Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 October 1893 — TUCKER BILL PASSED. [ARTICLE]

TUCKER BILL PASSED.

BIG MAJORITY FOR THE MEASURE IN THE HOUSE. By a Strict Party Vote the House Repeals the Laws Placing; Elections Under Federal Control How the Fort Wayne “Limited” Was Wrecked. Democrats Cheer the Result. Washington special: The Tucker bill to repeal all existing Federal election laws was passed by the House by a vote of lOj to 101, party lines being strictly drawn. Senator Hill (N. Y.), who is the author of a similar bill in the Senate, was on the floor while the vote was being taken. Quite a demonstration was made by the Democrats when the result was announced. The Republicans, finding that the Democrats had their own quorum present, were stopped from filibustering by the ironclad order under which the House was operating beyond demanding a yea and nay vote on the Burrows and Lacey amendments. The Democrats admitted that the bill was defective in that it failed to repeal statute 3528, which inferentially permits troops at the polls, but the modification could not bo made under the order, and the correction will have to be made in the Senate. Some of the Republicans claimed that in defeating the Lacey amendment the Democrats repealed all laws to prevent bribery and ballot-box stuffing at elections for delegates in the Territories, but the Democrats claimed that the Legislatures of the Territories had all enacted laws for the punishment of offenders against the purity of the ballot in the Territories, and Mr. Tucker called attention to the fact that Section 1848 of the Revised Statutes provided that after the first election each Territory should make laws to govern its elections. Delegate Smith also called attention to the fact that some of the Territories like Arizona operated “like most of the progresshe States,” under the Australian ballot law. Attra t3.l a Full House. The fact that the vote on the Tucker bill was to bo taken attracted a full house. The benches on both sides were filled and the galleries were crowded. Some routine business occupied the morning hour. The Speaker took tho chair. The special order bringing the Tucker bill to a vote and the pending amendments by Mr. Fitch, Mr. Lacey and Mr. Burrows were road. Mr. Burrows explained that he would not demand a division on his amendment if the House would permit tho five statutes hla amendment sought to save to be read at tho clerk’s desk, that they might get into the record. They are the sections providing for free registry and vote of citizens irrespective of color or previous condition, and providing for tho punishment of those who prevent, hinder and delay registration and voting, and giving United States Judges jurisdiction in such cases. On a rising vote the amendment was defeated, 81 to 183—a strict party division. The yeas and nays were demanded and tho roll was called. The roll-call resulted —yeas, 100; nays, 198. The vote demonstrated the fact that the Democrat i had a margin of nine in excess of a quorum. The vote then recurred on Mr. Lacey’s amenlment providing for the punishment of crimes against the bab lot in Congressional and delegate elections, and Mr. Lacoy demanded a yea and nay vote, claiming that the defeat of his amendment would give bribery and ballot-box stuffing free rein in delegate elections in the territories. The Lacey amendment was lost—96 to 196. Mr. Fitch withdrew his amendment, and the vote was taken on the final passage of the bill. The bill was passed—yeas, 200; nays, 100—a strict party vote. When the Speaker announced tho vote tho Democrats broke into a cheer, and then, at 2:45, the House adjourned.