Year: 1879

Mr.. Ewing first got the floor and con-
tinued his speech OF last evening. He
declared that the men who were insult
ing the President were not men on the
Democratic side, but the stalwarts OF
the Republican party, who now hold the
lash over the President, threatening him
with party expulsion if he dared to be
governed by his own judgment only, in
stead of by the necessities OF sectional
issues at the North. He classified
among the stalwarts Mr. Garfield, who
had said that if the President signed
the bill he would be violating
his conscience and sense of duty;
Mr.. Frye, who had pledged the Presi-
dent in advance to veto the bill, which
pledge was threat to the President,
and Conkling, in whose opinion the
President would be dog if he signed
the bill.


Mr.. Ewing then lauded the southern
Representatives declaring that since
the Confederate Brigadier Generals were
here there had been no more great jobs
passed through Congress. His speech
was much applauded on the Democratic
side.


Mr.. Garfield followed. He declared
that it had been in the power of the
humblest or the greatest OF Democrats
to have ruined him and proved him to
be traducer and slanderer by simply
rising and saying, in contravention OF
his assertion as to its being the purpose
of the Democratic party to starve the
Government, that we do not propose TO
refuse to vote supplies to the Govern
ment; that we wish to get our leglsla-
tioE through in reference to elections
and everything else if We can COnstitu-
tiOnally, but il we can not get II through
under all constitutional sanctions then
We will pass the appropriation bills like
loyal Representatives and 90 home,
but though forty-fve Democrats had
spoken, that sentence had not been
uttered by a single Democrat.


Messrs. Ewing and Garfield each
spoke fifteen minutes by unanimous
consent, and each was loudly applauded
by his own side.


Mr.. Horr, of Michigan, followed, and
begun by holding up to ridicule the
Greenback Republicans, and caused
great amusement by the assertion that
ii all the greenback money demanded
by the bills already introduced were to
be supplied, the Greenbackers would
have to get their clergyman, Mr.. De La
Matyr, to ask the Deity to vary the mir
acle of the deluge, to open again the
doors and windows OF Heaven, and 10
rain greenbacks forty days. He
then told the Southern Democrats
that what their section wanted was,
"mOre corn and cotton and less cussed-
ness" and wound up by suggesting that
one OF the best things that could hap
pen to the country would be the turn
ING on of yellow fever in Congress, only
he would want the Divinity to use great
discrimination in making his selection.
Mr.. IIOqr moved up and down the area
as he spoke and was much applauded
on both sides and in the galleries.


When the debate ceased the amend
ment offered by Mr.. Weaver striking
out all the proposed legislation except
that relating TO the test oath, was de-
ieated without division.


A yOtG was then taken by tellers on
Mr.. Garfield's amendment and defeated
bv l24 to l30. The result was received
with applause on the Democratic side.
The President had no right to indi-
cate, and it was impertinence for him TO
saw he had indicated his opinion and
his preference in regard to the mode OF
doing business in the House. Ii was
none of his business. The gentleman
from Ohio Mr.. Garfield had said that
the mode of procedure was insulting,
and that it had been done by caucus,
which had said, 1--WE will starve the
Government to death if the President
does not Yield The Democratic caucus
had done nothing at all, except to deter
mine whether or not to put the repeal
through as a separate bill or place 1t on
the appropriation bill. 1t did not go
one step further than that. Prior To
that caucus, the Republican caucus had
assembled and had given notice that II
this repeal was to be passed ut all IT
would have to be on the appropriation
bills. The concurrence Of action on the
Republican side was to hold club over
the President and 10 continue the
policy of the past two years of pro-
scription and denunciation because he
had been a patriot and man Of sense
enOush 10 desire To have sectional
agitation cease. The gentlemen on the
other side, as they looked into the faces
of those Confederate Brigadiers, men OF
education and purity OF personal and
public life, with hands unsmirched by
public plunder, know they were Their
peers in intelligence, ability and IN
devotion to the common country and
its laws. The gentlemen on the other
side did injustice to their own hearts II
they saw anything different They
knew there was not laten purpose OF
disloyaltv in the hearts Of those Con-
federate soldier or in the masses they
represented, and il the honor of this
country was assaulted anywhere or IN
anv way, they would fly TO its support
with ardOr as strong As ever burned IN
any breast. The country North and
South wanted peace. The Republican
party knew moreover that II 1t met the
real issue presented in square fight 1t
would 20 under. The Democrats asked
this repeal solely TO bring the govern
ment back 10 its true system, and to the
theory of local seli-government These
laws were in violation of the consutu-
tion, in violation OF all traditions OF the
country, and were dangerous 10 the
purity OF elections ami TO the liberty OF
the people; therefore their repeal was
demanded. Applause on the Demo-
cratic side.


The committee then voted upon the
amendments.


Mr.. Weaver moved to strike out all
the proposed legislation except the pro-
vision in regard TO test oath. Ii was
defeated without division.


Mr.. Garfield offered an amendment
striking out all the proposed legislation.
This was defeated by avOte by tellers-
yeas, l23; nays, 80.


The committee then rose and report
Ell the bills and amendments TO the
House. All the amendments were
agreed to without division.


Mr.. Garfield endeavored to obtain a
separate vote on the political clauses Of
the bill. and Mr.. Bragg upon the
amendment which he wished 10 offer
abolishing the Southern Claims Com
mission, but both propositions were OBJ
1 $500 20 and the hill Was then passed--