St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-25

ulated by the state legislature, the con
gressional control would very probably
never have been exercised.
1.-The power" he added, appears to
me satisfactory, and as unlikely to be
abused as any part of the constitution"
John Jay, in the New York conven-
ton, said that. the use for the provision
was that. if by accident or design the
state should neglect to elect, the con-
gress should have power by law to sup
port the government aud prevent the
dissolution of the government. This
was the design of the federal conven-
ton.
Senator Hamilton, who represented
the most extreme federal sentiment of
his day, and the foremost advocate
OF strong centralized government. de-
Tended this clause of the constitution
solely on the ground as important
against disruption of the government.
Its prosperity" said he, RESTS upon
the evidence of this plain proposition,
that every government ought to contain
in itself the means of its own preserva-
tion," and afterward, in speaking of
certain abuses which some persons
feared this power might lend,
said: $50 fundamental prin-
ciple in country so situated and en-
lightened should never be used to the i'll
jury of the great masses of the people
by the deliberate policy of the govern
ment Without occasioning a peculiar
revolution is entirely Incredible"
But in order that there might be no
injury to the construction OF this part
of the constitution. eight of the thirteen
states in ratifying the constitution. rec
commended specifically an amendment
to be secured providing that congress
should not exercise the right therein
granted except in cases where a
state should neglect or refuse to make
regulations for the election of repre-
sentatives. The state of Pennsylvania
was one of these, New York was an
other; Rhode Island, New Hampshire, the
Carolinas and Virginia were others. And
Massachusetts, animated by federal senti-
ment. not satisfied with merely record
ing its Interpretation of this section, en-
joined upon its representatives III
congress "at all times to exert their in
fiuence and use all reasonable and legal
methods" to obtain ratification of the
amendment to this section which the
constitution had recommended.
The country has not forgotten the
scandalouS action of fonr years ago by
which the Republican party came into
power 1t has not forgotten the enor-
iiouS SuliS cOllecteU from HldQuIactuc-
ers for the bribery of voters in the
doubtful states. 1t has not forgotten
those two incidents of the fiat frying''
circular and Dudley's 'blocks of five"
letter. And it is yet not ready to be
lieve that the chief participants in those
outrageous performances and the prin-
clpal benificiaries of this wholesale cor
ruption are other than hypocrites and
betrayers of the cOuntry's welfare.
The Davenport bill, instead of being
in the interest of pure elections, is a
direct thrust at them. We must dill
gently exert ourselves to oppose this
great issue of Capitalization which GER
talnly confronts us. 1t presents more
serious problem than any commercial,
industrial or financial question, more
vital to our.country's future welfare,
more essential to the preservation of
our institutions.
Every point i'll. the senator's speech
was punctuated with applause. and at
its conclusion there was a great out
burst. Lieut.. Gov. Sheehan and John
Temple Graves, of Georgia, spoke
briefly.