The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-01-18

the trouble continue for several days more
| is appalling. All the railroads are blocked,
and traffic, excepting in the large cities is
abandoned.
| Inquiry Ordered by the Senate into
Suppression Of the Negro Vote.
WAsuIxGrox, Jan. i2.-In the Senate To-
day Mr.. Chambers resolution instructing
the Committee ON the Judiciary to inquire
into the suppression of the votes OF the coll
orcd citizens of Jackson, Miss, at the recent
municipal election in that city. and into the
alleged participation in. such suppression by
the United States district attorney, deputy
collector of internal revenue and q deputy
United States marshal. was taken up
In the course of his address Mr.. Chandler
said he had communications from Jackson
asking for such an investigation and assert
ing that the facts stated could be proved by
the testimony of the best men of both polit-
ical parties. He read the manifesto which
first conveyed to the colored people of Jack
son the information that they would not be
allowed to vote. This manifesto displayed
at its head an engraving of a couple Of pis-
tolls, couple of shotguns and powder
flask In it the "Young men of Jackson"
announced their '.ultimainm.' Ii declared
that, having seen one of their number hell
ishly murdered in the dark by negro bully
set ON by negro policeman of negro-curs-
ed city, corrupt negro radical government
should and must be wiped out at any cost /;
that if negroes ran for office they should do
so at their EXTREMIST peril and il warned all
negroes against attempting To foist upon us
this black and damnable machinery called
government The colored citizens under
all the circumstances surrounding them had
met in convention; had resolved that it
would be unsafe for them to attempt TO vote,
and had consequently abstained from vot-
ing, so that none but white men voted.
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IMPLICATED.
The federal officers engaged in that busi-
ness were Mr. Harris the district attorney;
Mr. Wilson, the deputy collector Of internal
revenue. and Mr.. Livingstone, deputy Uni
ted States marshal. He submitted that the
question, although it affected only for the
time being a municipal election in the City
of Jackson was of national importance. The
country this year was 10 enter upon an election
which was TO decide the presidency and also
the complexion OF the House of Representa-
tives. In that election at least II, 900 900 of
voters representing Go.ooo"oo of American
people, would participate.
Among those voters were probably ,500,-
600 of black men, representing 100000 or
100000 of their own race, andit was an i'm
portant question whether those / 100000 of
black men were to be allowed TO vote. 1t
was question which concerned those citi-
zens who desired I. protect the tariff wheth-
er that matter should be settled by fair
vote of all who are voters under the Consti-
tuition, or be settled with 800 900 of those
voters disfranchised in pursuance of that
policy which had been deliberately adopted
in the capital of the state of Mississippi,
which state was seeking to-day TO have an
associate justice of the Supreme Court to aid
in passing on the validity of the constitu-
tional amendments.
Mr.. Riddleberger remarked that there was
no conccalment of the fact that the resolu-
ton was intended TO affect matters that
Ought to be considered only in executive
session, and he gave notice that, as TO him
self, lie would vote for the confirmation of
1Mr. Lamar.
THE MISSISSIPPI PLAN DEFENDED.
Mr. Walthill objected that the constitu-
tional power of the Senate did not extend
10 such on investigation, but he courted the
fullest investigation of the occurrences at
Jackson. while he protested against any pre-
Judgment of the case. Instead of mere
anonymous communications he desired that
the motives. provoeations. grievances and
surroundings of the people of that city
together with their actions, should be laid
hare before this country. and that the ver-
diet of the county should be had upon
them
Mr. Jones' of Arkansas, called attention
to the fact that on January , Attorney Cen
ersl Garland had called upon District At
torney Harris at Jackson for full report
of the affair and his connection with it.
Mr. George said that his frs; impulse had
been to let the resolution he adopted without
any debate or objection on his part. He
would vote for it, except ior one superable
objection, and that was that it embraced
matters entirely outside of the jurisdiction
OF the Senate If it had been confined to an
investigation of the conduct Of the federal
officials concerned he would have voted for
it. For fourteen years Republican munic-
ipal administion had existed in the city of
Jackson, without difficulty, without protest.
Up TO Christmas eve there was no opposition
To the Republican mayorality ticket-the
election being for the first Monday in Janu
arv but. on Christmas eve an occurrence
happened lthe murder OF quiet, respectable
white man by a colored man which excited
the passions and apprehensions of the white
population. lie did not mean to say that
even such brutal mur'ier justified the vio-
lation of the law, but only that it is well
calculated to excite passions and to produce
irregular and Illegal action.
AN INQUIRY ORDERED.
Mr. Hale called the attention Of the Sena-
tor from Mississippi TO the Fifteenth Constitu-
tional Amendment. which declares that
:. the right of citizens of the United States TO
vote shall not be denied or abrogated by
the United States or Of any State on account
of race, color. or previous condition of servi-
tude." He conceived that whenever, in any |
election in any state, the right of any man
to vote was denied because be was black, |
that was proper matter for Investigation |
by the Senate As bearing upon the occur !
rences at Jackson, he read from the BIan- |
don, Miss, Repqblie, a Democratic paper, of
the 9TH Of January, an article describing the |
riotous and disorlerly conduct which pre-
vailed in Jackson immediately preceding |
the last election,
The resolution was adopted-yeas 20 !
nays, Pa parry vote, except that Mr.. Rid
deJerger voted with the Democrats, while |
the two Mississippi Senators were excused |
from voting,
Perils of the Rail,
SAN FRAycIsco, Jan. I2.-About midnight |
of Tuesday on the Southern Pacific Rail-
road. lust after the north h-bound Los Angeles |