Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-18
INTERSTATE COMMERCE
CONGRESS IN A WRANGLE ON
THE COLOR LINE.

WASHINGTON, Dec. l7.-In the Senate tn
day large number of remonstrances against
the ratification of the Spanish treaty were
presented and referred to the Committee on
Foreign Relations.
Mr. Butler introduced a resolution, for
reference, to authorize the President to
send to the proposed Exhibition of Ameri-
can Arts and Manufactures, to be held
IN London, England, in 1886, the government
eAhiblts now at the New Orleans Exposition,
and appropriating $500, 900 to defray expenses.
1t was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Relations.
oUectlon of Mr.. Hale. who desired Immediate
consideration of the naval appropriation bill
tne senate, at 2:l5 O'Clock, went into execu-
Mr.. Morrill, said that the executive busi-
ness was pressing and would be disposed of in
time to proceed with the naval bill this after
noon. Ihe doors being closed the nomination
Of Hugh McCulloch to be Secretary of the
Treasury was taken up, and Senator Riddle
berger continued his speech in opposition to
uls tl COMBINATION. comm Mr.. Riddleberger began
tne readlng OF the last annual report of Mr.
McCulloch as Secretary Of the Treasury and
Incidentally mentioned that he should unon
Its cenclilsion, read the two previous annual
reports. After an hour spent in debate the
nomination OF Mr.. McCullOch was postponed
until tomorrow. The nomination of Isaac
Hayman to be Postmaster at Opelika, Ala,
was rejected.
When the doors were reopened Mr.. Garland
reported favOrably from the Committee on
the Judiciary, and the Senate passed the bill
detaching Grundy county, Tennessee. from
Lne southern division of the District of East
Innnessee, and attaching it to the Middle
Tennessee District.
NAVAL APPROPRIATIONS.
Consideration of the naval appropriation
1ill was then resumed. The words ''the au-
thOrlty to construct the same Qhe new ships)
shall take effect at Once.'' were stricken out
After some further debate the bill was passed
substantially as it came from the committee
In the course Of the discussion Mr.. Morgan
crl tlclsed the work Of the gun foundry board
ana SAID that the people of this country would
be astonished If they knew how rich the Uni
tea states were IN every element that went
10 the making Of the finest steel and greatest
guns. American steel, he said. was readily
capable Of such development as would place
1t lar ahead OF any other steel in the world
The Chair laid the Senate Interstate com
merce bill before the Senate, and proposed
amendment was submitted to be moved, en-
9odyIng the provisions of the Reagan bill.
The Senate then adjourned.
IN THE HOUSE.
In the House, on motion of Mr.. Bratton, of
SOuth CarOhna, Iuesday, Jan. 20, was fixed
FOR consideration OF appropriate resolutions
touching the death of j. IL. Evlns. late mem
bCr of the House.
On motion of Mr.. StOckslager Of Indiana,
resolution was adopted calling on the Secre-
tary OF the Treasury for information as to the
purchase of a site for public building at
ii HarrisOnburg, Va.
The House then resumed consideration of
the Interstate commerce bill, the pending
question being on the motion to table the mo-
ton to reconsider the vote by which the
House yesterday adopted the amendment
offered by Mr.. O'Hara, of North Carolina
providing that any person having purchased
ticket 10 be conveyed from one State To an
other shall receive the same treatment and be
afforded the same fairness as those furnished
any other person holding ticket Of the same
class.
The motion to reconsider was tabled by I4g
Mr.. Crisp, of Georgia, offered an amend
mcnt providing that nothing in this act con-
tanned shall be so construed as to prevent any
railroad company from providing separate
accommodations for white and cOored per-
sons. without discrimination. He believed in
the equality OF all men under the law. He
believed that every man should haYe the
right to demand at the hands of cOWmOn car
rIers as good service as any other man. There
was nothing in his amendment cOntrOverting
tins doctrine, but there was good reason why
white men or cOlOred men should
object to separate accommodations.
His amendment did not force
railroad companies to provide separate
accommodations. W as it Objectionable that
in response to public sentiment railroad COM
panies should furnish separate accommOda-
tlOns? Whom did it injure? Why should
Congress propose a law which might be re-
garded as requiring the admiXture of the
two races in the public. cOnVeyances Of the
land2
THE JIM CROW CAR.
Smalls, of South Carolina, opposed the
amendment, and said that he was glad that
il was offered by a member from Georgia.
COlOred men and women did have trouble in
travelling through that State. They had a
car IN Georgia which was called
a second class car. A cOlored
man travelling from Washington to
New Orleans, when he came TO the State OF
Georgia was compelled by persuasion or force
u 90 Il this tt,Iim (frOVV'f He thOnUht
that the good sense of the members OF the
House would vote down the amendment,
especially the good sense of those Democrats
who were saying: I'VE are going to be the
bes friend of the cOlOred man." He hoped
that the gentleman who said this great, good
man CleYeland Will do good to the cOlOred
man." would not stand for the Jim Grow"
car of Georgia. Applause on the Republican
side.
Mr.. Herbert, of Alabama, advocated the
amendment. II adopted the whole provision
would mean exactly what the amendment Of
the gentleman from North Carolina (O'Hara)
would mean without the words without dis
elimination" These words had been inserted
simply for the purpose OF making the amend
ment OdlOus and exciting political prejudice.
He objected to any law which required COM
mon carriers to put colOred and white people
on the same car. What was proper was to give
them equal accommodation in separate cars.
There was no disposition on the part Of South
ern Democrats to deny that all men. without
regard to race, color or previous condition,
were entitled to equal facilities and equal ac-
commOdatiOns while travelling on the same
class of tickets as other men.
O'HARA's REGRETS.
Mr.. O'Hara regretted that the color ques-
tiOn had arisen on this debate. He held that
no matter whether a man was black or white
he was an American citizen, and the agis of
the great republic ought to be spread upon
him. The public sentiment and progress Of
the nineteenth century stared Congress in the
face, and 1t was too late for Congress to legIs-
late on the question Of color. His amendment
appealed to the good sense and patriotism of
Congress. All 1t asked was that when the
House was protecting the property OF men
and protecting dumb brutes it should give
voice and expression to the protection Of all
American citizens. Applause on the Re
publican side. He did not believe that there
was single railroad in the land which de-
sired to foster any determinations.
Mr.. Breckenridge, Of Arkansas, offered as a
substitute for Mr.. Crisp's amendment an
amendment providing that nothing in this
act shall be construed to deny to railroads
the right to provide separate accommodations
for passengers as they may deem best for the
public comfort or safety. or to make such regu-
latiOns as relate to transportation between
points wholly within the limits OF one state.
Mr.. Breckenridge said that he did not wish
to see the rights Of the cOlored man limited or
restricted in the slightest degree. One objec-
tiOn that he had to the amendment of the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Crisp, was that
it spoke of the cOlored people as contradis-
tinguished from white people.
NO ABRIDGMENT INTENDED.
The gentlemen were mistaken if they
thought that the Southern people wished to
abridge the rights of the colOred man under
the law, but If Congress prevented the assort-
ing of passengers from the standpoint of pub
lie convenience and safety, it infused the
social question into a commercial question.
Mr.. Reed, of Maine, cynically expressed
his pleasure at seeing the question changed
from one of color into one Of assortment.
The House. which had determined to pursue
these rObber barOns. had before it the plain
rnnCfiOn whether If WOul0 hV the enactment
confer upon these same barons the privi-
lege of asserting their passengers. Certainly
some treasury regulations must he adopted as
to the method of assortment. Laughter on
the Republican side. Were men TO be as
sorted on the ground of size, or on the NOUS
tache ground. or on the beard basis? Laugh
ter He objected to having these rObber
barOps ass0rt passengers on any fanciful basis
they might undertake to set up. Laughter.
Mr.. Reagan said that the gentleman from
Maine Mr.. Reed might make himself hu-
mOrOus about "assOrtment,' but the TACT re-
manned that it was the custom OF railroad
conductors to assOrt the passengers in Maine
and everywhere else. II the gentleman from
Maine went to a train unaccompanled by
lady he would not be admitted to the ladies'
Mr.. Reed denied that that was true of
Maine.
ASSORTMENT IN MAINE.
Mr.. Reagan proceeding, said that drunken
man would not be admitted to the ladies' car.
Did the gentlemen desire that conductors
should be prohibited from using that discre-
tiOn. He Mr.. Reagan) attached no lmpOr-
tance to the amendment of the gentleman
from North Carolina. 1t adopted no new
principle and his only objection to it was that
II had not neen considered by the committee,
and was not connected with the regulation of
the transportation of freight. 1t had been
voted in for the purpose OF defeating the bill
bv appealing to the sentiment of men who
would vote upon sentiment, and forget the
object OF the amendment.