Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-27

IL ObOI00 OlOI AL I'LL,
form above those who surrounded him, the
first ripple was sharp round of hand clap
ping. Then the cheering began, and at
least half of those present arose and waved
their handkerchiefs. The big Speaker
bowed gracefully, and then began his ad-
dress in that keen, far-reaching tone so we'll
known in the Capitol. While he spoke,
dwelling principally upon the negro prob
lem, he was backed by dado of colored
walters, who lined the wall behind him,
breathlessly listening to his words and smil-
ing at his broadest phrases Mr.. Reed did
not refer to his notes, but spoke freely,
though with deliberation, being often
stopped by applause, laughter and cries OF
Good, good" He said:
| Speaker Reeds Response.
Your toast strikes the only possible note of
| continued victory for the American party.
| Continued victory we must have. Not as par
| tisans, but as patriots, Not on the past must
be our reliance, but on the future. If we are
not to-day in the forefront of human progress,
| to have been followers of Abraham Lincoln in
| the years gone by is not an honor, but burn
| ing disgrace. Progress is of the essence of Re-
| publicanism. To have met great emergencies
| as they arose has been our history. To meet
emergencies as they shall arise must be our
daily walk and duty. or we cease to be- Hang
| ing onto old traditions is the business of the
Democratic party, and it does that business
well; we can never rival it
| have not for years been of those who have
talked about the South. For the last eight
| years no man has heard me, in the House or in
| the campaign, discourse upon either outrages
or wrongs murders or shootings or hanglngS
| My silence did noJ arise from any approval OF
| murder, of terrorism or fraud at elections. 1t
| did not arise from any ignorance of facts. or
any doubts of the great wrongs which are per-
Petrated against Government by the people
Until they were aroused, any efforts of ours
would be utterly in vain. In fact, politicians
are only eleventh hour men. They are worthy
of their penny but they never bear the burden
and heat of the day. If they cry aloud before
| their hour, they only turn back the shadow OF
the dial.
The Trials of the South.
1t is known to everybody that the South de-
| nies that cheating is part and parcel of their
elections. 1t is equally known to everybody
that that denial is not true. The South has
passed through many stages. The Ku Klux
FIRST depl6yed its midnight terrors to intimidate
voters Then came the midnight shootings and
banginps: then the bulIdozlne and the driving
of the negro politicians into the woods, in the
darkness of the night At present the murders
have mostly passed away, and the terrorlzing
and the midnight marauders. Ballot box stuff
fng and cheating in the count have taken their
places. Throughout all this variety of wicked.
ness, l call upon you to no.e one singular fact.
against the Government vas most solemnly de-
MED by Southern press and Southern people.
No man denies them to-day.
Let us come at some principles which are
fundamental in this matter. A negro is a citi-
zen of the United States. He has just as much
right to vote and have his vote connted as any
body on earth. That he is poor and ignorant
does not. under the Constitution. put upon his
neck the foot of riches or of intelligence. Man
hood, and not riches-manhood, and not learn;
ing. is the basis of our Government. We would
EQ oil f1 hQ 1aa ID w q
were all rich: but until they become both We
will take the average of all of them as they are.
Nothing less than that would be government
''by the people,"
Justified While Denied.
While the South denies the frauds in cleo
tions the cheatings and ballot-box stufings.
singularly enough they justify them. Why they
defend them if they don't happen, you cannot
understand on the principles of logic, but you
can on the principles of lying. The defense is
that otherwise the white race would be domin-
ated by ignorance. That defense may
do for Mississippi but it will
not do for the United States. In
Mississippi the blacks are the more numerous.
In the United States they are but handful.
If, in the Congressional districts where they
send one of their own color, they could only
muster 30 out of $50. When, therefore, any
Southern gentleman, however eloquent, seizes
on your race feeling. Proclalms the danger OF
his misgovernment, do not for an instant forget
that all that has nothing to do with Federal
elections. If Mississippi be in danger of igno-
rant domination. the United States is not
If cheating at the polls be only pIous fraud
in South Carolina, excusable because the white
,nan is superior in intellect though inferior in
numbers, there can be no such an excuse in
the elections where the white man. with his
superior intellect, is superior in numbers also.
In other words. the excuse. whether it be
bad or good, for cheating at State elections
cannot be spread beyond State elections.
When Federal election is held 1t has nothing
to do with State government, but becomes
United States at large, where there is no possi-
bility of negro domination, ignorant or other
wise.
Entitled to 1t and Need II.
The Republican vote of the South, the Re.
publican party is entitled to- under the Consti-
tuition, whether that vote be ignorant or sensi-
BILE. II ignorant, we need it to Offset the Dem
ocratic ignorance which votes in New York
and other large cities. Why should they poll
their ignorance, and We not poll oursf What is
the remedy? When, last Thursday, in the Sem
ate, the committee in charge reported an en-
largemeDt of the powers and uses OF the United
States supervisors over State elections, the
Senator from Alabama took the unusual course
of declaring, then and there, that such super
vision of the State elections was unconstitu-
tional and would lead to bloodshed and muir
der. and would be resisted by all possible par
liamentary tactics.
Wnat, CneD, Is the remeQyT speak only lOr
myself What say binds nobody but me. and
not even me, if the Republican party prefers
another policy; but, speaking for myself, it
seems to me that the only wise course is to
take into Federal hands the Federal elections.
Let us cut loose from the State elections, DO
our own registration, our own counting and
our own certifcation Then the nation will be
satisfied. Against this course no constitutional
objection can be urged. The Marlborough case
a decision of the Supreme Court, covers it all
over. No objection can be urged against it
on account of sectionaism. 1t applies North
all chickering's The Southern States will then by
themselves grapple with the problem of whether
any State of republic can permanently
enthrone injustice. Freed from all right of
interference except moral and advisory from
the n North, within their own borders, and with
in the limits of their own State rights, they
will have what they have longed for-the pow
er to work out their own peculiar problem
themselves; and venture the prophecy, as l |
sincerely entertain the hope, that the relief
issue, and as the Southern people divide. not
on the color issue but on the questions which |
make up sound politics and good government, |
then, as the Constitution and principles of our |
American system always intended the voter, |
whether white or black. will contribute his |
share to the government of all, and the hopes |
which were at the foundation of all our great |
sacrifices will be finally and completely full |
filed
At the conclusion the Speaker was given |
such hearty Americus ovation, with three |
cheers and tiger, that he felt called upon |
to rise again from his chair and bow his |
thanks.
NEEDS OF THE NEGRO.