The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-19
NEGRO SUFFRAGE.

on ThuFsdRy, the 18th instant.
The question coming up on the bill allowing
eOlored men to vote in the District of Columbia,
Mr. Randall, of Pennsylvania obtained the floor
and said -
Mr.. Speaker, the discussion of this bill has been
lengthy and the arguments have been ample. /
should not feel il necessary vt this time to oc-
cupy the attention of the House on the subject
but for the tact that my native State, during the
course of this debate has been alluded 10. My
colleague from the fourth district (Mr. Kelley
has stated ~ you here that prior to 1888 negroes
were allowed the privilege of the elective fran
chise in the State of Pennsylvania. The gentle
man has told the truth in that particular but
he has failed to tell the whole truth. Sir, is
he not aware that judicial decision has been
made in Pennsylvania upon this very point?
Pennsylvania abolished slavery on the lst of
March, $780, and ever since that period her
legislation has tended TO ameliorate the con-
ditiOn of that race, but at the same time her
legislation and the position of parties IN that
State, have uniformly recognized distinction
between the two races. Our Constitution of 1890
contained the word "lreemen,r and under that
provision of the Constitution negroes claimed
the right to vote in Pennsylvania, and believe
II is well authenticated that they did vote. But
sir at the October election in 1885, in the county
oil Luzerne, a negro applied to vote; the in
spectors of the election conducting the polls
denied him the right to vote, and his vote was
rejected, whereupon a suit was instituted, and q
decision given in his favor in the lower court,
and that decision was oveTruled by the Supreme
Court in 1887. The opinion was delivered by
Chief Justice Gibson, and his opinions are fully
known to every lawye in this House; he stands
as u iurist at the head. The opinion of the court
was unanimous, concuTTed in by four other gem
temen OF almost equal talent and reputation
with himself The question turned upon the
word fireman." whether It meant citizen and
entitled him to vote. That decision of The court
while ii was unanimous, was also clear on the
point OF declaring that the word freeman"
meant white men, and not black men, aud that
consequently black men were not entitled to
vote under the Constitution of 1890.
The question was further agitated until a con-
Venuon met in January 1888. My distinguished
colleague from Pennsylvania (Mr. Stevens), the
Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations,
was member OF that Convention, and if / mis-
state anything that there occurred he can cor
rect me. This question was agltated there, and
IN order to set the matter at rest and have no
further equivocal language in the Constitution,
the word "white" was inserted by vote of
nearly two-thirds, after lengthy and one OF the
most intellectual discussions that has ever taken
place in any public body in Pennsylvania. So
much for the right of the negro TO vote in Penn
sylVania. l thought 1t necessary, in answer to
the statement of my colleague that negroes voted
IN Pennsylvania, to give the true and correct
history, both judicial and political.
My colleague stated further that it was the
Democratic party which adopted that amend
ment to the Constitution and deprived the
negro of the right 10 vote in that convention. l
am glad to say, from my leading and from my
associations with the party, that the Democratic
party of Pennsylvania have uniformly been
against extending the right of suffrage to the
negro race.
Mr.. Kelley-Will my colleague yield to me for
moment?
Mr.. Randall-Certainly.
Mr.. Kelley do not understand my colleague
to deny that colored men were voters at the
foundation OF the Government, and thence down
to 1885. Do rightly understand him?
Mr.. Randall do not deny that some colored
people in Pennsylvania voted down to the year
1885. But say that according to the Judgment
fhnr fari
no right to vote.
Mr.. Kelley-In other words, that in 1885 we
had Dred Scott decision in the State of Penn
ylvania.
Mr.. Randall-It was no fabulous or made.up
case at all, but case upon the facts.
Mr. kelley-Does the gentleman mean to say
that the Dred Scott case was a fabulous case?
Mr.. Randall used the terms so familiar to
the gentleman and the party to which he be-
longs, who constantly call that a fabulous and
made-up case. l am not going to be led into
discussion of the Dred Scott decision at this
time. desired to refer the gentleman to the
decision of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania;
and he cannot escape from it.
Now, as to the gentlemans allegation that it was
the Democratic party who took away from and
deny to the colored people the tight to vote.
Sir, thai party have always had the cooperation
and the aid OF vast numbers of the other party.
The Convention which met in 1888 elected, as
its presiding officer, Hon. John Sergeant. 1t
was Wing Convention: its organization was
Wing; yet two-thirds of that Convention voted
to insert in the Constitution of Pennsylvania the
word white" and l can give the gentleman
additional authority, such authority as he has
heretofore usually regarded as wise. / allude
to the gentleman who is now the Attorney
General of Pennsylvania, Hon. William L.
Meredith. He spoke in that Convention: and
Tor the purpose OF edifying my colleague (Mr
Kelley Will read one or two extracts from
his speech there. He says, in the course of his
remarks:-
"He was willing to extend political rights as far
as he could, with reference to the happiness. we'll
being, and security of society But he had doubts
as to the propriey of admitting the coored people
into our political family on the footing of Others"
Now, is not that sound authority for the gen.
tleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelley), my
colleague? Mr.. Meredith is the leviathan, SO
to speak, of the Pennsylvania bar. Again he
says:-
"There is something peculiar in the relation in
which the colored race stand to the whites which
renders distinction inevitable, 1t has been SAID
that he has the right OF suffrage This is not the
case. The white man who has not paid tax, or
who Is minor, or who has not been assessed, is
not the less citizen not the less entitled to protec-
hon yet he is not permitted to exercise the right of
suffrage"
Furthermore, let me say to the gentleman that
he is seeking TO do that here, upon the people of
this District, which he failed 10 make an issue at
home. He claims the power to force upon the
people of this District negro suffrage. But why
does he claim the power to do this here when
he fails TO make the same issue IN his own
districtl
Mr., Kelley-The gentleman is slightly mis-
taken there. When | was quite a young man,
and somewhat active in the Democratic party,
united with others in petitonng the Legislature
of my State to initiate a change of the Constitu-
ton so that every man who was not pauper or
a ielon could be citizen in the full enjoyment
of the privileges OF citizenship and have not
cons tituent, whether he belongs to my party
or that of the gentleman, who does not know