The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-05-17
The Colered Member Takes His Seat.

deemed its promises to the colored race
in 1880 by causing John r. Lynch, of
the Shoestring District of Mississippi,
to be seated as member Of Congress
in place of General Chalmers. 1t was to
be expected that with the restoration of
a Republican majority in the House the
Confederate Brigadier would go out of
one door. and the colored loyalist come
in at the other. For five years Chalmers
has occupied a seat in Congress to which
he had no equitable or moral claim. He
has drawn S25, 900 in salary, and several
thousand more in mileage and allow
ances, and the service which he has pre-
tended. to render for this pay has been
the Misrepresentation OF. the helpless,
unprotected and defrauded black peo-
pie of his district.
The Democratic party North and
South has been responsible for this great
wrong. 1t has connived at and secretly
encouraged the frauds by virtue of
which Chalmers :, held his . seat.
So long. as il was, in the ma
jority Chalmers could not be disturbed,
and he went out of office Saturday in
spite of the unanimous vote of his party
friends in his favor. Though he had
committed great crimes against the
suffrage and was the confessed repre-
sentative of everything that is vicious,
mean and cowardly in, Southern politics,
not one Democrat could be found to
vote against him. Three-quarters of
that party in the House attempted to
filibuster against the inevitable result,
but the more sensible members per-
ceiyed the folly and hopelessness of such
a course and sullenly voted in the mega
tive. The Republican party could well
have afforded to do no other public bust
ness until the great wrong committed in
the Shoestring District had been righted.
When the final vote was taken, and
Lynch was called forward to take the
oath, there was an impressive scene in
the House. With his eyes fastened upon
the Speaker and his hands uplifted, he
subscribed to the iron-clad oath. There
was q certain absurdity of requiring this
man. of all Others, for the freedom of
whose people the War of the Rebellion
was waged, to assent to these formal
ties. 1t was scarcely needful that a
man of his color should be required to
say that he had never voluntarily borne
arms against the United States or given
aid, counsel or encouragement to per-
sons engaged in armed hostility thereto,
or yielded voluntary support to any
pretended government, authority, pow
er or constitution within the United
States hostile or inimical thereto. But
the iron-clad oath is q consolation to
1oyalists- Though it is no longer re-
quired of fex-Confederates, there is much
virtue in it for those who can truthfully
assent to its conditions.
. Lynch took his seat Immediately, and
was soon afterward seen passing be-
tween the tellers on q vote agreeing to
the conference report on the Post-ofice
Appropriation bill. This Is the first
vote given by colored man in the low
er house since Rainey went out in 1879.
Bruce fingered two years longer in the
Senate. but he also dropped out in
1881, leaving the Confederate Briga-
diers in undisputed possession of both
houses. These were the last of line
of colored members including Rainey,
Elliott, Ransier, Cain. De Large and
Smalls of South Carolina, Lynch of
Mississippi, Haralson and Rapier of Ala
bama. Nash of Louisiana, and Long of
Georgia in the House, and Revells and
Bruce in the Senate There were some
dubious characters among them-that is
not to be denied. But the two who re-
manned longest Bruce and Lynch) were
ever of undoubted integrity and ability,
and it is cheering sign that the period
of Republican restoration is marked by
the seating of so good a man in all re-
spects as the latter. Nor of the worst
negro that ever sat in the House can it
honestly be said that his morals were at
lower ebb than those of some of them
who defrauded the eolored members of
their seats.
The Republican party, having put its
hands to the plow, must not turn back.
1t owes the purification- of elections in
the South to the negroes, but more
especially to itself. 1t has recorded its
promises in the most solemn and bind
ing manner in its platforms. The party
is founded on the doctrine of equality of
human rights. 1t can do no work more
important this session than to secure to
the other Southern Republicans. white
and black, the seats in Congress to
which they shall prove to be fairly en-
titled. So long rs the Republican party
shall remain in power the Southern
members of it may rest assured that no
contest for representation in Congress,
supported by sufficient proof of election,
will be in yain.-C Chicago Tribune.