Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-05-26


Us rather alay than stir up the excitement
of the hour. We have all we can deal with
all that we can master in our present situa
ton. If we unIoose other spirits of discord
to run riot through all the Free States during
this Presidential election--lJself the greatest
trial to which the American people has ever
vet been subiected-a Presidential election
with q million Of men in arms waging this
gigantic war, to throw other elements of bit
tcrness and strife into the canvass, no man
/ can see the result. If these political witches
/ from the regions below /" round about the
cauldron 60" and g in the poisoned entrails
throw" they will make for US " a charm of
powerful trouble, like hell-broth, boil and
/ bubble"
/ Mr.. President, | know that my action upon
| this as upon some previous occasions will be
misunderstood, misconstrued, and misrepre-
| scented. Such has been the case when, on
questions akin to this and for the same rea-
sons which influence me now, have sought
to postpone and avoid the discussion of I'M
necessary issues. For instance, there is the
pending question Of negro suffrage in the
District of Columbia. | think that it would
be unwse to agitate the question now. Then
there was that question whether the railroad
company should allow negroes to ride in ears
| ~ themselves or be compelled to seat them
side by side with the wives and daughters of
white men in this District. | thought it most
unwise in the Senator from Massachusetts to
raise that question which bears upon the
question of social equality. Perhaps l was
Mistaken but that was my opinion, and I
expressed that opinion frankly. Ny action
was misrepresented in the Geographic reports
/ in a portion Of the press all the way from
! Boston to Wisconsin. They seem to forget
that no falsehood is so dangerous as that
which comes from intermingling truth with
error; and that the truth half told is a lie
! One journal says:
"Our readers will observe that Mr. Doolit-
| tie, with a few other Republican Senators,
voted against allowing negroes the poor privi-
! Iege of riding upon District of Columbia
railroad"
Such was not the fact at all. [ did not vote
! against allowing them to ride in the cars but
! for the convenience of the public to allow the
company to assign them certain cars. What
are the facts Here is a railroad company in
the city of Washington. Cars are provided
in which negroes ride; and they are Just as
good in every respect as those provided for
white people. In fact they are far more COM
Portable; for they are not half so crowded
have ridden in them metmes myself Now,
what | objected to was, that by law you should
compel white people to ride in the same car
and upon the same seats with negroes, wheth-
er they desire to do so or not. I thought it
unwise and unnecessary; that it would do no
good to raise the question of social as well as
political equality between the negroes and
the white people of this country at time
like this and while others, who thought as
thought and felt as | felt, shrank from de-
claring their opinions, | thank God He has
given me the courage to be true to my con-
yictions, though | may be misrepresented
here or elsewhere. [ do not hesitate TO say
that this measure was altogether unnecessary
and unwise.
This same Committee on the District of
Columbia has charge of the schools, of the
hotels and the erection of churches here.
Mr.. Grimes-Not the hotels
Mr.. Doolittle-They might have, if a COM
pany was to be incorporated to run a hotel.
Mr.. Crimes do not desire to have the
Senator create the impression in the country
that the Committee on the District of Column
bia are responsible for the hotels here.
Laughter.
Mr.. DooLTTLE-I did not say that the COM
mittee ran the hotels but they might be call
ed upon to incorporate company to run a
hotel. They called upon us the other day to
incorporate company to run a Masonic Hall
was the most prolific and pregnant section I
ever saw, for it contained about twenty cor
porations. 1t is possible, therefor, that the
Committee on the District of Columbia may
be called upon to organize companies for the
purpose of running some good hotels; and
Tor my part should be very much obliged to
them, and think that the people of the Dis
trlct and the people of the country would be
obliged to them, If they would organize some
companies to run some good hotels here.
But l viii only suppose case. | have no
controversy with the committee am deal
ing with the Senator from Massa chusetts (Mr
Sumner.) Suppose such a bill were pending
in the Senate to incorporate hotel company,
and my honorable friend from Massachusetts,
carried away as usual by his doctrine of equal
ity before the law, should offer an amend
ment, as he probably would, to compel the
hotel keeper to seatnegroes side by side with
white people at its table. Regarding such
an amendment as unwise and unnecessary,
might feel constrained to vote against it. If
| did, through the telegraphic reports and by
certain journals I should be nisrepresented.
They, if l were to judge by the past, would
probably say that | was opposed to negroes
having the poor privilege Of eating at all,
because l should be opposed to a proposition
to compel the keeper of a hotel to seat ne
groes side by side with white people at the
same table.
Again: Suppose this committee on the Dis
trict OF Columbia should bring in a bill to or.
ganize an association to build a church, and
my friend from Massachusetts, also should pro-
pose, in order to carry out the great doctrine
of equality before the law, an amendment to
compel the Serton to seat white men and women
and colored men and women in the same pews,
side by side. | might feel constrained to vote
against that as unnecessary and unwise legis-
lation. Undoubtedly would be misrepresent-
ed through the telegraph, and by a certain
portion of the press. From Boston to st.
Paul a certain class Of men would denounce
me, and say, "Senator Doolittle is opposed
to negroes having the poor privilege of 60
ing to church at ALL"
might make the same remark in regard
to schools in this District. That subject has
come before the Committee on the District
of Columbia, and we have passed law pro-
viding schools for the benefit of the negro
children of the district, to which | gave
cheerful support. They attend those schools
and reap the benefits and advantages of them.
But, Sir, suppose the Senator from Massa-
chusetts should bring forward provision of
law to compel every school teacher of every
school in this city, white and black, to seat
negro children and white children upon the
same seats, side by side, in the same rooms.
The truth is, in the city of Washington
there is large population of African descent;
they have their own associations; they have
their own society, their own churches, their
own schools; and believe they are doing
we'll and getting on very we'll, and | am re-
ioiced at the fact But while we have so
many revolutionary elements all around us,
when we are just about to enter a Presiden-