The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-12-12

truth produced here, that the negrot
South, were prevented from voting, {
forced TO vote the Democratic ticket. II
assumes, therefore, that owing to thes
causes the negroes OF the South are nj
represented by the members OF the Hous
| OF Representatives who, come from thu
section Of the Unibn or by. the Senators o
this floor who represent the Souther
States. What right has the Senator froI
Maine to say thenegroesof the South M
mot represented by the chosen Represent
atiyesofthe South, and theIChoseni Semi
tors OF the South? What right has he
vote those negroes on one side himself an
say that men who bear credentials OF elet
ton do mot represent q their consti
uents? why Mr.. President, it
a bare assumption on his pai
that he has no right whatever
make. eBut again . the Senator ought t
fhave thought OF this when he was framin
his 14tli and 18th amendments, or whe
he was assisting in framing them. Their
were men then, OF his party too, who toll
him with long foresight that in the en-
property and intelligence would trule th
land, as Ignorance cannot.
Mr.. President, there were men OF hi
party who ioresaw that those people VIII,
have the intelligence, the education and tn
property will not he ruled. by those VIII
have neither, andIin thatiit Isl not fneces
sary to separate the community into whit,
people and colored people; mot Ut allds !
necessary to do that. .o
Now the result Of these constit tttiona
amendments was easily enough to be fore
nnn,, o,,, not bann tn tncftfv vinlntinn n
the rights OF any man however humble
he may be, whatever may be the posert,
OF his situation. u am snotthereior any
such purpose Us that II know my own
heart am here as much in favor OF res
pecting the rights Of every man under the
constitution as the Senator. from Maine, oi
any other Senator on the floor, but ! dc
know that intelligence and education will
assert their supremacy everywhere.
Now, Mr.. President, let me say one
word more onstllis subject. Who was il
that drew the color line, between the
whites and.negroes in the South2 Let me
tell you that millions OF the money OF the
people OF the United States were expended
by your agcnts-the Freedmen's Bureau
agents-inc getting every ,colored man y
the South into loyal leagues, and swearing
him never To vote for Democrat. That
is where the color line began to be drawn
That institution, which took charge
OF the negro ut the ballot box, took
charge OF him in the cotton fields, every
where, supervised every contract he made,
allowed no ,contractt to be-made unless Y
had the approval Of agents oil the Freed;
mems Bureau, and spent the money aud
property called captured and abandoned
property" that was surrendered to 1t and
many millions OF money directly appro-
priated out OF the Treasury Of the
United States. 1t was that bureau
and It's agents who first drew the
color line, and yet, when the white
people OF the South, when men owning
property and having intelligence and etiu'
cation all over the South, saw their very
social system mcnaced with destruction,
saw their very households threatened with
ruin under an inundation OF barbarism
directed by the most unscrupulous OF men,
and when they naturally came together,
when they naturally united as . people
menacetl with danger ever &will m mite, J,
then q cry is raised against the SSo!td
South"
Mr.. President: It will not do. This
system OF legislation toward the South that
began ten years ago is reaping its fruit,
and IL is not by additional penal laws that
YOU can better the condition of this coun-
try. What does the Senator want more
penal laws for? Let him, look into the
statute book on this very subject, let him
read the statutes in regard to the enforce
ment OF the rights OF citizenstoyote, and l
defy him TO find in the statute books OF any
civilized country on this globe, q
body OF laws so minute, SO searching and
bristling all over with penalties, and fines,
and forieitures, as do these laws. But that
is not all. In addition TO that you have
vast machinery, Superintendents o. Elee,,
tion, Federal Supervisors, Marshals ana
Deputy Marshals, paid electioneerers out oi
the Treasury Of the United States. Under
guise OF being made to preserve freedom oil
suffrage and peace at elections, you have
a whole army Of them provided for by
your statutes. What more does the sena'
tor want? l think / see what is
wanted. This is note which "
sounded to the people OF the
North that they must retrace theirstcps to
this yery party which required the amend.
ments 10 the Constitution to be made In
the interest, it was said, OF the colored
population OF the South is now preparing
10 retrace It's steps and undo what 1t did
only few years ago either directly or by
indirection, Indeed / thought while the
Senator from Maine was making his
speech. how much reason this country
and especially the southern part OF u, had TO
congratulate itself that the next House OF
Representatives will not have q majority
OF gentlemen thinking like the Senator
from Maine, for II he is right IN what ne
said, II his threats are not mere idle wind,
land certainly do not attribute any such
thing to him) they are deep seated and
permanent thoughts OF those with whom
he acts, then should be prepared to see
a House OF Representatives in which there
wasa Republican majority, exclude South:
ern members BY the score. Then ! should
be prepared TO see them decide themselves
thai the right OF suffrage was prohibited
down there TO the negro, andto see them in
their supreme autority, as they would eon'
strue Il, vote out the chosen Representatives
OF the South, not by ones, not by twos,
hut by the score. II is q fortunate thing
ior our free institutions that thereis not
in the present House of Representatives
and will not be in the next, a majority
thinking as the Senator from Maine
thinks, and as willingt to act as he Is willing
to act. M ..4 ,.s.ss.lg
Mr.. President, one word on the amend.
ment have offered. 1t is my own belief
that there is far greater danger that me
nares our institutions and menaces tht
right Of suffrage in this country than that
which tho Senator has alluded to. Sir,
the most disheartening thing toan Amerl
can who loves free institutions, Is to set
wear BY year that tile corrupt use OF money
Is making its way until the time may come
and that within the observation OF even tht
Oldest man hare, when elections oin. IN ths e. y
wsre in the worst days Of borough parlia
mentary elections ii the mother land
Mr.. President, tllerp is the great danger
Tic danger is whether this country, shal
be governed with-a view to tho rights oi
every man, the poor man as well as TIT
rich man, or whether the largest purst