St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-09-29

A REPUBLICAN BATTLES BREcKIRRIDG
REFERRING TO MADELINE.
KENTUoK1AN,s STRONG SPEECH


Federal Election Laws-The
Lie Passed Between Morse, of
Massa chusetts, and Fithian. of
IIlinois-Gen. Black Makes His
Maiden Speech.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Sept. ga
good deal of acrimOny was injected into
the debate on the federal elections
today. Gen. Black, of Illinois; Mr..
johnson. of Indiana, and Mr.. Breckin-
ridge, of Kentucky, were the speakers.
The two exciting incidents of the day
were the personal colloquy between Mr..
Morse, of Massachusetts, and Mr.. Fifth
ian, of Illinois, during which the lie
was passed, and an allusion by Mr..
johnson while Mr.. Breckenridge was
talking TO the sensational breach of
promise suit against him by Madeline
Pollard, which was rebuked by the
Kisses of the Democrats.
The lie was passed at the opening of
the session this morning between Mr..
Morse, OF Massachusetts, and Mr..
FIthian, of Illinois, but no blows were
struck and no blood will be spilled. The
alteration was an outgrowth of Mr..
Morse's filibusterng course Yesterday.
MIR. Morse, in five-minute speech this
morning, tried to justify his action,
during the course Of which he charged
Mr.. Fithian with being solely respon-
sible for the refusal of the house to per-
init him to print in the record some
newspaper extracts attacking Commits
sioner Lochren. Mr.. Fithian, rising to
reply, said inasmuch as Mr.. Morse had
seen fit to criticise him, that he desired
to call the attention of the house to
rather dubious proposition made by Mr..
Morse TO him. He said Mr.. Morse. when
he (F'ithiaW objected to his leave to
print, came 20 him with honeyed words
and informed him that he was a mem
Der of the committee on public build
ingS and grounds. and lntlmated that If
lie (Fithian) had public building bill
he (Morse) might be able TO help him if
the Illinois congressman could see his
way clear to withdraw his objection.
That is absolutely false" shouted
MIR. Morse, striding in a
WAR-LIKE MANNER
toward MIR. Flthian.
''If the gentleman from Massachu-
sets denies this statement, | have proof
to adduca that will satisfy any member
of the house. My colleague. Mr.. Gold
zier, heard the conversation"
AS Mr.. Fithian said this, Mr.. Morse
backed against the rails and replied
meekiy:
What the gentleman says has the
color of TRUTH" laughter "but the con-
struction he places on it is unqualifedly
false"
IF the gentleman denies my state
ment," yelled Mr.. Fithian, shaking his
fist angrily at the Massachusetts con-
gresham, "he IS wilfully lying him.
self"
In minute the house was in an up
roar. The speaker quelled the impend-
ing riot by pounding his desk Yigor-
ously with the gavel, and declaring both
gentlemen out of order. This closed
this incident.
After some other routine business the
debate on the election bill was re-
sumed and Gen. John c. Black, of
Illinois, eX-commiSsioner of pensions,
took the floor in support of the bill.
This was his maiden speech in the
house and he was accorded impressive
attention. In beginning his argument,
Gen. Black said he desired to discuss
the pending question in quiet and in
veStigating spirit. He would not con-
slider itfrom constitutional standpoint.
but as Democrat and citizen would
try toShow his reasons for favoring the
repeal of this
SYSTEM OF LAWS.
They were enacted in 1865 and the
most that could be claimed for them
was that they were designed to operate
at the time and under circumstances
hot
following fierce and demoraliZing
struggle: the system was child of the
fierce, hatred and dread of men long
arrayed on sectional lines against each
other. ii these laws were ever fair and
useful, that time was gone. What is the
just and wise thing to do now? What
is needed in this country is all elevation
of the elective franchise. If men are
not fit to exercise this right they should
be deprived of the privilege of partlci-
pating in the government of their coun-
try. He did not mean, he said, the
ignorance of books, but ignorance of the
purpose. spirit and genius Of American
institutions. The corrupt and venral
voters constitute the danger to the
country. The election laws do not meet
this condition, because they were not
designed for this purpose.
They were designed to protect and
elevate an unfortunate race by support
ing them with the strong arm of the
government. They were designed to
intensity the race issue. They appealed
to force, not reason.
II will vote" declared Gen. Black
emphatically, "for any amount of
MONEY AND FORCE
if necessary to uphold the dignity of the
government and the rights of its citi-
zens. but these laws do neither"
He then wento a detailed analysis of
the cost of these laws. He read a letter
from Comptroller Boiler. showing that
from 1877 supervisors of elections had
cost S2,S54,000 and deputy marshals
81, 127, 900. The cost of the troops it was
impossible to detail. Their cost repre-
sented all the hidden drains to be &C,
counted for. The records showed that
at first these officials had been massed
in Democratic states in the South and
in New York. Gradually the amount
spent in Democratic states decreased
and the amount In Republican doubtful
states increased. In Illinois in 1876,
when that state first showed signs of
breaking her allegiance to the ReDub-
lican party, but S1,100 was spent In
1878, when the state was doubtful, 1856
supervisors and 2,4O0 deputy marshals