Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1878-12-13
TELEGRAPHIC.
Another Business Day in Congress
siOnal Matters.
Discussion Between Blaine, Thur
man and Others.
xiv CONGRESS.
XIV CONGRESS.
SENATE.
FrOn.IY esterday's Second Edition.

|
pose in view. First, to place or
record in definite and authentic
form the frauds and outrages by
which some of the recent elections
were carried by the Democrats in
Southern States; second, to find il
there be any method by which the
repetition of these crimes against free
ballot may be prevented.
In South Carolina, he said there ap-
peared to have been no election at all
but rather a series of skirmishes
throughout the State, polling places
being regarded as forts to be captured
by one party, snd held against the
| other. We know one hundred and
six Congressional Representatives
were chosen in States formerly slave
holding, and that the Democrats
elected one hundred and two OF them,
The entire political power thus
founded on numbers of the colored
people has been seized and appropri-
ated to the strength of the Democratic
party. Mr.. Blaine said the method of
voting in the South gave the white
man there double the power over the
white man North, and argued that
the white men of the South do not
law and Justice, but in defiance there-
of 2The war was fought in vain, he
said, unless equal rights for all classes
be established in all parts of the Union.
Upon the conclusion of Mr.. Rlaine's
remarks Mr.. Thurman submitted as
an amendment to Mr.. Blaine's resolu-
tion that the committee shall also in.
quire whether any citizen of any State
has been dismissed or threatened with
dismissal from employment or the de-
privation of any right or privilege by
reason Ofhis vote or intention to vote at
the recent elections, or has been other
wise interferred with, and to inquire
whether in 1878 money was raised by
assessment upon Federal employees
for election purposes, ETC., and further,
whether suoh assessments were or not
in violation of law and shall further
inquire into the conduct of United
States Supervisors of Elections in the
several States and as to the number of
Marshals, Deputy Marshals and others
employed to take part in the conduct
of said elections.
Addressing the Senate thereon, Mr..
Thurman said that in now replying to
Mr.. Blaine, he would cOnfine himself
to q very few general observations,
reserving the privilege Of speaking
further should the debate become pro-
tracted. The Senator from Maine, he
said, had two purposes in preparing
his carefully elaborated speech-nOt
to vindicate the right of suffrage
throughout this whole Union, but TO
inquire whether the Democracy of the
Southern States had violated the
rights of American citizens, and then
to find out what could be done with
them. There were doubts as to the
propriety of the resolution, inasmuch
as no committee could, in the time for
this session, make the proper investi-
CATION in a proper or Just manner.
He wondered why this resolution was
introduced unless it was to be made
string upon which to hang
speeches to arouse sectional hatred
in one portion against an almost de-
fenseless people in another portion.
1Applause in the galleries. Here the
chair said that persons creating dis
turbances would be arrested, and
Thurman adding that he hoped no
further interruption would occur, said:
I did not say anything when the gall
leries cheered the peroratiOn of my
friend from Maine, for / love an elO
quent thing as much as any body can,
and have sometimes cheered 1t when
Il
teri Continuing his remarks he
SAID: This assault of the Senator
from Maine is not an assault simply,
however, upon the people of the
South.
/ said five months ago In a speech,
which beg pardon for repeating here,
that it did seem to me as clear as
anything in American politics could
be, that there was deliberately
formed purpose under pretext that
there was solid South " to create a
"solid North" to rule not only a
solid South" but to rule one half,
nearly, il not more, of the people of
the North. / thought so then, / think
so yet; / thought then and think
now that q purpose more unpatriotic,
more unjust, more fraught With ruin
to this country never entered the
brain of man: That is my belief.
Why, Mr.. President, of what ia it
that the Senator from Maine COM
plainsP 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, or forced TO
vote the Democratic ticket. He
assumes, therefore. that owing to thos
causes the negroes of the South are
not represented by members of the
House of Representatives who came
from that section of the Union, or by
Senators on this floor who represent
the Southern States. What right has
the Senator from Maine TO saw
that the negroes of the South
are not represented by the chosen
m hn \
and the chosen Senators of the South?
What right has he TO vote those ne
groes himself on one side, and say
that the men who bear the credentials
of election here do not represent their
constltuents2 1t is bare assumption I
on his part that he has no right what !
ever to make. am as much in favor
of respecting the rights of every man
under the Constitution as the Senator
from Maine, or any other Senator on
this floor, but / do know that property, |
n nmk