Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-12-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8,


Isle raped their respective Houses
to order at noon today, and the clos.
ing session of the Fiftieth Congress
was formally declared open for bust.
ness. Neither House was by any
means full, but the number present
was much larger than was expected
or thought possible forty-eight
hours ago. Every train brings ad.
ditional members, and it is probable
that nearly all of them will be here
BY the middle OF the week. Accord.
ing to the action Of the Democratic
caucus in agreeing to break the long
deadlock in the House at the last
session of Congress, one Of the first
measures to come mp in the House
will be the direct.tax bill. This is
the bill that the southern members
filhbustered against because under
it their States will receive no money.
Its early passage by the House is
confidently expected, and it has
been intimited in some quarters that
Mr.. Cleveland would veto it.
Representative Samuel j. Randall
came to Washington on Saturday.
He has almost entirely recovered his
health, but owing to the orders of
his physician, he will not attempt
for some time to regularly occupy
his seat in the House. The defeat
of the tree traders has put Mr.. Ran.
dali back into his cid place as leader
of the Democrats in the House.
The stranger as he sits in the gal
lery OF the House OF Representatives
has no difficulty III naming the poll.
tics of each member as he enters the
Hall. The Republicans still wear
the smiles they put on the day after
the election, and the Democrats all
look something like professional pail
bearers at funeral.
| Some men will have notoriety,
even if it is necessary to make asses
of themselves in order to obtain it.
One would think that Representa-.
tive Oates, of Alabama, who led the
tillibusterers in their attack on the
Direct-tax bill last Spring, had gain.
ed enough Dotoriety at that time
to last him at least one year, but it
seems not. He has announced him.
self as the special champion of a
movement to disfranchise the negro.
This man talks of legally depriviag
the negroes of their votes as if it was
the simplest thing ID the world to do
almost as easy as they now Illegal.
" do it in his own and other South.
ern States. The idea is almost too
absurd to be even seriously consider
ed by anybody. Aside from any
question of right and wrong that
may be involved, the Southern poll.
ticlans would resist the proposition
from motives OF policy. IL adopted
it would deprive the South of about
one third of its present representa-
ton in the House of Representatives
and in the Electoral College. The
reason given for this most remarka.
BILE and extraordinary proposition is,
that the negro as a class is ignorant.
That assertion is unfortunately for
the poor negro a true one, but If the
negro is to be deprived of his citizen.
ship on account of his ignorance,
Why not carry the idea to its log.
ical conclusion and deprive
the hoodlums of New York
and other large cities of their
right to vote 2 The negro is ignorant
because he has had no opportunity
to be otherwise. The Democratic
hoodlums of New York are both
ignorant and vicious from choice.
No sane man will assert that the
average negro of Alabama is more
ignorant or less capable or intelligent.
" casting his ballot than the aver
age hoodlum of New York or any
other large city, and yet there is not
Democrat in the country who
would dare TO make a proposition TO
adopt Constitutional amendment
depriving the hoodlum of his vote.
Why7 Simply because the hood.
lum always votes the Democratic
ticket. AS long as the South per
sists in sending snch men as MIR.
Oates to Congress the color line will
exist in Southern politics. Mr.. Oates
aud men of his caliher may as well
make up their minds that as long as
this Republic exists the negro will
be a citizen thereof in every sense
of the word. This is an age OF pro
gress, not of retrogression.
1t is generally understood here
that if Representative Mckinley is
a candidate for the Speakership of
the next House Representatives, But
terworth will not be. AS the ques
ton now stands it is the East against
the West, the Eastern members
mostly favoring Mr.. Reed, Of Maine,
and Western members dividing
their support among Messrs. Can.
non, of Illinois, Burrows, of Michigan,
and Mckinley and Butterworth, Of
Ohio. 1t rs altogether friendly ri.
valry, and any one of the gentlemen
named will make an excellent Speak
er, and one that will give satisfaction
To Republicans of every section.
The Democrats, or rather large
number of them, Will endeavor to
give the complimentary nomination
for Mr.. Randall, as slight compen-
sation for the treatment he has re-
ceived at the hands of Mr.. Cleveland,
Carlisle, Mills, and other free traders,
during the present administration
=....-
The Senate will be Republican by
two majority, thanks to the good
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