The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-01-13
The RESOLUTION
To Enquire Into the Sup
preston of Votes
OF TIE COLORED CITIZENS
OF jackson, Mississippi, Raises
Breeze I'm the Senate-The Chinese
Question Again Discussed.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, January 12.-Yest, from
the committee on commerce, reported q
bill authorizing the construction OF q
bridge across Columbia River at Dalles
City, Oregon. Placed on the calendar
Dawes, from the committee on In
dian affairs, reported bill authorizing
the appointment of uperintendent of
Indian schools. Calendar.
The resolution offered by Chandler on
January 10th, instructing the commit
tee on judiciary to inquire into the sup
preston of votes of colored citizens of
jackson, Miss, at the recent municipal
elections in that city, and inc the al
legged participation IN such suppression
by the United States District Attorney,
Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue
and Deputy United States Marshal, was
taken up, and Chandler addressed the
Senate in explanation and support OF
it. It declared that havingEseen one of
their number helplessly murdered IN
the dark by a negro bully, set on by a
negro policemac of negro of a cursed
city, that corrupt radical negro govern
ment should and must be wiped out at
any cost; that If negroes ran for Office,
they should do so at their extreme
peril, sand that it warned all negroes
against attempting to foist upon us this
black and damnable machinery called
government" The colored citizens
under all circumstances surrounding
them. had met in convention
and had resolved that it would be IN
safe for them to attempt to vote and
had consequently aostalned from
voting, so that none but whites voted.
Federal officers engaged in that bust
ness were Mr.. Harris, district attorney,
Mr.. Wilson, deputy collector of
internal revenue, and Mr.. Livingston,
deputy United States marshal. He
submitted that question, although it
affected only for the time being. the
municipal election in the city of Jack
son. The county this year was to
enter in the Presidential election, an
election which was to decide the
Presidency. also to decide the COM
plexion of the National House of
Representatives. In that election at
least IL 100000 voters, representing
6OOO,000 of the American people,
would participate. Among these voters
were probably 100000 of black men,
representing six or seven millions of
their own race. and it was an important
question whether these 1900 900 odd
black men were or were not to be al
lowed TO vote. 1t was question
whether that matter should be settled
by a fair vote OF all who are voters
under the. Constitution, or be settled
with 100000 OF those voters, disfran-
chised in pursuance OF that policy
which has been deliberately adopted in
the capital of the State of Mississippi,
which State was seeking to-day, to
have an associate justice of the Su
preme Court, to aid in passing upon
the validity of the Constitutional
amendments.
Riddieberger remarked that there
was no concealment of the fact that the
resolution was intended to affect mat
tiers that ought to be considered only in
executive session, and he gave notice
that as to himself, he would vote for the
confirmation OF Lamar.
WaIthaIl was anxious that the reso-
luton should be adopted by the votes
of those Senators whose views on the
constitutional power of the Senate diff
fered from his own. If the proposition
were to investigate q town election in
New Hampshire, he should vigorously
oppose it. He courued the fullest in
yestigation of occurrences at Jackson,
but he protested against any preJu dg-
ment of the case
Jones, of Arkansas, sent to the
clerks desk and had read kilograms
sent on January Sd. by Attorney-Gen-
eral Garland to District Attorney Har-
ris, at Jackson, one of which is as fol-
lows: The papers state that you are
mentioned personally, as participating
in the political meetings at Jackson to
suppre the colored vote of that oity,
and to prevent colored people from
running for Office by violence and in
timidation. Report fully to me at
once the whole proceeding, and your
connection with it."
George said his first impulse had
been to let the resolution be adopted
without any debate or objection on his
part. He would vote for it except for
one inseparable objection, and that was
that it embraced matters entirely out
side of the jurisdiction of the Senate.
Chandler called the attention of the
Senators from Mississippi to the fit
tenth CONSTITUTIONAL amendment,
which declared that "theTight of CT!
liens of the United States to vote shall
not be denied or abridged by the United
States, or by any State, on account OF
race, color, or previous condition oil
servitude." He conceived that, when
ever in any election within any State,
the right of any man to vote was de-
MED because he was black, that was
proper matter for Investigation by the
Senate. AS bearing upon occurrences at
Jackson, he read from the Brandon,
Miss, Republic, a Democratic paper, OF
January 9th, an article describing the
riotous and disorderly conduct which
prevailed i'm Jaeksonz Immediately pre-
ceding the last election. .gs- II W
The resolution was adopted-yeas
% nays Pa party vote, except
that Riddleberger voted With the Dem
ocrats, while thes two Mississippi SEM
ators were excused from voting.
Hoar, from the committee on priv
ileges and elections, reported resolu-
ton toe pay BaDisl) B. Lucas, of West
Virginia, 81, 900 IL dali Dor alllexpenses
and salary as claimant of the; seat ia
the Senate. Referred.
Mitchell called up the bill introduced
by him, on December 18th, abrogating
all treaties heretofore made and now
operative between the United States
100 OIsIsE GsTa~j
rd4ts ,xti9 sdSa 3iaa