The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-06-27
Richmond, va. FRIDAY, JUNE ~, 1890.

sectional because il provided that some por
tons Of the United States should be under
| the supervision OF from two to five super
ylsors, according 10 the respective size ol
the congressional and judicial districts
He ridiculed the Republican cry OF "a free
ballot and a fair count" aud said that il
was useless to talk about n free ballot i'm
Kansas, when the State had been so gerry
wandered that the lf7,000 Democrats there
had never been represented in the House.
In conclusion, Mr.. Hemphill said: 1--WE
know we must either rule that country (the
sOuth) or leave it. Now for myself before
the people Of the United States, and before
God in all reverence, | swear we will
not leave IL. Applause. 1t is the
, me Of our fathers. There they lie buried.
They bought il with their blood when Con-
cord and Lexington were the battle-fields of
this country. do not hesitate TO
say the colored man has not as many rights
as have, but he can't have his rights and
mine too, and this law II intended to put
him again in control Of the Southern States,
intended TO awaken that race prejudice
which is fast dying out; intended TO bring
about again that constant irritation and
clash between the two colors in the South
which will retard its growth, and which
will be destructive to the very principles of
human government.
Mr. ROwell. Of Illinois, said the bill was
only an enlargement Of law on the statute
books since 1871. IL was the conviction
that every mans ballot counted one ut the
polls that made this government of the
people. He thought there WIS no question
of the power Of Congress to enact this law,
or Of the necessity of using that power.
The number was increasing Of those who
believed MIR. Cleveland was counted in
years ago. He believed the black vote was
suppressed in the South, and it was the ex-
pressed intention Of the men who controlled
that section that the suppression should
continue.
Mr.. Oates, of Alabama, said Of his own
knowledge, he knew the statement to be
untrue.
Mr.. Rowell replied that only on that basis
could the almost universal absence from
the polls Of the black man in many South
ern States be accounted for,
Mr.. Peel, Of Arkansas. and Mr.. Lewis. OF
Mississippi, both declared that there was
no charge offraud in their districts.
Mr.. Wheeler, OF Alabama. and Mr.. Crisp,
of Georgia, speaking for their States, also
denied Mr. Rowell's charges.
Mr.. Crisp asked Mr.. Rowell to account for
the silence Of 80 per cent. of the vote OF
Maine and Massachusetts.
Mr.. Rowell replied that it was not in a
Presidential year. Mr. Brcckinridge and
Mr.. RowelI had dispute over the circum-
stances Of the formers election, during
which Mr.. Mcl,ae, OF Arkansas, admitted
that armed men rode about the polling
places in that State in Powell Clayton's
time, but said there had been better times
since.
Mr.. Lehlback, of New jersey. opposed
the bill on the ground that white frauds oc-
CURED in many districts lt would be
easier to let the people OF the several States
regulate their own elections. He thought
the law, if enacted, should be uniformly
applicable, and not dependent upon the pc
titiOn Of any number of citizens.
Mr.. Tucker. of Virginia, opposed the bill
on constitutional grounds, and at 5;2j the
House adjourned.