The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-28
CONTROL OF THE BALLOT.
The Election Laws Again Under Fire
in the House.

ness Three Hours at the Opening of
the Session in Fight to Have Clip
pings From Newspapers Printed in
the Congressional Record-The De-
bate of the Day Not Enlivened by
Anything Sensational.
Washington, Sept 27.-By actual count,
when the House met this morning, there
were 25 democrats and 80 republicans
present. Before the reading of the journal
had been completed a mum bersot members
came in, enough to constitute a quorum
The first three hours of to-day's session
were occupied in an effort to secure the
adoption of a resolution to which there
was no objection This apparent paradox
was due to the attitude assumed by Mr.
Morse of Massachusetts. Several days
ago he made some remarks about
Pension Commissioner LOchrane, and
stated that he would include in
his remarks in the Record some newspa-
per clippings These clippings had been
withheld from the Record by Speaker
Crisp because Representative Morse had
not formally obtained consent of the
House for their insertion. To-day he made
the request, but Mr.. Fithian of Illinois
objected, whereupon Mr.. Morse declined
to permit business to proceed in the alb
Sence of a quorum, and it was 3:l5 O'Clock
before Mr.. Bland could get the resolution
passed which called on the Secretary of
the Treasury for the reason why he had
not bought 100000 ounces of silver in
each of July and August, as required by
the Sherman law.
THE ELECTION LAWS.
That having been finally accomplished
with no dissenting votes, the bill to repeal
the federal election laws was taken up,
and Representative Lawson of Georgia
and Mr.. Daniel, rep, of New York,
members of the committe on the
and representatives in congress, spoke
respectively for and against the bill. Mr.
Lawson said that the unconstitutionality
of the laws sought to be repealed had al
ways been strongly asserted. The con-
stitution, organization and history of the
government in its relation to the states
and the powers of each were set forth
at length by the speaker.
Mr.. Lawson admitted that the
supreme court had decided that
these election laws were constitutional,
"but as the gentleman from Virginia said
yesterday, congress is not bound by the
Judgment of the supreme court upon
these political questions. We have car
ried the cases to the ultimate resort-the
free suffrages of the people of the country,
and they have reversed the Judgment of
the supreme court. The gentleman from
Pennsylvania yesterday quoted an apt ex-
preston from President Garfield, that
the ballot box registers the decree of the
people. Upon this subject the decree of
the people has been registered against the
cOnstitutiOnality of these election laws "
TROOPS AT THE POLLS.
Mr.. Lawson said that under the opera
tion of system of laws, such as the one
under discussion, it were easy to see how,
in close districts, enough persons might
be deferred, by the mere presence of the
federal forces, civil or military,
at the polls from voting to change
the otherwise normal result of the
election. While upon this part of his
speech Mr.. Lawson was interrupted by
Mr. Mallory, who remarked that in his
own state two members of the legislature
had been arrested by federal officials,
taken 200 miles away from the capital,
held there until the Senate was organ
lied by the republicans and the state gov
ernment thereby given into the hands of
that party. When that had been ac-
complished the men were released,
no charge being made against
rupted by Mr. Bynum, who stated
that at a recent election in his own state
a man was arrested at the command of a
United States inspector for making an
affidavit whereby another man was en-
abled to vote BY the arrest of this voter,
said Mr.. Bynum, fifty men were deprived
of the right to cast their ballots. Mr..
Lawson's time having expired, Mr.. Long
ley, rep, of Maine, asked unanimous con-
70,
ClIded.
MIR. Morse objected.
Mr.. Burrows obtained recognition and
yielded Mr.. Lawson enough time TO finish
"a courtesy which the democrat members
acknowledged with applause.
In concluding, MIR. Lawson read from
the report of the investigation of the
conduct of Lot Wright, United States
marshal at Cincinnati, made by com
mittee of the House, to show what might
be done under the laws sought to be re-
pealed, which repeal was demanded by
the Democratic party and the country.
SIGNED BY GRANT.
Mr. Morse made an ineffectualeffor to
and then, MIR. Daniels, rep. of
New York, addressed the House against
the bill. He said these laws had been
signed by President Grant and had met
the appOval of the people from that time
until the assembling of che convention in
Chicago in 1892, which nominated Mr..
Cleveland for the presidency Then for
the first time was the demand made that
these laws should be wiped of the stat
ute books. AS 10 the constitutionality
of the laws, Mr.. Daniels said they
affected nothing but the election of mem
bers of congress and 10 that extent the
provision in the constitution by which
their validity has been upheld has met
the approval of the people who framed
that document and adopted it. Mr..
Daniels argued that the operation of the
laws had worked no injustice TO any one.
in support OF which he asserted that no
deputy marshal or inspector had been in
dicted and punished for abuse of his pow
ers under the law At $40 o'clock. Mr..
Daniel having concluded, the House ad-
iourned until noon tomorrow.