The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-12-19
ELOQUENT SPEECH BY THURMAN.
FIIs Reply to the Remarlss of Sir. Blaine,
of Maine.
WAs,tiNGToN. December II.

WAsiiiNGTON, December II.
In the Senate, blaine said the pending
resolution directing an investigation Into
alleged frauds and outrages in the recent
elections was offered by him with two.
fold purpose in view. First, to place OH
record, in definite and authentic form
the frauds and outrages by which some
OF tha recent elections were carried by
the Democrats in the Southern States,
and second, to find if there be any
method by which q repetition of these
crimes against free ballot may be pre-.
vented. In South Carolina, he said,
there appeared to have been no election
at all, but series of skirmishes throligh-
out the State. the polling places being
regarded rs forts, to be captured by one
party and held against the other. We
! know that LOG Congressional representa-
tives were chosen in the States formerly
slaveholding, and that the Democrats
elected 102 of them, that the entire po-
litical power thus founded on the num-
bers Of the colored people has been
seized and appropriated to the strength
of the Democratic party. Blaine said
the method of voting in the South gave
the white man there double the pc yer
of the white man at the North, nnd ar-
-gued that the white men Of the South do
not hold this superior power by reason
Of law and justice, but in defiance there
of. The war was fought in vain, he said,
unless equal rights for all classes be cs-
tablished in all parts Of the Union.
Upon the conclusion of Blaine's re.
marks, Thurman submitted, as an amend
ment to Blane's resolution, that the
committee also inquire whether any
citizen of any State has been dismissed,
or threatened with dismissal, from en-
ployment or the deprivation of any right
or privilege by reason of his vote, or in
te:ition to vote, at the recent elections,
or has been otherwise interfered With,
and to inquire whether. in 1878, money
was raised by assessment upon Federal
employees for election purposes, etc. !;
and whether such assessments were or
not in violation of law; and shall fur
ther inquire into the conduct of United
States supervisors Of elections in the
several States, and as to the number OF
marshals, deputy n,arshals and others
employed to take part in the conduct of
said elections.
Addressing the Senate thereon, Senator
4eIhurman said, in replying to Mr.. Blaine,
Z he would confine himself to a very few
I
ilege of speaking further should the de-
from Maine, he said, had two purposes
in preparing his carefully elaborated
speech-not to vindicate the right Of suf
frage throughout this whole Union, bu
to inquire whether the Democracy of Tho
Southern States had violated the. right,
of American citizens, and to find ou
what could be done with them. Their,
were doubts as to the propricty Of tn,
resolution, inasmuch as no committe,
could, in the time for this session, max,
the proper investigation in satisfactory
manner. He wondered why this resolu
tiOn was introduced, unless it was to b,
made q string upon which to hang
speeches to arouse sectional hatred il
one portion of the Union against an nj
most defenseless people in another por
tion. [Applause.l
Hers the Chair said that persons Gre
ating disturbances would be arrested, ant
Thurman, adding that he hoped no fur
ther interruption would occur, said: 81
did not say anything when the galleries
cheered the peroration of my friend from
Maine, for love an eloquent thing IL;
much as anybody can, and have some
times cheereI it when l did not cgree
with it ALL" Laughter.] Continuing
his remarks, Mr. Thurman said: "Thi,
assault of the Senator from Maine is not
an assault simply, however, upon the
people of the South. said five months
ago, in speech which / beg pardon fol
repeating here, that it did seem to me rs
clear as anything in American politics
! could he that there wae : deliberately :
formed purpose, under the pretext that
i there was solid South, to create "a solid
North, to rule not only the solid South
but to rule one-half nearly, if not more,
of the people of The North. ! thought
so then; l think 20 yet. thought then
and l think now, that q purpose more
unpatriotic, more unjust, more fraught
with ruin tn this country, never entered
the brain OF man. That is my belief
| Why, Mr.. President, of what is it II Z
Senator from Maine complains? That
there were not enough Republican votes
at the South. That is The amount of it
and how does he make that out? He
assumes, without one shadow of proof
produced here, that the negroes Of the
| South were prevented from voting OF
forced to vote the Democratic ticket. He
assumes, therefore, that owing to those
| causes, the negroes of the South are not
| of Representatives who come from that
section of the Union or by the Senators
OH 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 by the chosen
Representatives of the South and the
chosen Senators of the South What
right has he to vote those negroes
himself OIL one side, ond gay that the
men who bear the credentials of election
here do not represent their constituents
1t is q bare assumption OH his part, thai
he has no right whatever In nake az,
as much il Favor of respecting the rights
of every man under the constitution n.
| the Senator from Maine, or any othe
Senator on this floor but / do know
that property, intelligence and education
will assert their supremacy everywhere
on The face of this globe.
"Who was it that drew the color lint
between the whites and negroes in tn,
South Let me tell you, sir, that mil
lions of the money of the people or til,
United States were expended by you
agents, the Frcedman's Bureau agents
in getting every colored man in tn,
South into the Loyal League and swear
ing him never to vote for Democrat
That is where the color line began to b.
drawn. That institution which tool
; charge of the negro at the ballot boz
took charge of him in the cotton field
took charge of him everywhere super
vised every contract that he made; al
lowed no contract TO be made unless i