The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-03-07

Democratic administration stamped as false
the charges Of the Republican leaders in the
South, that the Democrats would deprive the
negroes OF their rights and liberty But the
Republican party had determined not TO lose
its grasp upon the cOlOred men, and sought
to hold them through their churches and
societies. When a brother showed a dis
position to
VOTE THE DEMOCRATIC TICKET,
he was threatened with expulsion from the
church, and punishment by his society. II
he wished to vote the Democratic ticket, he
had to resort to deception. If 1t were not
for system Of intimidation and bulldozing
by their preachers the leaders of the Repub,
lican party would not have enough eolored
voters in the South to furnish pall-beareIs
at the approaching funeral of that party In
1885, Applause and laughter on the Demo
cratic sidel All the leaders the colOred peO-
pie had In the South, white or eolored, were
office-seekers. That was why they were he
pubicans. They overawed the colOred peO-
pie. II freedom meant liberty OF thought,
action and opinion, the colored men OF the
South were as abject slaves TO their preach
ers as they had been the day when Lincoln,
patton Proclamation. If freedom meant
full rights Of citizenship, then the colored
men Of the South, by the domination OF
members Of their race, had been deprived
OF the sweets of freedom. The Demo
cratic party should take a stand and sustain,
support and uphold the colored men in their
right to vote as they pleased. lApplausel:
There was colored man in the employ OF
the House whose house had been burned
down by men Of his own race, because he
voted the Democratic ticket in Virginia, In
the South, Republican leaders had no care for
the cOlored man except as they could ase
him. This was illustrated by the dream OF
the old negro that be went TO the place where
q xgfoB bad ro In ao~tb ha
said he saw heaps Of folks he knew there.
There were loads Of Republican leaders
there, and every fellow was was holding a
niger up between him and the fire. Laugh
ter.
MIR. BoUTELLE OF MAINE,
asked if the gentleman pretented to say that
President Lincoln hesitated when signing
the emancipation proclamation. Said he: 81
tell the gentleman he was unfortunately sit
uated to know the history of his country at
that time"
Mr.. O'Ferrall- language as that, COM
ing from that gentleman, who never 10 ses an
opportunity to use it, is not the language Of
a brave man. / have always been taught 1t
was c0wardly to kick, and cuff a fallen foe.
They are towards only that do it, not brave
men. Applause on the Democratic side.l
Mr.. Bontelle-Allow me to say
Mr.. O'Ferrall-I do not yield. You can
take your own time.
Mr.. Boutelle-I will take my own time.
Mr.. O'Ferrall-And / will take my time
after you.
Mr.. Boutelle-That is the bravery to which
you allude. IApplause on the Republican
side.l
Mr.. O'Ferrall-Well sir, it gis the right
kind Of bravery. You may bet your bottom
dollar on that.
Mr.. Houk Of Tennessee, regretted that an
attempt should be made to stir up partisan
prejudices, and that the gentleman from
Virginia should so far forget himself as tobe-
come angry. If the election Of 1894 had put
an end 10 the war issue, why could not this
election case be considered by the House
without the rebel bloody shirt being unfurled
and shaken before the country? The gen.
tleman had said that all the col0red people
who used to vote the Republican ticket now
voted the Democratic. Was that the reason
the Democratic majority in Virginia had
fallen
FROM FIFTY THOUSAND TO NOTHING,
and the Democrats had only one or two mem
bers in the House from Virginia, while the
Republicans had six or seven. Applause on
the Republican side.l What had the Demo-
cratic party ever done for the colored people?
The gentleman said to the colored men in
the galleries that the Democratic party and
Democratic generals had struck the shackle
from the Niger. III the Democratic party
had contributed anything to the emancipa-
tion OF the colored people, IL was on the prin-
ciple Of kicking gun. killing the things be-
hind 1t instead of what 1t shot at. Laugh
teri The Democratic party had plunged the
country into war for four years to keep man
acles on the colored men and to have the
privilege of selling their wives and children
The gentleman spoke Of the man at the 9TH
er end Of the avenue as a child of destiny.
so was Pharaoh when he walked into the
Red Sea, but he and the army were drowned
all the same. In November next, the Demo-
cratic ~ Nyould a ODD
and be overthrown, and wiped from the face
OF the earth. Applause on the Republican
side.l In the South there was no reason
why the colored man should be afraid to vote
for the Democratic ticket, except that the
GHOSTS OF HIS MURDERED FRIENDS
and comrades might rise up and haunt him
for having deserted the party which freed
him.
Mr.. Boutelle said the gentleman from Vir-
ginia(O O'FerralD had gone out Of the course Of
his remarks to cast rehexion upon the sim
cerity and earnestness of Abraham Lincoln
in the performance of the most important
act Of his life. When the speaker suggested
that the gentleman was not so situated as to
be well informed on that point the gentle-
man become very much excited. and talked
about slavery and cowardice. He (Boutelle)
was not here to display either bravery or
cowardice. In his experience, he had never
any subject without speaking with particu-
lar pride Of the fact that he served in the
war and fought against his country. He
(Boutelle) never INDUCED in boasting OF that
character aid was cordially willing to ac-
cord to the gentleman the need OF bravery in
one respect. 1t required very peculiar
kind of bravery in any man to stand up be-
fore the American people and attempt TO
pluck from the brow Of the martyred Lin
coin so much as
SINGLE wITHEEED LAUREL LEAF,
placed there by the common consent of the
civilized world for the performance of an act
which would live as long as the history Of
liberty should survive. In this respect he
conceded to the gentleman the full need Of
that sort of bravery which had been illustra-
ted by the line of poetry which said,
'Thngumees rush in where whatyou-may-call-
ems fear TO tread"
Laughter. The speaker had frequently
heard Hannibal Hamlin say that Lincoln
confided to him bis purpose to issue the proc
lamation long before 1t was known to the
cabinet. That proclamation had
BEEN SIGNED UNHEsITATINGLY,
after careful consideration. He was willing
to leave the issue raised by the gentleman
from Virginia as Lincoln left the issue Of
the proclamation, "to the considerate judg-
ment of mankind and the gracious favor of
Almighty God"
After further debate by Mr.. ButterwOrth,
of Ohio, in favor Of the minority report and
Messrs. Moore of Texas, Jones of Alabama
and Wheeler OF Alabama in favor of the
claims of the sitting member, the discussion
was closed by Mr.. Crisp of Georgia, who
touched upon the question of the negro vote,
and declared that in the South that vote was
being cast for the nominees of the Demo-
cratic party. The minority resolution de-
claring McDuffie entitled to the seat was
then rejected-yeas 122, nays IA. The
majority resolution declaring the sitting
member entitled to his seat, was adopted
without division.
The House then adjourned