National Republican., 1878-12-12
FORTY.FIFTH CONGRESS.
tConiinued from FIa Puoe.l


Mr.. THuRsAs-And hopo that there will be no
when tho galleries cheered the eroratlon % my
iriend from Maine, for love an eloquent thing as
wRen n dfa not agree it, wv WA s i at a Ifsushcrj
Now. Mr.. President, this assault OF the Senator
from Maine is not an oa, assault simply; a. howsyer
ago In speech, which beg pardon for repeating
herc-that It did seem to me as clear as anything
in American politics could be that there was de.
was a solid South, to create solid North, TO rule
not only the solid South, but to rule one-half
nearly, II not more, of the people Of the North.
Thought so then; think soyet Thought then
and think now. that purpose more unpatriotic
Try, never entered the brain OF man. THAT'S my
Why, Mr.. President of what is Il that the Senator
nom Maine complainsY That there were not enough
Republican votes at the South; That's the amount
Iumes, Without one shadow Of proof produced here,
that the negroes Of the South were prevented from
voting or forced TO vote the Democratic ticket He
negroes Of the South are not represented BY the
members Of the House Of Representatives who
came from that section Of the Union or by the Sen.
aioIs this floor who represent the Southern States
What right has the Senator from Maine to say
that the negroes Of the South are not represented
chosen Senators Of the south7 What right has he
70 vote those negroes himself on one side and say
here do not represent their constituents3
Why. Mr. President, II is bare assumption on
But again. The Senator ought TO have thought OF
this when he was framing bis Fourteenth and FIJI.
teenth Amendments, or when he was assisting In
framing them.
There were men then, men OF his own party, too,
who told him with long foresight that in the end
Ignorance cannot Mr.. President, there were men
ofhis own party who foressw that those people
who have the intelligence. the education, and the
property will not be ruled by those who have
neither and In that II Is not necessary to separate
the community into white people and into colored
No, Mr.. President, the result Of these constltu-
uonal amendments was easy enough to be foreseen.
rights Of any man, however humble he may be,
whatever may be the poverty Of his situation. !
am here for no such purpose as that.
II know my own heart am here as much in
favor Of respecting the rights Of every man under
the Constitution as the Senator from Maine or any
property, Intelligence, and education will assert
their supremacy everywhere on the face Of this
Now, Mr.. President let me say one word more
on this subject Who was II that drew the color
line between the whites and the negroes in the
money OF the people OF the United States were ex.
pended by your agents, the Freedmen's Bureau
Into loyal leagues and swearing him never to vote
for Democrat. That is where the color line be.
That institution which took charge OF the negro
VI the ballotbox, took charge Of him in the cotton
held, tooticharge Of him everywhere, supervised
every contract that he made, allowed no contract
20 be made unless Il had the approval Of the agents
Of the Freedman's Bureau, and spent the money
pTopePy tSSt %Ss surrepdered to H. and many
millions Of money directly appropriated out Of the
treasury. Of the United States 1t was that Blu.
reau and its agents who first drew the color line.
And yet when the white people OF the South, when
the men owning the property and having the intel
very social system Inenaced with destruction; saw
their very households threatened with ruin under
an inandSton q 6erbaris% directed direct BY ni, The mSs
came together, when they naturally united as peo-
pie menaced with danger eyer will unite, then
President II will not do. This system Legislation
toward the South that beganten years ago Is reap
that you can better the condition Of this country.
What does the senator want more penal laws forH
Let him look into the statute book OH this very
subject; let him read the statutes In regard to the
enforcement Of the rights OF citizens TO vote, and
defy him to find IN the statute books Of any civil
ute. so searching and bristling all over with penal
ties and fines and forieitures as do these laws
n vast machInery Of snperjntendents of eIectIons
Federal supervisors marshals deputy marshals,
paid electiOneerers out Of the Treasury Of the
United States under the guise OF being men to pre-.
Hcrvo the freedom Of suffrage and peace ut cleo
lions. You have a whole army of them provided
FOR by your statutes. What more does the Senator
wantP think see, Mr.. President, what is wanted,
This " note which is sounded 70 the people Of
h MI NSrSn TSry paTy fs Which S required % 10 the
Constitution 10 be made In the interest II was said,
Of the coloIed population Of the south.is now pre-.
what II did only few years ago. Either directly
or by indrectIon that is TO be done.
Indeed thought while the Senator from Maine
was making his speech how much reason this
country, and especially the Southern part OF the
country, had to congratulate itself that the next
House OF Representatives would not have amnlority
ofgentlomcn thinking like the Senator from Maine;
for ifhc Is right IN what he said Il his threats are
rLuie eT any i such Thing 10 himShsv uU ara S deem. a
seated and permanent thoughts Of those with whom
he acts then should be prepared TO see House of
ha.Fn ANITA oh thaF
majority exclude Southern members by the score !;
then should be prepared to see them decide them:
selves that the right Of suffrage was prohibited
down there to the negro, and then to see them in
their supreme authority Us they would construe II,
vote out the chosen Representatives Of the South
not by ones, not by twos, but by the score
elt IL a fortunate thing for this counry-t Is for
tunats thing for frec.insttutons-that there is
will not be In the next, majority thinking as the
senator from Maine thinks, and willing to act az
fear he Is willing to act.
Mr.. President one word on tho amendment
have offered. My own belief Is that there is far
greater danger that menaces our institutions and
menaces the right OF suffrage In this country than
that to which the Senator from Maine. has alluded
Sir, the most dsheartenihg thing to an American
year the corrupt use Of money in the elections Is
making its way until the time may come, and that
within the observation % Of even even he oldest man
tebauched as ever they were In tho worst days OF
ohe old borough parliamentary elections in the
danger is whether this country shall be governed
with yiewto the rights Of every nanSthe poor
man as well rs the rich man-or whether the long.
rstpurse shall carry the elections, and thus be a
mere plutocracy instead of democratic republic
That Is the danger and that danger, let me tell my
frend exists far more In tho North than II does In
the South. Sir II he wants to preserve the purity
Of elections If he wants to have this Government
perpetuated as system that can be honestly ad.
ministerod from the primary election TO the sigma.
ture OF bill by the President OF the United States
let him set his face and exercise his great ability In
stopping the ioodgRics Of corruption that threaten
to delugc the whole land and bring republican In.
stituions into utter ruin and disgrace.
Mr.. President there is one thing that made me
doubt little as TO the prOpriety OF this resolution
although, US said, am going to vote for II and
what the Senator from Maine has said has added
10 the great doubt which entertained OH that sub
feet, and that Is that am not quite sure that there
are not persons who favor this kind of resolution
and as much debate upon II as you can have, and
~ much investigation as you can have, In order to
divert public attention from the real questions
which ought to to engage tho Congress of the
United States. Questions of economy questions Of
finance, questions Of Government, all are showed
iside that popular speeches may be made
tending TO excite one section Of the people
against another and to set their minds mad with