The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-12-22
SPooNER TALKED FIVE HOURS
And Was So Interesting that the
Senators Listened to Him.

Senators Listened to hIm.
WASHINGTON. December 2o-In the SEN
ate today, Mr.. Spooner continued debate on
the elections bill, saying the committee on
privileges and elections had been criticized
because it was not able to give an estimate
as to the cost of the enforcement of the bill.
This was impossible. but the people of the
United States would not haggle at any cost
that would bring free, fair and honest elec-
tions. He did not close his eyes to the
difficulties that surrounded the gentlemen of
the South. He did not claim that in their
situation the gentlemen of the North would
do better than they. What he undertook TO
preston of votes of the South by force and
fraud and violence. 1t was a wrong on the
North, of which the North had right to
complain; and Southern men should not
turn deaf ears to that complaint.
Mt. Spocner read the qualifications for
voters contained in the new constitution of
Mississippi, among others being the ability
of the voter (after January, 1892 to read, or
to give reasonable explanation of the mean
ing of any clause of the constitution of the
state. Mr.. Spooner had his doubts of the
ability of some senators on the other side to
understand some clauses of the Constitu-
ton of the United States. Laughter If
the constitution of Mississippi had stopped
at the educational test and excluded from
the right of suffrage every man, white or
black, who could not read that instrument,
nobody would complain of 1t; but now the
Ignorant white voter might have the simplest
clause read to him, aud be asked If he under
stood it; and, answering "yes," might be
permitted to vote; while an abstruse clause
(as to the right of eminent domain, or some
legal and technical question: might be read
to the colored voter, who would be asked to
give reasonable explanation of it.
The scheme was plainly devised to let the
ignorant white man vote, if he voted the
Democratic ticket, and to keepithe ignorant
black man from voting unless he voted the
Democratic ticket. And yet Democratic
senators rallied against the pending bill as
giving to the chief supervisor lordly powers.
What would they say If such clause as that
were put in it? This constitution of Missis
the people, but by the convention itself.
Mr.. Sp0oner pronounced an eloquent and
glowing eulogy on the black race for its
fidelity to the whites of the South through
out the war and inquired whether it was
asking too much to ask that such race as
that, such people as that, should have
justice. 1t was said the negro race was an
inferior one Perhaps it was. but there was
room for doubt whether the negro who,
while ignorant, was willing to obey the law
and the constitution, was not as high In his
citizenship as the white man who, though
defy it and nGllify 1t. Mr.. Spooner spoke
for nearly five hours and received the closest
attention.
MIR. George said he was not in the chamber
while the constitution of his state had been
under discussion, and could not now reply to
Mr.. Spooner's remarks, but would do so in
good time and in way that would remove
the imputatiOnS made on its constitution by
Mr.. Spooner today, and by Mr.. Dolph some
days ago. He would show ample precedents
for il in the constitutions (past and presently
of other states.
Mr.. Ingalls, thought it important that some
light should be shed on the subject to which
MIR. George proposed to address himself, aud
he would therefore read some extracts from
speeches of delegates to the Mississippi con-
vention, and from editorials of local papers
on the subject of the qualification as to the
ability to read or explain clauses of the con-
stitution. Addressing his remarks to South
ern Senators, Mr.. Ingalls, said that their peO-
pie had retained representation in the House
of Representatives and 10 the electoral cob
lege, while they had suppressed the cOlOred
vote. They had violated the contract They
had retained the representation which had
given them for IA years supremacy in the
House of Representatives, and had on two
occasions thwarted the will of the people,
placing. on one of these occasions, in the
presidential chair man who had never been
elected to the Office in any fair aud just sense
any more than the Khan of Tartary or the
Gar Of Russia.
Mr. Ingalls, thereupon read from the Jack
son Clarion-Ledger a report of some remarks
made by delegate at the convention on the
qualification clause, which clause he under
stood to have been the invention of Mr..
George himself, and which was not like any
thing in the heavens above or in the earth
beneath, or in the waters under the earth.
He thought it subject to a patent for novelty.
He also read many extracts from VieBsburg
aud other journals in condemnation of the
clause.
Mr. Edmunds asked Mr.. ingalls, whether
that famous convention had been called in
accordance with the constitution of the State
of Mississippi, and whether the results of its
deliberatiOn had been submitted to the peo-
pie.
Mr. ingalls, replied that he knew nothing
about the way of its being called but he was
advised, and he believed that, contrary to
to the usual course pursued in snch cases IN
free communities, its results were not sub
mitted to the people to be voted upon. II
had been arranged, in some way, to have 1t
declared the organic law of the state, with
out any action on the part of the voters. In
no other way could the adoption of such a
monstrous, tyrannical and despotic device
ever have been imposed upon people claim
ing to be free.
Mr.. Edmunds added that the convention
came into existence by methods entirely out
side Of the constitution Of the state, which
provided particular way for its own amend