Evening journal., 1890-03-14
FIFTY-FIRST CONGRESS-.
A Tilt Between Senators Sher-
man and Butler.
THE NEGRO AND THE FRANCHISE.
Reconstruction Measures Defended by
the ohio statssman-why the Ballot
Was Given TO the Freedman senator
Buffers Reply.


was Given TO the Freedman--senRtor
Buffers Reply.
WASHINGTON, March i4-The senate
amended and passed two house bills for
bridges across the Missouri river al Pierre.
s. D., and across the Columbia river be-
tween Washington and Oregon. Senate
bills for public buildings were passed as
follows; Stockton, Cal, sS5, 900; Mammoth
Hot Springs, In the Yellowstone National
park, $4,000; Pawtucket, r. l., 100000;
Woonsoclet. r. l., 100000; Hudson, N. Y,
100000; Virginia City, New, s75 900; Hast
ngs, Neb., sl5O,oOO; The Dalles. Ore. $780,
900; Salem, Va, SlOO, 900; Saltwater, Mimi,
100000; Reno, New, $4,000 Mr. Eustis
referred TO two statements made by MIR.
Hoar in reference to the southern states, one
being that in the state Of Louisiana and
some other states there were laws which
meae it penal offense for white man to
associate ON terms Of equality with black
man. He asserted that there was not the
slightest foundation FOR such a statement
IL Was Mississippi, Not Louisiana.
The other statement Of Mr.. Hoar was to
the effect that there was anot her law in
Louisiana which provided for the sale Of
colored men for a certain time out of work,
and that the former master should have the
preference in the purchase There was no
such law. And any pretense that there was
only illustrated with what recklessness aud
desttution Of sense Of responsibility Repub-
lican senator's spoke Of southern affairs.
MIR. Hoar said he had erred about Lou
siana but law Of this character existed
in Mississippi Had it not been for the OBJ
! jectionahle laws passed by some Of the
southern states, he said, the government Of
those states would have been remanded in
1865 to those who governed before the war.
Afrioanizing the south.
Mr. Sherman asked Mr. Eustis whether
he did not not know that the Fifteenth
amendment never would have been pro-
posed but for the fact that laws Of the
southern states were deprivng the negro Of
his rights of citizenship MIR. Eustis as
serted that all reconstruction measures and
constitutional amendments were adopted by
the Republican party with the single object
Of Africanizing the south and maintaining
political supremacy, and this he chars cter-
lied as the greatest crime ever committed
against civilized communities
sherman Defends Reconstruction.
Mr. Sherman then made a long speech in
defense Of reconstruction measures The
1rst act that passed for the reconstruction
Of the southern states had been framed by
committee OF conservative senators, as
Reverdy johnson, Trumhuli and Fessenden.
There was at the time no hostility against the
people Of the south but rather a universal
appreciation Of the fact that while they
were radically wrong in waging useless
war. they had been honest ID their convic
tions that the doctrine for which they
fought was the doctrine Of the constitution
But the laws passed by some of the south.
arn states had been so unjust to the colored
people and white Republicans in the south
that the people OF the north became con.
vinced that the object In the south was "a
overthrow the results Of the war and de-
prive the freedmen Of the right OF citizen.
ship Later on congress had reluctantly
armed the negro in suffrage as the only
remedy that fitted the case. There had
been no feeling of passion or hate about it.
suffrage and the Negro.
Mr. Sherman had sometimes thought il
might have been better not TO have given
the colorsd man suffrage, because that right
had been nullificd and suffrage did not now
exist with col0red men wherever il might
be valuable TO them There was be said
no feeling Of hate existing IN the north
against the south, as intimated by Mr.
/ George, and if the equal rights Of all peo.
pie in the south were secured the people OF
the north would be satisfied
Negro suffrage had not turned out as had
been expected because no man had dreamed
such measures as had been resorted to In
the south would have been resorted 20 tc
deprive the negro Of his rights. Injustic,
had grown out Of the amendment, and out
Of it not only had the henegrOes been deprived
of their votes but the people OF the south
enjoyed larger political power than thesam'
number Of people of the north, and until th,
southern states give these colored men theil
rights there would be disepiet and discon
tent and feeling Of injustice. He trusted
the time would come when this feeling would
disappear and every man should have righl
10 vote. Congress, he said, could not exer
else any control Ia the local affairs Of tn,
southern states, but what he insisted upoI
was that there shall By q law that will pro
tect the right Of suffrage and that that Law
will be executed with such power that nC
man dare 70 expose himself to its penalties.
Senator Buffers Reply.
Mr. Butler, replying TO Mr.. Sherman.
said that il the debate had accomplished
nothing else it had shown, by the statement.
Of the senators from Ohio and Massachu
setts, that the suffrage had been conferred
upon the negK3 Of the south, not because he
was entitled to it, not because he was quail
hed to exercise il, but because of certain
laws passed by some of the southern state,
Immediately after the war. The admission
II the senator from Ohio, he thought
would go slong way in throwing light on
any future discussion as 10 the rights Of the
negro TO vote in the south. Referring e
the administration Of President johnson
Mr. Butler said that one Of the most un.
fortunate days that had ever come over the
country was the day that brought about a
conflict between the chief executive and the
legislative department of the United States.
Between the upper and the neither mill
stone, between the executive policy on the
one side and the legislative policy on the
other. the south had been ground TO powder.
Mr.. Butler spoke of the exclusion Of cOlored
men IN the northern states from all pOliti-
raj offices, and asserted that there was no
discrimination in the laws of South Caro-
lima, Mississippi, Louisiana or Georgia
against man on account Of his race or
solor he believed that the great body Of
the peop.e north were kindly disposed to-
ward the people Of the south, and that that
kindness had been very much stimulated by
he fact that millions of money were being
sent south for investment.
A Fire from tho Rear.
He warned the senator from Ohio that
whenever he attempted TO carry out his