Year: 1879

and Ends.


CONGRESSIONAL. PROCEEDINGS


sENATE-AFTERNooN SESSION.


washington, May 9.-The bill pro-
Uniting military interference at elec
tions being under consideration, Ed
munds called attention to certain
clauses of the constitution to various
laws, and to the writings of Hamilton
and Madison as a foundation for his
remarks on the bill, and said he had
read from the constitution, and from q
series of laws, those parts which bore on
the power of the executive department
to show from the beginning of the gov
eminent, it had been conceded and
maintained that wherever there is law
there must be power to carry it into
effect. The executive was not tyrant,
but civil officer. authorized to use all
available force to execute the constitu-
tional laws. President Jackson an
nounced the possession of power con-
ferred by the constitution, and the laws
passed in pursuance of it while in
1898 South Carolina set up her will
against the execution of the national
laws. These were the same old here
sizes of state sovereignty so often re-
peated. He argued there was express
authority to exert all the power of
which the republic is capable to prevent
infractions of the law. If elections
fail or are prevented, what becomes Of
the republic and the liberty of the citi-
zens? There still exists express au-
thority for the president to exert the
military powers of the government
wherever the execution of the law on
all occasions, and everywhere is OBJ
structed by combinations too powerful
for the civil authorities to suppress.
The United States marshals, too, have
express power to command all the ne
cessary assistance in the performance
Of their duty.


Blaine said: Mr.. President, 1 want
to make single remark on the bill
itself. If there is to be veto upon it
/ desire simply to put punctuation
point in the progress of things, as they
are now going on, and that punctuation
point is to mark the high tide which
the ancient doctrine of states rights is
reaching in this chamber, and in this
congress.


There never was before the rebellion,
there never was at any time in the his
tory of this country, and such an asser-
ton of state rights ::or any such asser-
ton of the mastery of state govern
ment oveI the federal government in its
own domain, as is here asserted by the
heirs lineal of Calhoun and of Breckin-
ridge. shall not debate on this bill.
1t were useless. 1t has been exhaust
lively debated. The whole measure is a
removal of the federal government
from its proper domain, and the install
lation of state into degrees of power
that were not dreamed of by Calhoun
and were not asserted by Breckenridge.


We thought there had been some
thing gpined on this question in cost
ly war, and in amendments to the con-
stitution, but the tide as it now sweeps,
it is on the ebb and power Of the union !;
the power of the federal government
was never SO weak as these laws and
these proceedings will make it. Pass
this bill, while warning off the nation
al government from all interference or
control of its own elections! You
voted down on the other bill PROPOSE
tion that armed men should not come
to the polls with the expressed intent
of interfering with the rights of voters,
and you did it under the paltry quibble
that it was not within the constitution
al power Of the United States govern.
ment to warn the bloody handed ruff
fans from the polls where representa-
tives in the federal congress were being
chosen. Pass this bill? Pass it as a
triumph of the reactionary party
against the spirit of the union? Pas:
it in defiance of all lessons and al
teachings that have come from bloody
abortive rebellion? Pass it and mark
it as high tide of that reaction,
which. were it to rise higher, could
lead only to another and formidable
rebellion against the legitimate author
ity of the union.


The bill to prohibit military interfer-
ence at elections was, after speech by
Chandler, passed in the precise form ii
which it came from the house; yeas
33; nays, %. Party vote.


On motion Of Beck, the senate tool
up the legislative bill, and then ad
iourned until tomorrow.


HoUsE-AFTERNooN SESSION.


Washington, May 9.-The house re
sumed consideration Of Warmers silvel
bill, and Weaver advocated it. H,
said he wanted cheap money and deal
property. The people were almos
unanimous on the silver question
There was a universal demand that Il
be restored as legal tender. He char
acterized the demonetization OF silve
as great international conspiracy o
men who had fixed incomes against ant
in opposition to those who own tn
great bulk of property in the world
He also criticized the act of 1869, t.
strengthen the public credit.


Mitchell inquired if Weaver had no
voted in 1853 for Grant.


Weaver replied he had.