The critic., 1890-12-30
Kicked OVER THE TRACE.
wLOCOTT MAKES A BITTER ATTACK
on THE ELECTIONS BILL.


called to the fact of the absence of
quorum. The roll call showed the
presence Of II Senators, and the Sergeant
at-Arms was directed to request the at
tendance of abscntccs. II was II o'clock
before Il quorum was secured and before
the journal of yesterday was read.
The credentials of Frederick +. Dubois
as Senator from the state of Idaho for the
term beginning March 1 next were pre-.
sented and referred.
Mr.. Reagan gave notice of two amend
mcnts to Mr.. Aldrich's cloturc resolution.
The Senate then resumed consideration
Of the Elections bill, and Mr. lIoar CON
tinued his speech in lis advocacy.
At the close of Mr.. Hoars harangiIc
Mr.. Wolcott of Colorado took the floor
and made the strongest and most power
full attack upon the bill which has eman-
ated from either side of the Chamber.
He was in fine condition for such an eff
fort, though triile nervous-stage fright,
perhaps. His voice was sonorous and
clear as a silver hell. His manner was
admirable. He attracted the closest at
tention of the Senators on the floor and of
the people in the galleries.
The reporters gallery was crowded, aud
the correspondents paid him the coinpli-
ment not always accorded to Senatorial
efforts of listening with rapt attention.
No sooner had the drift of his argument
been developed than Mr.. Edmmds fled to
find solacc in the privacy of his committee
room, closely followed by. Mr.. IIoar.
Every other Senator of each side remained
and gave the young Senator his undivided
attention.
Mr.. Wolcott said: 1t was source of
great regret to him to be called upon to
differ with any considerable number of
his party and decline to take the path
which the older leaders pointed out. 1t
was proper that the reasons which inn
PEELED that difference be fairly stated. The
time which the bill ongrosscd was not OPP
perfume.
Nearly one-third of the session was
through, and daylight was not yet visible.
There were before the Senate, measures
Of vast importance that would fail, for
another year at least, unless they were
now. acted upon. Among the measures
awaiting action Mr.. Wolcott mentioned
the Silver bill, the Aoportionment bill,
the Pure Food bill, the Copyright bill and
the Private Land Court bill.
We stand (he saidD in the shadow of q
great financial disaster. The people turn
to Congress for relief. They want the as
s,lrance either that there will be no legis-
iation on the financial subject $50 that
they can set their house in order) or that
they will receive an adequate medium Of
circulation for the transaction of their
business.
But il was not only, he said, because
those measures were camoring for recog-
milton that he felt compelled to oppose
the passage of the Elections bill. If the
e session were to last indefinitely, and If
none of those vital measures were pend
ing, he would still vote against it.
1t was a travesty ON duty that the SEN
the should set day after day discussing
changes in an election law that had stood
without amendment for twenty years. In
his opinion the pending bill should not
become law, because it involved Federal
interference and espionage of other than
national elections, and such interference
was contrary to the spirit of American i'll
stitutions and an obstacle to the right en-
joyment of American liberties.
II was, to his mind, far better that the
local and State elections in the city of
New York, with its thousands of ignorant,
criminal and venal voters, should be at
tended by fraud and dishonesty than that
they should be kept pure by Federal inter
remedy Of Federal interference under the
direction of Democratic district attor-
ney and q Democratic marshal.
The law had been administered by q
Judge who was so intolerably fair that he
was opposed to both parties, and yet il
had been given up and now the people
Of Colorado managed their own elections
hepeople of the United States, Mr.. VOL.
colt went on to say, wanted no more civil
strife, and 1t would be impossible to en-
force such law against the united oppo-
sition of the white population in the
Southern States.
The attempt would bring back the old
days of terrorizing, and the weaker race
would be the sufferer. There We're many
things more important and vital to the
Welfare of the nation than that the col
)olcd citizens Of the South should cast their
ballots.
Referring to the question put by Mr..
Eustis, some weeks ago, to Mr.. Dolph, as
TO what the people of Oregon would do
under similar circumstances, II Chinese
Mr.. Wolcott said that Mr.. Doiph's an
swer seemed evasivc. He tMr. Wolcott)
could not speak for Oregon.
But he gave it as his solemn opinion
That in Colorado, whose mountains in
spired only freedom and loyc of justice,
where the Republican party had as
large majority in proportion to its popl-
lation as Kansas or Nebraska had in their
lucid years lFreat laushter, s,;,In ;aImong, 9, thG as
fairs existed, and If the Chinese vote wa.
opposed to the united and intelligent
white vote, the white vote, in some way
and by some method, would govern
Dem. approval.
lie was not Informed that in any South
ern State there was any inclination to
iegislate against the eolorsd
question Of suffrage) there was serious
friction between the races. The time
would surely come when Gf Congress did
not seek to foment trouble) the white
voters of the South would be hardly n
unanimous as they were now.
The signs Of the times pointed mnmis
! takably to serious differences among
them; and when those differences be
come solidilied the colored voter would oC
in demand.
He could afford to wait, so long as h,
was protected in life and property; ant
socould the Republican party wait, II
Republicans had every Southern member
in the next House of Representatives
they would still be short of a majority
Two years from now, when the beneii
sent tariff law had had time to demon
strate its wisdom, they would not nceC
the assistance OF Southern Republican
representation which the bill sought Il
give. But there was another and {
weightier reason why in his opinion, th
bill should be defeated.
For a quarter of century, out from
poverty and despair, the South had beer
reaching forth in an effort to plant II
foot on the solid rock of material pros
perity, and in view of the marvelou
growth and transformation now takinl
place in the Southern States II would, h
believed, be unwisc and umpatrotic 70
vongress TO interfere in the conduct of il
internal affairs.
When Mr.. Wolcott closed there wa
general applause in the galleries and OF
the Democratic side.
Mr.. Stewart then took the floor and ad
dressed the Senate on the Republican
caucus financial measure as reported b.
MIR, sherman from the Financial Com
mittee and his proposed free coinas
amendment thereto.