, 1890-01-17
CONGRESSIONAL.
Speeches in the Senate on the
Race Problem.
Senators Butler, Hoar and Blair
Discuss the Bill.
The Worlds Fair Again Be.
fore the House.

WAsHINGToN, Jan. l6 Hale, from
the committee, reported back adversely
the bill to require the superintendent OF
census to ascertain what percentage OF
people own their farms, number of farms
under mortgages and amount thereof.
Merrill, from the finance committee,
reported the concurrent resolution re
auesting the secretary of the treasury not
to make a new lease of the islands of st.
Paul and st. George, in Alaska, for the
purpose of taking iur seals thereon, and
TO postpone all action in relation thereto
until after the 10th day of February, 1890.
Passed.
Among the bills reported from commit
tees and placed on the calendar were the
following: Establishing a customs collec-
ton district 10 consist of the states OF
North and South Dakota. For the re-
(GeronImos' band) TO Fort Sill, Indian
Territory.
Then senate then took up the bill intro
duced by Butler to provide for the emf
grafton OF persons of color from Southern
states and Butler proceeded to address
the senate.
lhlbt nC bcld Mdb lO kldFC a buDltCl W
be distorted by party considerations or
confined within the narrow boundaries
and limits of party lines. Some persons
who held high rank in the intellectual
world held chat in the history of the
African race in this country was to be
seen the hand of God for the accomplish
ment Of a great purpose in the other
hemisphere. Events appeared to be
shaping themselves in a manner to Justify
such a conclusion. The race question
raised by the changed attitude Of two
races toward each other was burning evi-
dence that the issue was not confined to
any locality. section or party. What was
to become of the 200. 900 Indians in this
country, and of the 100, 900 Cinnamon
was a difficult problem, but the most pro-
found inquiry applied directly to the
pending bill. and that was, what was to
be the fate of the 6 1000, 900 or 5000, 900
negroes OF hat country? They were citi
zens, they had the ballot, they had all
civil and political rights which white men
had, and which were denied to other
colored races.
Butler referred to the absence of col
orcd people FROM NIL high positions in this
country, and saw in that proof of unre-
lenting, unforgiving, incurable race pre-
JUDGE. If ANYBODY. he said, had pre-
dicted before the war that the Southern
states would, within a few years, be rep
resented IN both houses of congress by
men who were then slaves, he would have
been laughed at. If anyone predicted to
day that within a half century not a full.
blooded, genuine negro would be found in
the United States he would not be be-
.lieved and yet there were men who ex,
pected that very thing.
The bill, he said, contemplated a grad
ual. orderly, voluntary movement of the
colored people out of the Southern states.
and provided the government to enable
them to do SO.
While the negroes remain in large
masses, and exceede in numbeIs their
white neighbors. not only did negroes
not advance in the scale OF civilization,
but actually refrigerated. Such, at last,
had been his experience. On the other
hand observation and experience had
convinced him that where the white race
was largely in the majority the white man
was better off, and the negro was better
off, SO that n friend OF negroes would
oppose the bill because it would be hurt
full to the negro He believed if the
government would do its duty by the ne
gro. instead Of coaching him and %confus;
ing him with civil rights and empty
statutes, if it would reuder him substan-
tial assistance in his struggle for regenera
ton and real freedom, he would illumine
the dark continent OF his fathers with the
light of christianity and law, as to the
effect on Southern states, he said if the
South could be thus relieved of a part, al
least, of its superabundance of cheap la
Dor, there would be such an migration Of
white, intelligent. progressive citizens,
that the prosperity of the South during
the last decade would pale into insig-
nificance as compared with the future
progress.
Mr.. Hoar replied to Butter. It seemed
to to him this proposition was the most
astonishing that had ever been heard in
legislative history of the senate or in
legislative history of a free, civilized
and prosperous people. From all chimes
under the sun laborers were ~thronging all
n way in their eager desire to share the
harvest OF national prosperity and natio-
nal glory aud yet in the senate of the
United States a proposition was made
that by force of a nation, aided by its
treasury 5000. 600 of laborers born on
American soil, every one of them en-.
ttleu 10 every right, were to be exported,
to what the senator had Justly styled the
dark region of a dark continent and
which in spite of recent explorations Of
their Industrious citizens, was less known
to readers of history TO day han 1t was
when their history attempted a descrip
ton of it 800 years before the birth OF
Christ.
Blair spoke against the bill. He
thought that if. instead of exporting
5000, 600 colored people, there were
10. 900 white people exported to Africa
and kept there, the whole difficulty
would be settled. Difficulties of the race
problem existed in the excited imagina.
tions and incursble preiudices of a few
white men, not between the races them
selves. As to the idea of the senator
from Alabama lMorgan) that the choice
was between numbering negroes or marry
ing them, between killing them or assim
Hating with them, he thought that &
course of lectures on the sixth and seventh
commandments would settle the Who'll,
thing, and that no more would be heard
Of doctrine that was IN absurdity ant