Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-12
REPEATING ELECTION LAWS.
Mr.. fuckers Bill to Be Reported Next
Thursday.
No Disposition on the Part of the Ma
jOrity to Limit Legitimate Debate
After Supervisor Davenport.

The Tucker bill for the repeal of the fed
eral election laws will be reported to the
House Thursday, and the debate thereon
Will probably begin at the next succeeding
session. This action was determined upon
at the meeting Of the committee on election
of President and Vice President and Repre-
sentatives in Congress this morning The
session was comparatively brief and was
devoted largely to a consideration of the
report prepared by Mr.. Tucker in support
of his bill. The majority adopted the report
and would have voted to present it to the
House today had not the republican MEM
bers of the committee, under the lead of
Messrs. johnson of North Dakota and Curtis
Of New York. asked to be allowed to present
their views simultaneously with those of
the majority.
Thereupon 1t was voted to report the bill
Thursday, at which time the two reports
will be filed. Mr.. Tucker says his report is
brief, discussing first the unrighteousness
of such laws. and. second, the demand and
necessity for their repeal. The minority re-
port will be drawn by Mr.. johnson, after
consultation with his associates on the COM
mittee.
The Debate.
As to the length Of time to be devoted to
the debate Mr.. Tucker says there Is 20 dis
position on the part of the majority to re-
strict 1t. AS long as any one desires to
speak on the subject no objection will be in
terposed to his doing SO; but" he said I'VE
shall not permit any delay simply for the
purpose of killing time. When it is appar-
ent that discussion has exhausted itself
there Will be quorum here to adopt an or
der from the committee on rules fixing
time when a vote shall be taken"
Mr.. Tucker says that in the course of the
debate there will be some interesting infor-
nation vouchsafed the House respecting the
method of Chief Supervisor John l. Daven-
port of New York, and the cost of enforc-
ing the laws Exact figures, he says cannot
be secured from the Treasury Department
for the reason that many payments have
been made to Davenport without vouchers:
but 1t Is estimated that the payments on
account of the supervisors and deputy mar
shals have amounted to from million to
a million and half dollars at each con-
gressional election since the laws were
passed. The republicans will oppose the
passage of the Tucker bill to the utmost of
their power.
One scheme suggested, and which finds
some support, Is for the republicans who
voted to report the silver purchasing clause
of the Sherman law to join with the demo-
Gratis who voted against 1t when the Voor-
heeS substitute comes back from the Sem
ate, and thus defeat it. If the election re-
peal law is forced upon them. But the
probabilities are that the republicans will
not, at least in a body, go back thus on the
record they made last month, but content
themselves with a vigorous presentation Of
the reasons why the election laws should
not be repealed. For this debate at least
month, according to one of the prominent
members Of the minority, will be required,
and no arrangement that reduces this per-
iod of time will be accepted by them.
The debate WILL begin, said Mr.. Tucker at
the next session Of the House after Thurs
day, when the bill and reports will be pre-
sented.