The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-08-03

senator we ndu, WHO IeuldA heu, III AC.U
if correctly reported, that there was sun
Carolina. If the Republicans shall get
the upper hand again in both Houses OF
Congress, l am equally satisfied that
raids will be committed on the Treasury
as we'll as on the Southern States, and
that it will be done largely by the help
of the self-seeking Senator'S and Repre-
sentatiyes who shall be admitted to Con-
gress from the South, thus repeating the
worst days of Grantism, when both Rep
resentatives and Senators from the con-
quered section were so dlsreputaoly
cheap.
If the majority party in Congress can
spit upon the certificate of election by
the State authorities, then that majority
can elect whom it pleases in defiance OF
the people, and can seat candidates
whom the people refused to elect.
Now, gentleman, so long as African
barbarism, aided by caTpet-bag rascallty
and supported by the bayOnet, dominated
the Southern States, you were as dumb
as statues, The Democrats were all dis
franchised, virtually; ah, really, while
that hell reigned there for eight dismal
years in my State, (from 1868 to 1875
and not a man among you had the in
stinct of the Caucasian to raise your
voice in our behalf. You not only put
the barbarians over US, not only sus-
tanned them with the bayOnet, in insult
ing, Tobbing and tyrannizing over US,
but you did It with develish refinement
of cruelty that would have shocked the
manhood of savage Indian.
Yet now, fOrsOOth, since 1876, since
the Caucasian has risen in his might
and asserted his GOd-given right TO rule
where any considerable number of his
race sojourn among the cOlOred races,
we hear nothing but eternal complaints
and charges of frauds and intimidation
and illegality in elections.
This is the stock in trade of the bloody
shirt wing of the Republican party,
and desire to say in reply to 1T, once
for all, you may find fault, scOld, and
threaten to your hearts content, but we
expect to hold the even tenor of our
way. If necessary, we can submit again
to the rule of the bayonet in the hands
of white men, but never, never more
will we bow to the yoke of the African
and carpet-bagger; yet, we propose to
cheerfully accord the negro all his
rights, with the understanding, how
ever, that he must take them from Us,
not we ours from him.
In this connection, we of the South
also want it distinctly understood that
we have no quarrel with the Federal
Government. 1t is our Government as
we'll as yours. 1t is all the National
Government we have or want. We love
it, and intend to preserve and protect
its Constitution to the best of our abilt-
ty. Our fathers contributed as much
blood, brains and money to found and
nurture the Government as yours did,
and we have equal rights under the Con-
stitutiOn, and will submit to nothing
else.
But, while these are our sentiments,
we boldly proclaim that we do war on
the administration of the Federal Gov
eTnment as conducted by the Republi
can party, and we expect to do war on
it to the bitter end, until the Democratic
party shall have driven the administra
tiOn from power. Not Cnly were our
fathers the equals of you Northern Re-
publicans, who are forever setting your
selves up as our superiOrs and as our
chastising school masters, but we are
your equals intellectually, morally,
physically, and intend to have our rights
as freemen, or struggle all along the
line to the end of time. So you had
just as well quit attempting to hector
us.
OF course there are illegality, fraud,
and intimidation, more or less, at every
election, in all the States; but abuses
are regarded as great crimes at the
South by pharisaical Republicans. Even
is objected to at the
South, while it is justified at the North.
Now, what geTrymandeTing can pOSsi-
bly, have to do with the consideration of
this contested election is a mystery to
me, yet the gentleman from Michigan
| Mr.. Horr says | mnst be turned out of
my seat, and my State must be pun
ished by being deprived of one of her
chosen representatives, simply because
her Legislature reOrganized the Con-
gTessiOnal district to suit itself, as it
had right to. Yes, sir; in his intem
perate zeal to prejudice his party friends
against the merits of my case, the gem
tleman from Michigan, Mr.. HOrr, who,
If he Is not partisan and sectional,
seems not to be able to do anything, ex-
hlb1ted here a gerrymandering map, as
he called it, of my State. And while he
pranced around like a clown in a circus,
[ Laughter, prating against the wrong
that the white men in South Carolina
have done against the negro, in redis-
tricting my unfortunate State, could
not help but remember that there are
1885, 600 men in his own State of Michi-
gan who do not vote the Republican
ticket, but who are yet gerTymandered
out of any member on this floor, and
they white men at that. There were
about 10000 Republican votes cast in
the last Congressional election in Mich
igan-
Mr.. HOrr-HOw many?
Mr.. Tillman-0ne hundred and eighty
thousand Republican voters, and 1900
Democratic voters
Mr.. HOrr-I beg your pardon.
Mr.. Tillman-And $1,000 Greenback
voters also. l added them up this
morning, so that my memory is little
fresher than yours. Now would like
to ask that gentleman how 1t is that
135, 900 Democratic voters come not to
have a single member on this floor, and
if there is any more wrong in that con-
dition of affairs in Michigan than there
would be in South Carolina in the event
that the negroes should have only one
representative ON this flOor2 Under the
next apportionment South Carolina
Democrats do give the negroes one
member, but the Michigan Republicans
are not willing to give the Democrats
any representative at all. ~
Mr. HORDE you want me to answer
you now?
Mr.. Tillman-No, sir. [Laughter.1
Mr.. Horr-Well, go on.
Mr.. .Tillman-YOu would not yield to
my colleague, Mr.. EYans.l