, 1890-12-13
A WAR OF WORDS.
Dolph's Election Resolution
Discussed in the Senate.
Rafting Setto Between Sena-
tors Butler and Hoar.
House Military Committee Re-
ports Favorably on the Bill
To Revive the Grade of Lieu
tenant General.

WASHINGTON, Dec. IA number of
u~nimportant bills were reported from
committees and placed on the calendar,
after which the Plumb resolution fixing
the hour of daily meetings was taken up.
1t was agreed to after being amended by
sions and making 1t take effect after to-
morrow.
The resolution offered yesterday by
Dolph i~nstructing the committee 90
privileges aud elections to inquire aud
report whether the right to vote at any
election tor presidential elec'ors, mem
bers of congress, legislators, or other
officers, is denied any male citizen Of aLy
state or is abridged except TOR participa-
ton in rebellion or other crime. was taken
up. Dolph said he particularly wanted
the committee TO give attention 10 wheth-
er some states had not provided in their
constitutions or avs such voting qualli-
cations as were not permitted by the
fourteenth amendment to the constitution
without az Arrangement of congressional
representation. He said the constitution
recently adop,cdin Mississippi did impose
such qualifications, and the representa-
ton 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, he said. was an official declaration
that the great mass OF colored men of the
South were not fit to exercise the elective
franchise; that the white people of the
South were in control of the state govern
ments and proposed to maintain control
at all hazards These propositions showed
clearly, Dolph said, that the oolored peo-
pie of the South were not to be permitted
10 vote as long as ther voted the Re-
publican ticket, or where their voting
would secure Republican control.
Vest moved an amendment instructing
the committee to enquire further whether,
by any state lcgislati n, any citizen OF the
United States was deuied the right 10
work on public improvements by reason
of their color. He read a clause from a
recent statute of the Oregon Republican
legislature authorizing the building OF a
bridge and providing that none but white
laborers should be employed on the work.
IL might be, Vest said, that the provision
was intended to exclude Chinese labor.
but the LANGUAGE OF the statute excluded
the Monaghan. Indian aud negro. The
Democratic states had never denied the
ss@.e .bs light 80 earn bic bread by his
honest labor.
Dolph replied. and 10 further discussion
an illusion to Tllmau's message brought
GU the declaration from Butler that he
was perfectly willing TO stand by that
message.
Dolph said he was Informed that the
senator (Butler) himself had threatened
the colored men in his employ that be
would discharge them if they voted the
Republican ticket.
Butler replied that whoever made that
statement was guilty of a deliberate aud
williul falsehood.
Hoar arose and said be had made the
statement. having read within twenty
four hours in a public document the test
mony of the senator from South Carolina
before a committee in which he said he
had told the rolored people on his plauta-
ton that he should dismiss them if they
voted the Republican ticket.
Butler-Hheu the remark | made APP
piled. Of course, to the senator from
Massachusetts,.
Hoar replied that he was not to be de-
TERED from saying what he had to say by
the manner or behavior OF Butler.
The resolution then went oveT until to-
morrow.
The election bill was taken up and
Blodgett and Walthall spoke in opposi-
ton to it.
boar theH referred to the incident of
the morning again and had read the ties
timony in question, which was from a
minority report made to the housein 1879.
In it Butler is represented as saying that
he gave tickets TO the colored men and
told them they had the right TO vote the
Republican ticket il they pleased; that
they were free men. but if they exercised
that right and imposed taxes upon him
that would destroy his property and pros
poets he should throw himself back on
the rights he had and see that they left
his plantation He intended to inform
himself how they voted. The question