The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-03-14
The Blair Bill the Occasion of a
Lively Debate in the
Senate.
Sherman Threatens Dire Things
for the South in the Near
Future.
The Ohio Man Warned to be Careful of IA,
Storm He May Raise by Political
Legislation.

house, was reported back from the COM
= ee ON commerce. amended by few
u changes and passed. 4 conference
z asked. The committee on conf
Il 'orted bill 10 repenl the law of
lc quiring steamships 10 carry guys
an Tor casting lines in cases of dis
tres object of this was 10 do away
with 'ion prActiced by patentees
for the 'ces under the law as j; now
stands. Jill was placed ON tho cAlcn-
dar. lh, senate proceeded 90 consider the
calendar and passed bills for public build
ings as follows; stockton, Cal. $4,000;
Mammoth Hot Springs III the Yellowstone
National Park. SlOWO; Virginia City. New,
/ $4,000; The Dalles. Ore, $4,000.
Eustis took the hoor and referred 10 the
statements made by Hoar yesterday, one Of
them being that ia the state of Louisiana
and some of tho other states there were
laws which made il penal olfcnse for u
white nun 10 uss ciate on terms of equality
with negro; the other WAS to the effect
that there was "A Inv which provided for the
sale of any colorcd man found for a certain
time ont of work, and that former masters
should have the preference in purchase.
lie denied enphatically that there was any
such law IN Louisiana and spoke of the reck-
lessuess and desiiiution of sense of response
bilIty With which republican senator's spoke
on southern AFFAIRS. Hoar said he might have
erred as TO the state IN which such law
WAS passed. but quoted from the laws "
Mississippi passed in 1861. lie thought
substantially the same law had been enact
ed in Louisiana.
! The educational bill then came up and
/ Blair made a brief address. he also read
an extract from a speech of President Har-
rison when senator in 1856, fayoring the
bill and said the president held the same
sentiments to-day.
The southern question came up again and
| lioar admitted that his statement about the
laws OF Louisiana was incorrect sherman
asked Eustis whether be did not know
the fifteenth amendment never would
have been proposed bui for the fact
that the laws of the southern states were
depriving the negro Of the rights of citizen
ship. Eustis replied that II WAS his honest
conviction that all reconstruction measures
were adopted by the republican party with
the single object of Atrieanving the south
and maintaining political supremacy, and
| chnrar'eriled IL as tAe prelt'sssi crime ever
oorlnl.tted against a cav ili1td community
Sherman then took part in the discussion
which became hented political oontro-
versy. He traced the course Of the recon
struction movement. and said al the close
of the war IL had not been contemplated 10
]
the laws passed by some south
ern states were so unjust 10 the
colored people and 10 white
republicans III the south that the people of
the north became convinced that the object
IN the south was to overthrow the results OF
the war, and go deprive freedmen of all the
rights OF citizenship. When the time came
II was seen thnt there was no WAY TO protect
the emancipated people except 10y arming
/ l.....x l..
luciantly, slowly, but deliberately. adopted
that remedy as the only one fitted for the
case. He tShermanl had sometimes
thought II might possibly have been better
not 10 have adopted the fifteenth amend
ment, cOnferring the suffrage on colored
men, because that right had been nulliiied
and uprooyed. The result Of the fifteenth
amendment was practically TO give the
southern states increased representation in
the house of representatives and
increased power IN the electoral
college. II there WIS anything
wrong in the situation of southern af-
fairs. The people of the south had brought
IL ON themselves. There WAS no feeling of
hate in the north against the south. II the
equal rights OF all the people III the south
were secured, the people of the north would
be satisfied. II WIS true the fifteenth
amendment had not turned out AS expected,
/ because no men had dreamed such meas
ures ms have been resorted TO in the south
would have been resoned to, to deprive the
negro of his rights. No one had dreamed
Of ku klux klans and all The savage ma
chinery by which that exclusion had been
perfected.
Butler suggested that the reconstruction
measures and the fifteenth amendment were
not SO much due 10 the objeetional leusla
tion in the south as 10 the conflict between
Andrew johnson and the republican con-
gress.
sherman replied hat the selection Of An
drew johnson, a southern iuan and dem
ocrnt for the ylce-presidency WAS proof OF
the generous treatment the north had
shown the south. But johnson had desert
ed the republican party, and turned hls
back upon II when he came into power, and
congress tied his hands and prevented the
carrying out of his policy.
'Butlef-Ihen / understand the senator
from Ohio to admit that the southern peo-
Pile are not alone responsible, but thRt An
drew johnson, AS president was more res
ponsible for the enactment Of the extreme
measures against the souths
Sherman-I look upon Andrew johnson
as n southern man aud a democrat.
Butler-He was your republican presi-
dent. and the people of the south had no
other authority 10 look 30 after they sur
rendered except the executive.
Shermau-1he southern people had the
right 20 look 10 congress as the governing
power of the country. sherman went on
90 say 10 the senators un the other side
that there is feeling the north that not
only have the negroes of the south been
deprived Of their votes. but that the people
OF the sonih now enjoy larger
political power than the sano number of
people in the north. Let the south obey
the constitutional amendments. Let Il give
the negro and permit him 70 vote AS b. Will.
| would not care if the whole Of the neproes
would vote the democratic ticket. But this
feeling of injustice does prevail IN the
north, that wnlle you are depriving the
colpred people OF their votes, YOU are erercis-
ing undue power IN the government. The
north denies hatred. but demands justice,
and now | say that beyond and above this
educational bill. or any other pending
measure. IL an act OF congress that will So
cure to every man Of the United States on
titled to vote the right 20 cast that vote and
the dignity Of passing such q law that will
be uniform throughout the United states,
affecting Massachusetts and Ohio as well rs
south Carolina, every man wlll feel u Is 2
lust and fair law. and there will be nc
further ground for complaint. Congress
cannot exercise ans control in the local nf-
fairs Of southern states, but what we insis,
upon is that there shall be q law that will
protect the rights OF suffrage, and that that
law be executed with such power that no
man dare expose himself to its penalty.
Butler followed Sherman. He spoke OF
= 4 -. 4.