Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-28
Standardization %, 1886.
Mr. Hoar'sBill.

Again comes III tue reha",
full for evil, powerless for good" Mr.
HoAR. one of the best lawyers in the
United States Senate, has introduced
into that body a bill providing that
circuit courts Of the United States shall
have jurisdiction "to hold inquests
into the circumstances Of the killing,
injuring, or threatening Of persons so
killed, injured, or threatened because
of their race or color. In word, the
circuit courts of the United States,
each of which is presided over by a
Justice of the Supreme Court Of the
United States, are to be degraded toth
level Of q coroner's jury to crafty the
malignity Of Republican partisans,
and enable them to make party capital
in the North out of any killing, injury,
or threat, of which negro is the VIC
tim. White men are to derive no ad-
vantage from the law. Consequently,
it will be a dead letter in the northern
States, and, once passed, will nrobably
never be heard Of north Of MAsoN's *
DIxoN's line. The bill is belated
reconstruction measure-one that ought
TO have become law, if at all, twenty
years ago. 1t takes cognizance, we re-
peat, Of no killing not done because of
the race or color Of the victim.
A hundred years after the framing Of
the Federal Constitution, Mr.. HoAR
finds in that instrument power which
no lawyer ever previously discovered.
Never before was it contended that
Federal officials of any sort had the
right to enter the several States and in
ouire into the manner in which those
States executed their own laws. The
offences of killing, injuring, and
threatening persons are, as a rule, cog
nizable only in the State courts, as Mr..
HoAR we'll knows therefore he essays
to give the Federal courts jurisdiction
by incorporating into his bill the words,
+" because of race or color thus, we
once more repeat, making it a bill for
tho benefit of no white man.
The reader recollects the killing of
Chinese which lately took place on
the Pacific coast. The Chinese, how
ever, have no votes, and so Mr.. HoAR
did not introduce any bill into the Sen
ate in their interest. In presenting the
bill under discussion, he said in so many
words that it was suggested by recent
occurrences in Carrollton, Mississippi.
Never word had he to say as to the
disfranchised Chinese.
OF course no such bill is going to be-
come a law at present. We know not,
however, but similar one may become
a law before many years shall have
passed over our heads. The central
izipg influences Of war, reconstruction
measures, labor troubles, transconti-
mental railroads, long lines Of telegraph,
the issue of greenbacks and the coming
Of silver and gold by the Federal Gov
ernment,-al these and other things
are exerting their powers to convert
ours into despotic form of govern
mept. Therefore, Mr.. HoAR's bill
may become law before long.
We have condemned the crimes re-
Gently committed in Carrollton, Miss,
\end have no wish to attempt to justify
Them now. But the United States Gov
(rnment has no right to interfere. 1t
hight as we'll send commission to Co.
lLmbus to make inquest into the manner
in which the negro HARLAN was
forced into the House Of Delegates OF
Ohio as representative from Cincinnati.