Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-08
THE DISTRICT AND THE NEGRO.
The Color Question Raised in Debate in the
Senate.

The Color Question Raised in Debate in the
Senate.
The race question Was raised in the Senate
Saturday. A sketch Of the proceedings was
published in The STAR Of Saturday, and other
papers have since essayed to make plain very
interesting portion of the debate. Only the
precise language of Senators Morgan and Blair
can do that. The form of government in this
District was under discussion and Senator
Morgan said that unless there could be a
limited suffrage here it would be better to let
matters stay as they are
still, he continued. sthat Is offensive, very
offensive to the sensibiities of great many
human;tarlans or pretended humanisarians
throughout the world, that the colored men
here should not be permitted to vote. They
are admitted to be the very best class of colored
people In the United States. those in the Dis
trfct OF Columbia. the most intelligent. One
OF them, Fred. Douglass. has led to the altar
one OF the brides of the north, and has given
her great distinction in society as well as in the
government by rejecting upon her the honor
OF his naWe and his reputation for greatness in
scholarship and otherwise. Others desire TO
do the same thing. They NAV have more or
less success; do not know how that will turn
out TO- be; but surrounding us we have profess
sofs IN medicine, professors in law. doctors Of
DIVINITY; we have men renowned throughout
the world in the District Of Columbia who are
people OF African descent. We have numbers
OF them here. The best African population.
the wisest, the most enlightened that exists in
the world exists in the District of Columbia
"And yet all the powers of the government
OF the United States are feveied ut them and
their race to break them out of the right of
suffrage and the right of local self government
and In order to do that the government of the
United States goes still further and disfran-
chises free born citizens of the white family
Surely we cannot find an average in any COM
munlty Of higher intelligence in the world than
there is in the District Of Columbia. do not
know any congregated set OF men and women
on this EARTH and I have never heard of any.
who are superior to the white people of the
District of Columbia. Men venerable for long
experience, great scholarship splendid achieve
ments in which the whole world takes pride
are DISTINGUISHED and put upon the level. SO
lar AZ citizenship Is concerned, of pcnitentiary
convicts under the different constitutions of
the United States. They are DISTINGUISHED for
what? Merely because they are the neighbors
OF the negroes: merely because they live in the
same community with Them merely because
the negroes can either out vote them or can
lnfuse into their ballot boxes so much of this
colored ballot as that it is unsafe to intrust
property and peace and order and law into
their hands.
''Oh, shame upon it. that such bills as this
should come up. and that such discussions as
this should be legitimate upon the facts: and
.ct. III TWO minutes from thiS time the Senate
Will resound with advocacy of a different sys-
tenn to be applied to the states. an advocacy Of
the destruction OF the autonomy of great states
III this Union because they attempt to do the
same thing by indirection which Congress does
from the shoulder and By the strong hand"
SENATOR BLAIR's REroRr.
Senator Blair had been waiting with little
impotence for chance to say something. and
as soon as Mr.. Morgans voice dropped to a
period he arose and said:
"Mr. President. the Senator from Alabama
has made allusiOn to the color question which
arises in this city and to that distinguished cit
lZen of the United States and of the world
Frederick Douglass, who, as he observed, led
one of the brides of the north to the altar. con-
ferring thereby great distinction upon her and
perhaps upon the section of country from which
she came. But l want to suggest to the Sem
ator that this is not an undivided honor to the
north coming exclusively from the colored
race. Let me remind him that earlier still the
north and the world were indebted to one of
the prominent white fathers of the south
Tor the fact that we have Douglass him
SELF Whether there be anything peculiarly
honorable in the association which led to his
existence and to his capacity and reflected
honor generally upon all the races that have
ever inhabited the Garth. am not here to state:
but the relation between Frederick Douglass
and the bride of the north think in the judg-
ment OF mankind il honorable to that Gee
ton and to his race and to all races the earlier
relation between that white father and the
dusky maiden who was the mother Of Doug
lass"