The herald., 1894-02-08
FREEDOM OF THE POLLS.
All the Federal Election
Laws Repealed.
The Repeal Bill Passed by the
Senate.
Senator Stewart Voted With the
D mocrats.
The Populist Senators Did Likewise.
All the Republican Amendments
Voted Down-John L. Daven-
port Out of y Job.
By the Associa ted Press.

BY the Associate Press.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7.-The bill repeal
ing in toto all Of the federal laws regu-
lating the control of congressional cleo
tions has passed both houses OF con-
gress and only awaits the signature of
President Cleveland to become law.
After several weeks discussion the sem
ate today finally came to a vots on the
house bill repeating the federal election
laws. and it was passed by a vote Of 80
to %. A number of amendments were
presented by the Republicans but were
voted down, the Democrats not even
taking the trouble to join in the debate
on the amendatory propositions.
Stewart OF Nevada voted with the
Democrats on every proposition, giving
as his reason that he thought the power
OF the executive was already too great,
and that the centralizing tendency of
the age should be checked at once if the
republic was to survive.
The three Populists, Allen, KYLE and
PETER, also voted with the Democrats on
every amendment and on the main bill.
The measure passed by the senate 10
ideD tical with the bill as passed by the
house.
THE WILSON TARIFF BILL.
Cameron of Pennsylvania presented
large number of petitions against the
Wilson bill.
Cameron also presented an amend
ment to the bill, postponing to January
I a for fr 20. fFa
Dolph presented resolution recitinR
that the finance committee refused a
hearing on the tariff bill, and directing
that all memorials and protests to that
committee and the senate be printed as
senate documente. 1t went over.
FEDERAL ELECTIONS.
The federal elections bill was then
taken up, and IIoar took the floor
against it,
Gray (Dem.), replying to Hoar, said
the election laws had in every instance
promoted and aggravated frauds instead
of abRting them. In tine course OF a
colloqny between Gray and Hoar, the
latter alluded to the elections in 1875,
when the elections in New York were
fair, because of the operation and effect
of these very laws. GRAY retorted by
reading from q report cited by Hoar,
another extract alleging wholesale
frauds in Philadelphia in the came year,
when the entire local and national
government were in the hands of the
Republicans.
Cameron interrupted, and after call
ing again for the reading Of the passage
referred to, said: II happen to have q
good deal Of knowledge Of the election
OF 1876. / was secretary of war, ae the
senator will remember. The elections
in Pennsylvania that year were as hon
est as elections in any partof the world.
They have been and always will be, be-
cause we are an honest people, but
there were some elections that wear
which we're not 30 honest. and as secre-
tary of war, had to interfere. The re-
suit was that Tilden did not become
president of the United States"
Laughter.
In opposing the bill, Allison said he
had examined the Democratic national
platform and had not found the demand
for the repeal of this law, which some
senators had alleged existed there.
Senator Daniel, aluding to the Da-
venport discussion OF Yesterday, pre-.
sented the published testimony of the
committee OF investigation before which
Davenport had acknowledged, in answer
to O question bv Senator Hill, that he
had received 5000 or $4,000 from Union
League membere to be used in election
prosecutions.
After a few remarks by Chandler
Bate took the floor in favor Of the bill.
At the conclusion OF Bates remarks
Chandler presented an amendment
which provided that only go much of the
existing election laws as provide for
deputy marshRls at elections shall be
repealed
The yeas and nays being demanded,
Cbandler's amendment was defeated
27 to 40-Stewart (Rep.) and Allen,
Kyle and PETER (PopulistsJ voting with
the Democrats.
Chandler then presented an amend.
ment, the effect of which was to apply
repeal sections OF the bill to supervisors
and deputy marshals. but leave on ths
statute books the ''crimes" section. II
hope this amendment will be satis.
factory to the other side,'' said Chand-
ler. by it the various sections of the
existing law providing for marshals and
supervisors win be repealed. But we
shall still have the crimes act, and
crimes against the suffrage, in con-
necuon with congressional elections,
will still be punishable under the
United States statutes. and in the
United States courts"
Again the yeas and nays were de-
manded, and this amendment. too, was
defeated, the vote being 81 to 80.
Another amendment was presented by
Chandler to restrict the scope Of repeal.
by retaining a still smaller number OF
'crimes" provisions; bat it, too, was
rejectad-2S to So.
Chandler then presented an amend.
ment designed to retain certain provis-
ions OF the act OF May 81, 1870, and to
this amendment he said he asked the
special attention Of Senator Stewart
''After the senator from Nevada said
Chandler, "had succeeded AS the graud
champion OF the freedom of the esnate
chamber, in securing the adoption Of
the fifteenth amendment to the consti-
G..t n f.>Il 81