Los Angeles herald., 1890-07-01
Proceedings in Both Houses
Of Congress.
Representative Carlisle's Sue
ceSsOr Sworn In.
The National Election Bill Further
Debated.
The Senate Considers the Idaho Bill to the
Exclusion of More Important
Business.
Associated Press Dispatches. |

WASHINGTON, June 3O.-In the house
today Dickinson, of Kentucky, successor
to Carlisle, was sworn in. The debate
on the federal election bill was resumed,
Herbert, of Alabama, being accorded
the floor.
Herbert dwelt on the history of the
reconstruction period, and said at that
time the negro had been taught to dis
trust the southern white man. The
negro was now learning that it was not
for his interest to array himself solidly
against the white man, and the white
man was doing everything in his power
to teach the negro this lesson. If the
south was allowed to work out the prob
lem for itself, the time would soon come
when the negro, being educated as the
white man was, would be able to take
care of himself both as a taxpayer and
as citizen.
Houk, of Tennessee, said his advocacy
of the national election law did not
grow out of any supposed emergency or
necessity, notwithstanding there were
variety of reasons that the power of the
government should be asserted. A
stranger listening to the debate might
think the objection to the measure was
that it would arrest the whole Demo-
cratic party. What harm would result
from an honest election? Had the Dem
ocrats from the south practiced dishon-
est elections so long that it would break
their hearts to have to stop them? 1t
was said the bill would cause race preju-
dice; that it was this the Democrats
were combating. 1t was political preju-
dice. The objection was not that the
colored man was black, but that he
voted the Republican ticket.
Coleman, of Louisiana, announced
himself a Republican, both from convic-
tion and principle; a southern man by
birth, education and association. He
opposed the enactment of a federal cleo
tion law at this time. He would
heartily support national election bill,
if he thought its enactment would Sc
cure an honest ballot. But the suppo-
sition that the passage of such a meas
ure at this time would have this effect,
was based on false impressions and on
ignorance of the true state of affairs in
some portions of the south. He did not
wish to stimulate any trouble, and he
was as certain that trouble and bloodshed
would follow the enactment of
thie legislation, and that the
law would fail in its pur-
pose, as he was that he would vote
against it in this house. He wanted to
see the solidity of the south broken, and
there were signs of disintegration in the
Democratic party of the south. Pass
the federal election law, and the men
now ready to separate from the Demo-
cratic party would 60 back into what
they were told was the white mans
party, rather than risk negro supremacy
The debate was further continued by
Burrows and Chapman, of Michigan,
after which some formal amendments
were agreed to.
The debate was then interrupted and
the Joint resolution extending the pro-
visions of the present appropriation acts
until the pending bills become laws, was
passed.
The election bill was resumed, and
Lehlback, of New Jersey, offered an
amendment providing that the chief
supervisor of elections for every judicial
district shall take such action
as is requisite to secure such
supervision in each congressional
district, as is provided by the laws OF
the United States. If it was desirable
to control congressional elections by the
national government, let it be applied to
every district in this country alike.
Cheadle, of Indiana, favored the
amendment. He said with one or two
exceptions there was not Republican
constituency in the state of Indiana.
If he voted for this measure he wanted
it applicable to the district which he
represented.
Mills, of Texas, spoke briefly against
the bill, and the house took recess.