Year: 1879




SENATOR BLAINE IN OPPOSITION TO THE ARMY


nuI-A sCA1mNG REVIEW OF THE COURSE


OF THE PARTY.


rBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TBIBUNF.l


WASHINGTON, April 14,-When the Army bill was
before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, IL
was agreed that the three members of the sub
committee. Senators Wthers, Wallace and Blaine,
should address the Senate in the order named when
the political section of the bill reached; and
this was the only arrangement touching the Army
bill which the committee was allowed TO make


After preparing their speeches, however, the two
Democratic members of the subcommittee came to
the conclusion that Mr. Blaine was a safer man to
follow than to precede; and, although the ar
rangement into which they had entered had been
laid before the Vice-Presdent and the public, they
backed ont at the last moment and announced
Their determination not to speak until after the
Senator from Maine had delivered his opening
speech 1t became known last night that Senator
Blaine was TO speak this afternoon, and the usual
result was witnessed in the crowd which sought
admttance to the galleries and upon the floor OF
the Senate BY reason of the stringent discipline
enforced by the new sergeantat-arms, the galleries
were only comfortably filled. and those who came
late were not admitted. One good result of this
arrangement was very perceptble in the fact that
the atmosphere which upon such occasions in the
past has always been oppressive. was to-day Kept
pure and fresh during the entire session.


Mr.. Blaine's speech to-day was equal to any OF
his previous efforts in either house, and was simply
uuanswcrablc Notwithstanding the exhaustive
discussion which took place in the House, after
which it seemed as if nothing remained to be said,
his speech bristled with new points while accord
ing to hls usual habit he seemed, by the plainest
and most damninc aTragnment of the Democrats
in connection with their present attitude and pro
4, yui4b who might
gansay him. No synopsis can do it justice.


He arraigned the Democrats for seeking, by the
unusual method of repeating whole statute and
then reGnactng the greater part of it, to get credit
with their constituents for legislation which had
been first enacted by n Congress which was over
whelmlngly Republican. He charged them with
seeking to give the American Government bad
name before the civilized world by circulating the
report, which every Democrat knew to be false,
that the Republican party relying for its main
tenance in power upon the use of the Army at the
polls implying. in far as the Army and the Re-
publican party concerned, that freedom of cleo
tions was not possible. The absurdty of this as
snmption he showed by official records. Referring
10 the inability of the Roman soothsayers to look
each other in the face without smiling, he declared
that no two Democratic Senators could go into the
cloak-room and look each other in the eye without
smiling OF blushlng at the ridiculous claim which
they were setting up. But" said he this Is not
the true motive behind this movement. You can't
make any sensible man at tue crossroads believe
that YOU are afraid of ,155 soldiers in the whole
South, and we must go further TO find the motive
Now therefore am able to state that this issue on
the troops being falsehOOd cOnceals the true ssuc
which is simply 10 get rid of the Federal presence
at Federal elections, TO get lid OF the civil
power of the United States in the election
Of Representatives to the Congress Of the United
States This bill, therefore, connects itself with
another bill and we cannot discuss this Military bill
without discussing bill which we had before us
last Winter, known as the Legislative, Executive
and Judicial Appropriation bill"


Mr.. Blaine said 1t was improper TO refer to mat
ters then in progress in the House of Representa-
tves but 1t was perfectly proper to speak of things
which were not done there and he therefore felt at
liberty to declare that neither this Army bill nor
the Legislative Executive and Judicial Appropria-
five bill ever enanated from any committee of the
House OF representatives "1hey are not" he re-
peated " the work of any committee of the House
Of REPRESENTATIVES; and therefore although the pres
eut House is almost evenly divided, there has been
allowed TO the minority no solitary suggestion with
regard to these bills" lie quoted in support of this
the frank admission of Senator Beck, made before
any committee Of either house were formed, that
committee of the Democratic caucus had these





Senator Withers and Senator Davis. Of West Vr-
pinia had the temerity to make some reference to
the fact that the bill had been sent TO the Commit
tee on Appropriations in the Senate


Mr. Blaine Immediately brought the fact that
several amendments had been proposed by the mi
noTity Of the committee which the members Of IKE
majority had SAID they would accept had they not
been bound by previous decision not TO suffer the
bill TO be amended at all. He alluded TO a speech
delivered by Alexander HStephens before the Geor-
gia Legislature just after the war, in winch Mr..
Stephens said that the South had once controlled
the Government, and il was possible, by sending
solid delegation TO Congress, to again control the
Government Mr.. Blaine said Mr.. Stephens had
proved himself TO be prophet. Although the pop
ulation of the South not quite One-thlrd of the
whole population of the country. yet, by Of
Southern dominance in the Democratic caucus, she
practically controlled the legislation for the whole
country already. OF the fOrty-twO standing com
mitteesOf the House, the South has twenty-five and
of the thirty -four IN the Senate. twenty-five are
controlled by the South. MI. Blaine did not believe
the resolution would succeed. He said the Demo
cratic party had placed itself in position where il
u goes forward 1t goes to revolution but II 1t fails
IT must back out with gnOminy.


Senator Nithcrs followed Senator Blaine, but did
not reply to him. He dug somewhat into ancient
history, and rummaged The Congressional Rcc0rd for
pTecedents. This IS the usual resort OF Demo
cratic Senator when he seeks to DO thing the mo-
tives for winch II will not do to make public. pur-
ing the hundred Of history 10 possible TO
1iud precedent for almost any cOuIse which ii may
be desired 10 take. Senator Withers II very light
weight dcbateT, and not even his side lis
tened TO him. senator Wallace followed and COM
nanded some degree Of attention; but his written
speech sounded like a buTlcsque when he attempted
10 portray the oppression and tyranny Of the Fed
cra troops and tie impOssibillty Of holding free
elections as long the statute under consideration
remained on the books senator Naliaces strength
lies u his utter lack Of conscience, and during his
speech he deliberately denied that the Democratic