New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-04

preparation bill also failed, IN pursuance vi
preconceived plan to force an extra session. LII
| Democratic House reduced the NUMBER am
compensation Of a large number OF employees y
the Government and was slow in per1ectihs .h
bill beside passing it by a vote or lf3 70 IL
only on February %. The Senate took 1t up 70
| consideration on March !, refused 70 agree =
| the heavy reductions and voted the apPropfi"
ton on the basis of the bill OF the previous year
The House would not agree TO the SeiA'
amendments and adjourned without proVioih'
the money to carry on the Government
A DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS.
The XLvIth Congress met for its hrst ses
sion on March IS. 1879. adjo1ining July lo
1919 1t was composed thus:
senate-Republicans 80; Democrats. IL; 1nde
! pcrdent, 1. Total, 10 p,, ,
House-Samuel J. Randall (Dem, Tenn,
Speaker: Republicans. 1870; Democrats, Ifo; Ns
publican Nationals. .; democratic N"N'o''
Nationals >. Total. 293.
Roth branches OF the XLvIth Congress had
Democratic majority, for the FIRST tune III NM
teen wears. this being due to the Democracy
crimes against the suffrage in the oou.h' ~
thirteen Southern States. which on fair an'
free vCte were overwhelmingly Republican, a.
shown many times since the embarrassment
of the slaves, the Republican vote had nov pesl
practically suppressed by violence ana lrauus
/ The delegations of those states III Cohsieo'
comnrised PC Senators and So Representatives,
OF this number there now remdlneu ohlS Ne
publican Senators and Repupican hePre
sentatives, total OF out OF IL cChieuei a.
brigadiers swarmed ih both branches OK th'
National LEGISLATURE. 1t was faVorite pnras'
OF that period that THE South was again !,
the saddle" The Democrats from the Norti
were completely under southern col..i9a' , dnt
| the declaration was now openly made tina
every vestige of Republican politlcai iegisa
ton would be brushed from the statute pook'
at the earliest opportunity. -
The first session Of the XLNlth congress wa
specially called in order to provide for the sup
rort of the Army and the Government Ih'
now almost triumphant leaders OF the hepeillol
put forth every effort land with uhseeihis mas
10 carry out their purposes. and declared ina
they would not vote appropriations unless th'
Republicans would consent to the repeal OF GER
tain laws Except for the firmness OF fresiueh
HAYES who saw, when too late, the EVIL con
SEQUENCES OF abandoning the freemen to
their fate and for the unity OF action among
the patriotic Republican minority, dangerous
reversal Of Republican legislation would nave
been effected by this Congress.
THE ARMY BILL STRUGGLE.
The first two measures introduced in the
House were the desired appropriation bills
The Army bill was passed first. with the same
rider as before 1t was keenly debated. Gen
eral Garfield and other Republican leaders ex'
POSED the concealed purpose of the rider, and
IN the argument that neither the Regular Army
nor the marshals should be employed to inter
fere in the affairs of the States, they replied by
reminding the Southern brigadiers that they
themselves had used roth the Army and the
marshals to pursue fugitive slaves into North
err States before the war. The bill was passed
by the House April 8. 1870, by 14s yeas (all
Democrats) to 10 nays TALL Republicans. 1t
was passed by the Senate, after another long
discussion. April %. by Al yeas (all Democrats.
except Davis, Of Illinois, independently to 81
nays (all Repubcans).
President Hayes vetoed the bill April %.
While himself opposed to the use Of the Army
at the polls in elections. and to any necessity
for it, he called attention to all the various
laws then in existence which made interference
in elections. except in extreme cases. lmpossi
BILE The Army could not be used as posse
comitatus: members OF the Army were forbid
den to fix the qualifications OF voters; should
an officer attempt to prevent voter from ex-
ercising his right or to fix the qualifications
OF a voter ne could be fined $1,000: the same
penalty was by law imposed for attempting to
compel election officer to receive a vote from
any person not legally qualified. These laws
were sufficient TO prevent military interfer-
ence and they removed any suspicion that there
was a desire for such interference in elections.
No soldier had appeared at the polls since the
act OF June Is. 1878. had become a law. There
was necessity for the provision in the APP
preparation bill that the Army should not be
used Ito preserve peace at the polls" even in
case OF riots armed instruction. The House
tried pass the bill the veto, but failed the
vote being 40 yeas tall Democrats) to 40 nays
(all Republicans not two-thirds in its favor.
Later in the session Army bill was passed.
172 to 81. without political features. except that
IL forbade the use OF any part Of the appropria-
ton for transporting troops to any place to be
used in keeping the peace at any election In
the Senate Mr.. Blaine Rep.. Me- tried to have
this clause amended so that the carrying OF
deadly weapons to polling place would be
forbidden. His excellent amendment was de-
l..A LaII ID In