The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-02-12
THOMAS ALL RIGHT.
The Plans Of the Illinois Represent
alive for the Construction Of a
Cruiser.
A CONTESTED ELECTION
A Quarter OF a Million to be Appro.
priated to Protect Americans
at Panama-The Clayton
Assassination.
A CONTESTED ELECTION

ments. sherman said he had been In
stfucted BY the Committee on foreignrei
tons TO move an executive session. The |
motion was agreed to, and the senate pro-
ceeded 10 executive business.
In secret session the senate passed the |
following bill: "Be IL enacted, ETC., that
there be and Is hereby appropriated out OF |
any money in the treasury not otherwise |
appropriated the sum of $3.50. 600 10 enable |
the president TO protect the interests OF the |
United States and provide for the security |
of the persons and property OF citizens of |
the United States at the lsthmus OF Pana-
ma in such manner as he may deem expe-
dient.n
The doors reopened at s:l5, and legisla-
tive business was proceeded with.
Frye having been called away by a
death In his family, the Union Pacific |
funding bill was laid aside and the naval |
appropriation bill taken up. The amend |
ment reported by the committee on APP |
propriatlons for the construction OF two |
steel cruisers or gun boats of 500 TO LOO |
tons displacement, TO cost In the aggregate, |
exclusive OF armament not more than |
100000. of one steel cruiser of about 1000 |
tons TO cost not more than S70O,0OO and |
one ram for harbor defense was agreed to,
without discussion. This Is In addition IN |
the provisions of the bill As IL came from
house. Under the heading, increase OF
the Iavy," Chandler moved to strike out OF |
the paragraph for the construction Of one |
armored steel cruising monitor the words |
''of the type" and add TO be constructed |
according 70 plans and specifications 10 be
furnished to the navy department by Hon.
j. X. Thomas Of Illinois, TO be approved
by the secretary of the navy" He char
nj I'm lar
q provision that vessel OF such size
and cost Isl, 500 000) should be constructed
after type and upon plans and specihca-
tions 10 be furnished by member OF con-
gress. The present secretary OF the navy
had at his disposal s2s0O0,0O0 for the in
Increase of the navy, unfettered by any
vision that Mr.. Thomas "a lawyer, not
designer OF ships) should furnish the next
secretary Of the navy with one, and that
the Pneumatic Gun company should FUR
nish him with another. He had been uni
formly against that kind Of legislation,
where Inventors and designers besieged
the doors OF committee rooms and resorted
20 all sorts Of logrolling IN order 10 get
special enactments favorable 10 them. The
whole thing was broad farce. Cull0m
opposed the amendment and read several
letters from high naval officers endorsing
and commencing Thomas plans and speci-
ications ohandler said he had merely de-
sired TO call the attention Of the senate to
the manifest improperly Of the thing
Not only was II vicious TO put Thomas
name In the bill; but II his plans and speci-
ficati0ns wereh0t.approved blythe Secretary
OF the navy, the construction OF the ship
must stop. Cullom said Thomas had been
q member OF the house for good many
years, and as a member Of the naval commit
Tee, In that position he had given close at
tention 10 the subject OF ships OF war. IL
| had turned out that Thomas information,
study and investigation had resulted In his
making plan for q cruiser, and that the
| navy department, after appointing board
for the purpose, had adopted and approved
his plan. Without disposing Of the amend
ment the senate adjourned.
THE HOUSE.
After sparring as 10 precedence in the
matter OF consideration on behalf OF several
| bills, Crisp, Georgia, as a question OF the
| highest privilege, called up the SmAlls-
| Elliott contested election case, and the
| house, by OF 1871 10 ~, decided 10 consider
It. Twenty-four democrats, including
| Thompson, California, voted with the re-
pubicans In the affirmative.
| Crisp then took the floor for the presenta-
tion of the case. The committee had con-
rldered II in the light Of established law.
| He proceeded 10 review the evidence In the
| case and entered upon an argument tend
ing 10 disprOve several material claims OF
the contestant He then referred 10 the
conviction OF Smalls for accepting bribes
| while state senator, and c0ntended that
that conviction has injured him with the
colored people. Dalzell Inquired what rel
evancy that had 10 the question OF how
| many votes Smalls received at the late cleo
ton. Crisp replied that the gentleman on
the republican side assumed, because there
was colored majority In the district, the
majority would vote for a colOred man.
lie proposed 10 show that among the col
ored people Of the district there were
some good men who rebelled against
being dictated 10 ard required 10
vote for q man who had been convicted
of high crime. He quoted the evidence 10
show that many col0red republicans were
opposed TO Smalls on account Of the man
ner In which he had been nominated, and
on account Of his character. He admitted
that the negro politicians were republicans,
but declared the great mass OF the negroes
were not politicians. In South Carolina q
good many wrongful and violent acts had
been committed by the republicans when
they had the ascendancy, and this had re-
suited In q division In the negro ranks and
the formation of colored democratic clubs.
The colored democrats had been ostracized,
intlmidated and overawed by the cOlored
republicans, and the contestant, Smalls,
had taken leading part In this action.
The day was past when the colored people
would 90 up In body, like senseless ma
chimes, tO record vote as they were told
70 do by people who lived on them and
had not their interests Mt heart. The
day bad come when they were satisfied
with the people among whom they lived,
people who were their friends, people 10
whom they always appealed in distress.
Rowell, Illinois. said the gentleman from
| In n In ma
Smalls guilty OF bribery while member o.
the state legislature, a proposition which
had no more bearing on this case than the
question OF whether the moon was inhab-
tied. IL had been brought In like bull
doing question for the purpose Of justify
ing n vote 10 keep man out OF seat 10
which he had been elected. The laws OF
SOnth Carolina were framed for the ex-
press purpose Of dlsfranehising the repub-
lican voters Of that state. Under those
laws there had been a systematic effort u
deny TO colored voters the right 10 register
and 10 change their registration certificates.
The gentleman from Georgia spoke about
the intimidation OF colored democrats by
republicans OF the same race. The govern
or Of South Carolina had recently an
nouDced the paramount question Ia South
Carolina 10 be the maintenance OF Anglo
Saxon control. The paramount question
was not that the majority should rule ol
that every legal voter might have his vot'
cast and counted. but 10 maintain and pre-
serve Anglo Saxon control. That was on
patent fact In response % the talk OF In
iimidatioD. Elliot held his seat on thi
floor not by reason Of an election by th
people, but by reason OF an election he'll
by the returning board OF South CRrolina
' The majority Of the committee had gon
further than the returning board. and ha
thrown out two precincts which had ru
the gauntlet 0f both districts and state r,
turning boards. ROwel ridlculed IN
charge Of Intimidation upon which III
majority Of the committee relied 10 thro
cot certain returns, and cited several pert
nent instances TO prove the existence