American citizen., 1879-04-12
Speech of Home Il. Singleton.

sRecCA "a AAOus A&s SAHtssCtoAAs
Fhe House met at II O'Clock, in
continuance of thursdays session, !,
nd Immediately went into commi
tee of whole (Mr. Springef, of ILL.,,
N the chaiT) on the Amy apprOpria-
zion bill.
Mr.. Singleton (Afiss.) said that
the House was confronted with the
grave question whether it as a rep
resentative body. had the courage
a,rl determination to remove from
the stature' books certain perriciOus
laws placed thereon in order to pro-
mote the political welfare Of a great
party, or whether it would friter
aud fail in its duty to the country.
+! Under the late administration
troops had been sent, at the caprice
of the executive or upon the caal of
political managers, into any State
or precinct, with the intent and
effect of ihtimidating AMI driving
sirizens from the polls whose politi-
cal views were not fn harmony with
those of the party IN power. 1t
must be said, to the honor
of the present Executive, that
since his inauguration no troops
had been stationed at polling
places. That was true, and 1t may
be act down to his credit bnt who
could forecast the views of his snc-
Fcessor, wnsi say that the scenes
enac1ed urnfcr the last administra
ton might not take place nnder the
next. The return of certain gentle
men to public life botfert no good to
the Republic. He proceeded to
argne that under the Constitution.
the Federal government had no
power to keep troops at the polls.
He was not one of those who be-
iieved that the late war had swa'-
lowed up all the powers OF a State.
He then branclled off to the cOnsisi~'
Grafton of the supervisors law
which he characterized "a disre-
putable scheme Of the Republican
party to keep itself in power. He
ec1ld never think Of that law with
out a feeling of Indignation and
scorn for the head which could con-
ceive and the hand which could
trace it. Talk about American
citizenship, aboHs the Gland Of the
free and the home of the brave,'
and then turn to that law, and say
whether all that b0asted freedom
was not a mocke'y and a lie. In
the course Of his speech, he alluded
TO the fact that there were but very
few intelligent white men in the
South. who did not belong to the
Democratic party.
Mr. White.-Is 1t not respectable
for q white man to be Republican
in Mississippi
Mr.. Singleton.-Yes, sir. II he
comes there and intends to he a
Republican, without showing him
self to I've unworthy Of citizenship.
Mr.. White.-WOehi rot the social
ostracism make it. very unpleasant
to be Republican
Mr. Sipgleton.-Not at an, If he
was q respectable man. But re-
spectacle Northern men as soon as
they reach the confines Of the State
become Democrats, because they
SEQ ct once that all respectability is
on that side.
Mr.. White.-Was not Judge
Chisholm, q respectale citizen of
your State, killed ON account of
politics 7
Mr.. Sineleton.-Judgc Chisholm
was not killed on account of his
politics, but on account of family
feud.
Mr.. White.-If he had not been a
Republican would he have been
killed
Mr.: singleton.-I expect he
would.
Mr.. White.-Would his murderer
not have been tried and punished Z?
Mr.. Singleton.--Ic cannot tell what
might have happened. IIe then
proceeded to argue in support of the
repeal Of the jurors test oath.
At this point the committee rose,
and the session of Thursday was
,..osed, and that of Friday ccm> |
meneetl, and the H0uee again went !
i0to committee.
speech by pointing out the incon>
sistency which permitted member.
OF Congress and Cabinet ministers
to take the modified oath, but de-
nied it to jurors. Could be Obliter-
ate from the recollection of man |
this measure and the supervisors
law it would he the happiest day of
his life. and for that he would work |
in session and out Of session.
Mr.. Weaver was the next speaker.
He said that the people of the coun
try had listened for many years with
impatieuce to the discussions of
this sectional strife. 1t had be-
come distasteful to them I'm every
part OF the Union. During the
Forty fourth Congress this sectional
had lasted from the be-
ginning to the end Of the Congress-,
and it ought to be recollected how
perfectly fat that controversy had
fallen upon the public mind. All
Trough the FOrty-ffth Congress
he same eternal strife was kept up,
and now, in the frst extraordinary
session of the Forty sixth Congress-.
when the people were looking with
for relief, the same old
lifferences were introduced and the
precious hours were wasted in the
discussion of this question. He
had been Republican for twenty
Dne wears lie had fought at home
and i'm the field to engraft on the
l., ws of the country the measures