The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-19
POLITICS IN THE SENATE
Mr.. Sherman Recalls Few Facts Which
the Democrats Sometimes Forget.
The Electoral Commission Democratic, Not
Republican, Messure-House Passes a
Dill Creating Department of Labor.


The report was placed on the calendar and
ordered printed. The Senate then resumed con-
Sideraticn of the Senate bill discussed yester-
day, to forfeit certain lands heretofore granted
for the purpose OF aiding in the construction OF
railroads. No progress was made with the bill,
nd the Senate resumed consideration OF the
bill for the admission Of South Dakota as q
State, and the organization OF the Terrltory OF
North Dakota
Mr. Sherman addressed the Senate Why,
he asked should not South Dakota be admittedl
In the name Of heaven, why3 Simply because
the Democratic party did not want shat State to
be admitted. There was no use in going behind
that. The Democrats said they had the power
to prevent it--and Ghey had the power.
and had prevented it. The people of
Dakota were suffering all the inconveniences of
that state of things. They complained of it.
Dakota would be kept out, Notwithstanding all
these complaints, until some other Democratic
State. less entitled, should be attached it and
hauled in at It's skirts The Senators from
Connecticut, Minnesota and Wisconsin [Messrs.
Platt, Davis and SpooEerl might expend their
learning, and eOquence, and reasoning, Dus
what they said would fall as impassive and IN
impressive on the Democratic party as If they
spoke to the winds of the north pole. There
was nc use, therefore. in wasting arguments
about il.
tween Senators Vest and Edmunds, he spoke of
IL q declaration by the one that Mr. Hayes
bad not been elected President of the United
States, aud that was the general conviction, and
that by the other that nine-tenths of the people
of the United States believed that Mr.. Hayes
had been legally, fairly and properly elected.
The issue had been made, he said and ought to
be discussed. if there was any doubt about it.
He undertook to convince Senators by evil
dence taken at the time when the events were
fresh that the Republicans were right in 1876.
He proceeded to give history Of the returning
board OF Louisiana and of the two commissions
sent there. one by President Grant, composed
of distinguished men OF both sides, and one by
the Democratic national committee On the
face of the reports made he said, any lawyer
would say that the returns made by the return
ing board were fair, and right. and honest.
These returns bad been sent to Washington.
There had been dispute about their validity
and whether or not the votes of that State
should be counted 1t had appeared according
to the vote as actually cast, that there was a
under the laws of the State, the votes of par
ishes had been excluded where there had been
zion had been majority in favor Of President
Hayes. That vote in favor of President Hayes
in Louisiana was just as sacred and just as good
as the vote Of Ohio or of New York. If the
truth had been told and the actual results of
the election IN Louisiana made known, he be-
Heved there would have been majority of from
10000 TO 90 600 IN favor of Mr.. Hayes.
Coming down to the question of the electoral
commission bill, he declared that no one had re-
sisted that bill more than he and Senator Nor
ton. of Indiana. had. They had done all they
could to prevent it's passage, because they be-
ieved it was extra-judiciaL
MIR. Vest here asked how Mr.. Hayes could
have been elected president and Mr.. Packard
could have failed to be elected Governor, when
both had the same votes.
Mr.. Sherman replied that he intended 20 show
the infamy OF that transaction; but he would do
so further on In his speech. Coming. back to
the electoral commission, he asked who had
started it; who had voted for that bill in the
Senste3 He had the vote in his hand, and it
showed that twenty six Democrats and twenty
one Republicans had voted for the bill, and
fourteen Republicans, including himself and
but one Democrat Mr.. Eaton, Of Connecticut
aEainstit There had been the same kind OF
vote IN the other House And yet the Senator
from Missouri Mr.. Vest] had treated it
as a kind of Republican trick. So tar
from that being the case, it had been supported
cision of the returning board of Louisiana
would be overtime wn and the people of the United
States deprived of the President elected by
them in legal and constitutional way. He had
stated over and over again that IL he were Mr..
Tilden he would never accept the Office if tend
cred TO him in the face of the Louisiana testi-
mony And he believed that il Mr.. Tilden had
become Ppresident by any hocus-pocus he
would have been knowingly enjoying an Office
to which he was not entitled-an Office to which
he would have been elected by fraud, and
wrong, and criniS, the very description of which
almost appalled, him Mr. Sherman, even after
the lapse OF so many years.
Recurring TO Mr.. Vests question as to the
election of. Hayes and the non-election OF
Packard. Mr.. Sherman declared his belief that
both had been fairly and legally elected. and ex-
planned thu difference in the result by stating
knab the question OF the DfesIuenLlal election
had been decided by the electoral commission.
and that OF the gubernatorial election by the
Louisiana Legislature. which. after contest of
awo months, mad been Democratic After re-
captivating the history OF the struggle of the
two rival legislatures, and the final success of
the Democratic one, he declared that the Demo-
cratic party had NOT only by fraud and violence
sought 10 control the presidential election, but
it had actually succeeded in deprivinR of their
Offices the duly elected Governor and members
of the Legislature. Then he proceeded to read
fpNr de- aeho Ia
in that State by Senator Eustis. in which he de-
clared 10 10 be the determination of the white
men Of Louisiana to solve the race question
without REGARD TO Northern sentiment, and pre-
dieting that the final result would be the over
throw OF negro rule and the establishment of a
white mans government. Ii that said Mr.
ton of the white people of Louisiana, the
Constitution of the United States would have
TO be changed. That Constitution declared that
q republican form of eovernment-not a govern
msnt of caste or race, OF Catholics or Protest.
ants, of natives or naturahzed, of white or
black. 5r,t q government of equal rights-should
be guaranteed TO every State. When twas said
that the black should not rule, it was said
that the majority should not rule; for he be-
lieved that the blacks were in q majority in the
State of Louisiana, and they had behind them
great many white Republicans who were among
the highest Of the people of Louisiana ic wealth,
social standing and influence. Therefore, when
it was said that there must be q white mans
government in Louisiana, it means an unrepub-
stead of seeking TO win the colored people by
wished to God they would, aud he
did not care how many votes they got IN the
process-had maintained a system as described
by Senator Eustis of domineering, crime and
violence. He had felt called upon he said to
make these remarks, partly to correct hstori-
cal error into which many persons had fallen
and TO show that not only did the returning board
Of Louisiana have sufficient evidence before them
of fraud and violence and. outrage in the election
Of 1876 but that the present Governor of that
State and one Of its Senator'S had confessed all,
md more than had ever beer claimed by the re-
.urning board. II ever anybody had any doubt
Of the election Of Mr. Hayes, that doubt had
been removed by the admissions of the very
men Woo had participated in the wrong of that
lay in Louisiana; and hereafter. when any man
asserted Of President Hayes that he had been
elected by fraud or wrong. or had not been duly
elected. he lMr. Sherman would hold him In
as uttering that which was not true,
md which WAS denied by the very men who
overthrow thelocal government in Louisiana in
1886 President Hayes's name and fame were
lntarnished He had been compelled TO disap-
point the Republican party because he had no
power 10 prevent The outrages and wrongs
which led to the exclusion of the elackAd Cav