinCipled men than tho ono
developed In this bill, which 10 paraded be-
fore che country as a fountain for tho heal
ing OF all fraud aud corruption no elections.
And 10 cOnHtrAing me 10 believe that the re-
putOd are not The real authors OF tho bill,
but that 10 is Che product OF the brain of q
trained and professional partisan who cares
for nothing but success, no matter how 10 II
achieved.
There ID liberal attempt TO secure
fairness Ia elections at the hands OF BtGte
officials, DO they democrats, alliance men,
pr0hibitioniats, or labor menj but u secures
20 republican guperViBora ana niAgHhala our
ing the progress OF th0 election abundant
reserved power 10 inhiCt injustice aud out
rag8 upon their political opponents, whilst
after th0 election Ia over, tho syst0m NOT
only gives Tho opportunity but provides
ready and effective means OF 0naCting
frauds innumerablo.
This bill, II Il becomes o law, will post
p0ne indefinitely any possible solution OF
OF Che mOment0us southern problem.
December Ex-senator Coke, OF Texas,
In an able speech of great research on
the elections bill, said:
Whom II 10 remembered chat this bill con-
tSing geyanty-0ix printed pagos, and in every
one OF itg geventy-uevon SECTIONS briBtlos
with legal, constitutional, and oth0r points
requiring examination, thought aud olAhoE-
Orat0 Investigations, the country can deter
mine the amount and character OF Conaid-
erntiOn it received before reaching She SEM
ate. The hot hRBtO with whicn u IL sOuRht
10 bo rRilroadad through the Senate, 20 say
nothing Of tho revolutionary methods threat
0nad 10 be regorted 10 for the suppression
Of debate in order 10 eifeotuato this purpose,
is suggestive OF anything else more than ~
Che patient delibGation which should mark
iAs confederation In this body.
IL the ediOts OF political faction which
happens 10 hold possession OF ell The depart