River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-10-05
THE ELECTIONS REPEAL BILL.
synopsis of tho Debate In the National
House of Representatives.

attention was that the power and right OF a eiti-
zen 10 vote is not given by the United States.
out Is reserved 10 the several states II the pow
srs and privileges OF the supervisors and
deputy marshals permit them 10 perform acts
rot prescribed and granted in the constitution,
<hen the law that creates them is unconstitu
ronal States alone can make conditions OF
suffrage. The Cnited States. MIR Tucker went
Ga TO say, had not conferred the right OF suf-
Irage on anybody. That being the case il the
United States oould step in, challenge votes
and lay down conditions OF suffrage, IL involves
. right in the federal government TO destroy
suffrage in the states
The repeal OF these laws, said Mr. Tucker
IL conclusion, ''will wipe away statutes that
have caused clashing between the federal gov
eminent and the states for thirty years. /
belong TO party that is not sectional You, " he
added, addressing the republicans, have lived
on sectionalism You have violated the
1 pledges OF your fathers. have oyerridden the
constitution. hsye denied the right of habeus
corpus and in thousand ways shown your
selves unworthy OF public confidence. There
fore. on November last you were overthrow.
and we are now here to undo those things
which you did In the arrogance OF your power. ="
Mr.. Brosius rep, Pa believed that under
meath the fretting stream Of our politics there
was patriotism, and 10 that patriotism he APP
pealed to-day. He then spoke against the pro
posed repeal He laid down the propositions
that the federal constitution was not the
creature OF the states. but was created by
| the people; that the power and author
| ity conferred upon the government were
| operative in all states and over all the people:
| that the nation was clothed with ample power
| to enforce the constitution MIR Brosius con
| tended that the repeal OF the federal election
laws would leave the citizens OF the country
unprotected and exposed unless the power OF
| the states mercifuily interviewed Never be-
fore had there been proposed surrender so
base, humiliating. never since when the
heresy OF states rights was tried In battle
In reply to a query by Mr. Compton dem.
Md Mr.. Brosius said the power conferred in
| the constitution had not been called into re
| QUESTION in the history OF the country before
/ the war because Viilainy and wrong were pro
gresslve, and she fathers and their grandsires
4 had never conceived Of the means which had
since been eontrived to deprive certain citizens
OF their rights
On the 2Tth Mr. Lawson dem. Cal spoke in
favor of the pending bill lie said the uncon
stitutionality OF the law sought to be repealed
had always been strongly contenied The gen
| tleman from Pennsylvania (Brosius) quoted an
| apt expression from Garfield, that the ballot
box registers the DEGREES OF the people. Upon
this subject the decree OF the people has been
registered against the constitutionality' OF
| these election laws Mr. Lawson said that un
| der the operation OF system OF laws. such as
the one under discussion, il was easy to see
/ now IN close districts enough people might be
| deferred by the mere presence of the federal
forces. civil or military. at the polls from vot
ing 10 change the otherwise hcrmal result Of
| the election
! Mr.. Mallory (dem., Fla.) interrupted by stat
] ing that I'm his own state Two members Of the
| legislature had been arrested by federal ON
cials. taken 2O0 miles away from the capital
l and held there until the senate was organizes
| by tie republicans and the state government
thereby given into the hands OF that party
| When that had been accomplished the mel
| were released, no charge being made against
| them
In concluding his remarks Mr. Lawson reat
from the report OF the investigation 81 the con
duct OF Lot Wright, United States marshal a.
| Cincinnati, made bv committee OF the house
| 10 show what might be done under the laws
| sought to be repealed, which repeal was de
manded by the democratic party and the coun
| try.
Mr.. Bynum (dem., Ind.) stated that at re
| cent election In his own state man was ar
| rested al the command OF United States in
| spector for making an AFFIDAVIT whereby an
! other man was enabled to vote BY the arres
of this voter, said Mr. Bynum. fifty men vert
deprived OF the right TO cast their ballots
Mr.. Daniels rep N " spoke against re
| peal He said these laws had been signed By
| President Grant and had met the approval o.
| the people from that time until the assembling
| of the convention in 1892 which nominated Mr.
| Cleveland for the presidency. Then for the frs
| time was the demand made that these law'
should be wiped OF the statute books. As Il
| the constitutionality OF the laws Mr.. Dan
! iels said they affected nothing but IN,
1 election OF members OF congress, and TO tina
end the provision in the constitution by whict
| their validity has been upheld met the APP
| prevail OF the people who framed that docu
ment and adopted it Mr. Daniels are ued tina
the operations of the laws had worked injustice
sw- aF. d pfaT sH.aNre
deputy marshal or inspector had been indicted
and punished for abuse OF his powers under th'
| law.
On the 2sth a wordy alteration occurred be
| tween Mr. Fithian dem, IlI) and Mr. Mors'
| rep. MGss.) growing out Of Mr. MOrse's fili
! clustering course on the Nth. Mr.. Morst
| charged Mr. Fithan with being responsible
| for the refusal TO permit MIN TO print in tn
| Congressional Record some newspaper extracts
| attacking Commissioner Lochren Mr. Fithiar
| desired 10 cali the attention OF the house 20
| rather dubious proposition made by Mr. MORSE
| to him, who. he said, had come to him will
honeyed words and informed him that he wa:
member OF the committee on public
| buildings and grounds, and intimateC
that IL he (Fithianl had public building bill
| he CMorsel might be able TO help him if th'
| Illinois CONGRESSMAN could see his way clear 4
| withdraw his objection Mr.. Morse pronounced
this statement false whereupon Mr.. Fithiar
! versation and would substantive the state
| ment Mr. Morse sad the construction Mr.
/ Fithian put upon his proposition was entirely
false. Mr.. Fithian then said IL the gentleman
| (Air NJ denied the statement he was himself
| willfully lying Great confusion in the house
followed these remarks, the speaker quelira
the pending riot by declaring both gentlemen
| out OF order
Mr., Black dem. IN spoke in favor OF Ii,
repeal OF the federal elections Law tie SAID th'
law was not enacted for the elevation of this
ballot box. but TO intensity the race issue ex
listing in a large section OF this country and u
support the weaker and more ignorant class o.
| our people as against the stronger and more
! American OF our citizens They appealed I,
! force rather than rea son The law placed toe
| much power in the hands OF improper men II,
(Mr Black would vote for any amount o.
money and force, II necessary, TO uphold Ia,
| dignity of the government and the rights o.
fits citizens. but the existing laws did neither
Mr. Black read a letter from Comptroller
| Boiler showing that from 1877 supervisors o.
elections had cost s2sl4,0)1 and deputy mar
! shals Si.i27 0)0. The cost Of the troops II was
| impossible to detail Their cost represented
| all the hidden drains % ne accounted for. The
records showed that at first these officials
had been massed in democratic states II
| the south and IN New York Gradually
the amount spent in democratic state:
decreased and the amount in republican doubt
full states increased In Illinois in 1876, wher
that state first oshowed signs Of breaking bel
allegiance to the republican party, but sl,l0'
was spent In 1873. when the state was doubt
full, 1856 supervisors and s,4jO deputy marshal:
were employed at a cost OF 100000
In reply to a question by Mr. Cannon (rep.
| Ill Mr. Black said every uan who wore the tin
star d intimidation was an oppressoE
MIR johnson rep Ind.l spoke in opposition
to repeal He said ne wanted to ''stignatiz'
| his bill the climax Of all that Il
| audacioUs and vicious 1t unblushingly as
| sails all that is near and dear to tbs
American heart II is the unfortunate
| child OF a wretched conspiracy; II is con
| eeived in a spirit contrary to the principles
of our government II is a proposition TO blo
out all the laws 10 protect the purity of the
ballot and a cold-blooded proposition to repea
all the laws making volotions Of election laws
| crimes. To be consistent the democrats should
! repeal all other laws for the punishment o
| crime counterfeiting robbery and murder"
Mr.. Johnson charged the democratic part,
| with being responsible for violation of the sane
| tity OF the ballot box, with corrupting the con
| science OF the nation and defying the public
will; with forging the Morey letter in 1874
| with forging the returns in Chicago ID
the same year that sent Joe Maekin t
! the penitentiary with forging returns II
Ohio and Indiana with frauds innumerabl,
| in New York, with deeds OF violence 10 the
south. THE party that has perpetrated al
| these wrongs now contemplaks this climax o.
! their crimes. but let them enjoy their victory
| without mental or moral reservation. They
have set no limit 20 their excuses. The houl
OF retribution VIII come IL win take the parts
that has prostituted the power given IL for
great pablo purposes and hurl 1t into %
| livion- "
/ F.sa~~ 49,