Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-12-13
CONGRESSIONAL.
IN THE SENATE,

WASHINGTON, December 12th.--In the Senate
to-day, number of important bills were re-
ported from committees and placed on the cal
ender, after which Plumb's resolution fixing the
hour for the daily meetings, was taken up. il
was agreed TO, after being amended by striking
out the clause for evening sessions and making
it take effect after tomorrow.
The resolution offered yesterday by Dolph in
structlng the Committee on Privileges and
Elections to inquire into and report whether
the right TO vote at any election for Presidential
electors, Members OF Congress, the Legislature
or officers is denied to any male citizen of any
state, or is abridged, except for participation in
rebellion or other crime, was taken up.
Dolph said he wanted particularly the COM
mittee to give attention as to whether some
States had not provided in the Constitutions or
laws for such voting qualifications as were not
permitted py me fourteenth amendment to the
Constitution without an abridgment of the Con-
misrepresentation. He said the Constitu-
ton recently adopted in Mississippi did impose
such.:quslifcations, and the Representative of
that state should be abridged. He sent to the
Clerks desk and had read the recent inaugural
message OF Governor Tillman of South Carolina
which be said was an official declaration that
the great mass OF the colored men of the South
were not tit to exercise the elective franchise:
that the white people of the South were in CON
troll OF the state Governments, and proposed to
maintain control at all hazards. These PROPOSE
uops showed clearly, Rolph said, that the
colored people of the South would not be per-
mitted to vote as long as they voted the Repub-
lican ticket. or when their voting would secure
Republican control.
Vest moved an amendment instrUcting the
committee to inquire further whether by anv
state legislation any citizens of the United
states were denied the right to work on public
Improvements by reason of their color He read
clause from recent statute of the Oregon Re
publican Legislature, authorizing the building
OF bridge and providing that none but white
laboIers should be employed on the work. II
might be, Vest said, that the provision was in
tended to exclude Chinese labor, but the Ian
guage of the statute excluded the Monpolian
lndlnn and negro. The Dsrpnprrtia b,J
never denied the negro the right to earn his
bread by his honest labor.
Dolph said he was informed that the Senator
(Butler) himself had threatened the colored
men in his employ that he would discharge
them if they voted the Republican ticket.
Butler replied that whoever made that state
ment was guilty of deliberate and willful
fasehood.
Hoar arose and said he had made the state
ment. having read it within twenty tours in a
public document-the testimony of the Senator
from South Carolina before committee in
which he said he had told the colored people
of his plantation that he would dismiss them if
they voted the Republican ticket
Butler-"Then the remark made applies of
course, to the Senator from Massachusetts !"
Hoar replied that he was not to be deferred
from saying what ne had to say, either by the
manner or behavior of Butler.
The resolution then went over until to-mor-
row.
The elections bill was taken up and Blodgett
and Walthall spoke in opposition 10 it,
Hoar then referred to the incident of the
morning again. and had read the incident in
question, which was from the minority report
to the House in 1876. In it Buler is represented
as saying that he gave tickets to the colored
men and told them that they had right to
vote the Republican ticket If they pleased: that
they were free men, but il they exercised that
right and imposed taxes upon him that would
destroy his prosperity and prospects he should
throw himself back on some rights he had and
see that they left his plantation. He intended
10 inform himself how they voted. The ques-
ton was asked with view To turning them off
if they voted the Republican ticket.
Butler-Not for voting the Republican ticket
if they had an honest ticket, but for voting for
these thieves and robbers
Butler said this testimony was garbled. He
had never seen the report before but said now
that ne had never attempted to influence
single negro on his plantation IN the exercise of
his franchise.
Messrs. Hoar aud Butler then expressed the
greatest respect for each other, and the matter
was dropped.
Jones OF Arkansas took the floor on the elec-
ton bill, and the Senate adjourned.
n THE HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, December 12th.-After the read
ing of the journal, the House went into Com
mittee of the Whole on the private calendar.
All of the afternoon was consumed in the dis
cussion of few private bills, which finally
passed, and the House adjourned.