The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-14
WOULD CURB JUDGES POWER DeArmond Expresses View on Subject. DEBATE ON U. s, PENAL LAWS Jshn Sharp Williams Talks About
 Governor Vardaman. Representative Hepburn Opposed Mo- tisns by Southern Democrats to
 strike -eaf Laws Enacted
 AbsrinE neeonstrue-
 tion Days.
DEBATE ON U. s, PENAL LAWS

Washington, Jan. 13.--When debate on the bill to codify. revise and amend the penal laws of the United States, was resumed in the House today. Mir. peArmond of Missouri. expressed the view. that the powers given to Federal Judges. in certain cases should be curbed. a
 He said he favored giving them just as little option and just as little abso- lute power as possible. He then of fered an amendrnent to Section 22 of khs bill relating to conspiracies to in- <imidate government officers by chang ing the fine to not '7ess'' than $500, and Imprisonment with or without hard la- bor of not "less'' than six years, or both, The original provision calls for fine of mot more" than $5.000 and not 'more' than six years imprison- Tnont.
 MT. Williams of Mississippi opposed the Amendment and 1t was lost. MT. Williams, then moved to strike out the whole section. remarking that it was put on the statute books to meet the Ku-Klux conditions of reconstruction days- The motion was lost. IA to In connection with the discussion of zlse penal code bill in the House today, Representative Hepburn of Iowa op- posed motions by Southern Democrats to strike out the laws enacted during the Reconsideration days. saying that Governor Vardaman of Mississippi had made his race for the Senate on a plat xorm calling for the nulIificatioH of the constitutional amendments. and de- 'rlarIng that he, Mir. Hepburn. wanted the laws to live so long as that spirit survived.
 Mir. Williams replied that no one ex- pected an amendment to the constitu- tIon along the lines proposed ly MT. yaAdaman.
 Annendmsent Is Lest.
 Mir. DeArmond then sought to amend by liking the fine at not more than S1y0a0 insetad of $500, and not more than ope years tmprisonment, instead of stxJyears. This amendment likewise vas lost, 10T to HIS.
 Section 21. on motion of Mir. Webb of North Carolina, was amended so as to limit the punishment therein pre- scribed to persons who wilfully sub 5ect nhabstants of any State or Terri tory to the deprivation of any rights Ruaranteed under the constitution or laws of the United States. or to pro- vide punishments because such inhabi- ss. tant s.s. is an allen or because of his color Opposition to Section 23. prescribing penalties for attempts to disqualify for 3urgF service any scitizen on account of race or color came from Messrs. Har- ay of Texas and Bartlett of Georgia, the latter ofNwhom moved to amend by striking out the clause applying the declared that the Section as framed was d usurpation of States rights. .- The arguments were vigorously com batted by Mir. Moon, of Pennsylvania who remarked that the section as it stood represented the action of Dem -.N President, who had declared that the Haunting the Democrats with their slogan. Equal rights for all; special privileges for nohe,' Mir. Hepburn of Iowa inquired why the question which they at this time precipftated debate on the subject upon the plea that there no longer was necessity for such legis- latfon. He spoke of the popularity and of the ability of Mir. Williams ot adorh the Senate. and yet he said that that gentleman had only triunphed by a small margin over Governor Vardaman, "who made his campaign upon the { proposition of repeating the constitu- fionai amendments and taking from a large class of citizens. all the rights of their citizenship" MT. Hepburn de- clared that as long as that spirit lived he wanted the letter of the law to live.
 VRrdaman's Popularity.
 Williams said that the gentle mistaken of his understand .
 he cause of his reduced ma
 the Senatorial race. Nobody
 ssippi, he said, had any idea
 'ernor Vardaman could repeal
 senth Amendment to the Con-
 but Governor Vardaman's s
 ace was because of his popu-
 the State, his personality and
 record as Governor.
 yilliarhs asserted that no one ~ make it appear that Federal
 a.al In should fix the qualifications
 or in a State court. He had
 ood for the idea and never
 
 Messrs. Hardy (Texas). Hous-