, 1890-06-29
UPROAR IN THE HOUSE.
Exciting Discussion on the
Federal Election Bill.
Ewart. of North Carolina, De-
clares that Republicans
Are Not Prevented from Voting
in His State.

WASHINGTON u 70. Ate minor
business the house went into committee
OF the whole on the federal election bill.
McAdoo of New jersey spoke in opposi-
ton to the measure. McComas of
Maryland and Rowell of Illinois spoke in
favor OF the bill.
Bland of Missouri twitted McComas
for having taken away from the black
men of the District of Columbia the
power of local government and never CIV
ing it to them again. This resulted in an
uproar on the floor, Bland and McComas
shouting at the top of their voices, amid
the applause of their colleagues and the
galleries. McComas declared that Bland
affected an interest in the 5000 or 10000
black voters in the District, while during
his long service here he had never raised
his voice in behalf OF the 5000, 900 or
10000. 900 poor and oppressed black men
in the country. He felt like calling him
a hypocrto.
Bland vehemently declared that Nc
Comas and his colleagues were hypocrites
in pretending, for party purposes, an un-
felt interest in the negroes.
At this point the uproar became SO
RItGl budl uOtuluR COulu Dt ucdIu SAWS
the shouts of the debaters and the rapping
of the speakers gavel.
McComas managed to shout that the
black man in this district was treated like
the whites, and he appealed to the people
of the South TO treat the blacks and
whites alike.
When quiet was finally restored Cum
mings Of New York spoke against the
bill. 1t was a sectional one. The Repub-
lican party proposed to make the negro a
chattel, to be used as a convenience whom
ever necessary.
Henderson of Iowa read from a speech
by Hemphill a passage declaring that the
whites must either rule OF leave the South
and that they would not leave it. He
wanted no further proof than that declara-
ton that the blacks of South Carolina
would not be all lowed to exercise the
rights guaranteed by the constitution.
He felt warranted in saving it was as dan
gerous as armed rebellion, and be meant
it. He then read from an interview in
which Representative Mills was quoted as
saying that the passage of the bill meant
an increased number OF deaths among the
federal officers in the South. He did not
know if this were true. but il so
it was another defiance. He served
notice that the country would no
longer submit to the rule of
the minority, The house had been told
that what was needed was not a new South
but a new North. They would get it. The
North had peacefully and patiently sub
mitted to this injustice. They had seen
the control of the government wrested by
red hands from its proper channels. and a
new North was at hand which would en-
force the law aud the rights OF every citi-
zen. Let the South try a little Justice.
The key to the situation was in the obser-
walton of the law, and where that could
not be secured the law must be made to
secure it. He spoke briefly of the recent
exhibition OF the stars and bars and the
Confederate gray at Richmond, He
would not rave them forget the tender
relations of the war, but he entered a pro-
test against being told that q new North
was needed when the flag Of II dangerous
South was Haunting in the face of the
republic.
Ewart OF North Carolina (Republican)
opposed the passage of the election bill.
As to the negroes political rights, speak
ing for his own state, he unhesitatingly
asserted that no Republican in the state,
black or white, was prevented from cast,
ing his vote. He was sick and tired of
the sentimental talk OF the negro prob
lem. 1t was a delusion to suppose the
negro was voting the Republican ticket
solidly. Many of them were voting the
Democratic ticket, and it was getting
more and more difficult every year for
the Republican party to control the negro.
He had no hesitation in saying that not
three-ten4hs of the negroes of the South
would vote for the Republican party if an
election was held tomorrow.
The disagreeing conference report on
the legislative, executive and judicial ap-
preparation bill was adopted and the
house took a recess.