Los Angeles herald., 1890-12-13
The Senate Discusses the
Race Question.
DOlph's SOlicitude for the Col
Ored Voter.
Vest Gives Dolph a Roland for His
Oliver.
The Negro Denied the Right to Earn
an Honest Living in Republican
Oregon.
A ssociated Press Dispatches.

piaCcu ou tlo CdiciludI, dlIcT WHICH
Plumb's resolution for fixing the hour OF
daily meetings, was taken up. 1t was
agreed to, after being amended by strik-
ing out the clause for evening sessions.
and making it take effect after tomorrow.
The resolution offered yesterday by
Dolph, instructing the committee on
privileges and elections to inquire and
report whether the right to vote at any
election for presidential electors,
members of congress or legislature
or other officers, Is denied TO any
male citizen of any state, or is abridged
except for participation in rebellion or
other crime, was taken up. Dolph said
he wanted particularly that the commit
tee give attention to whether some states
had not provided in their constitutions
or laws such voting qualifications as
were not permitted by the fourteenth
amendment to the constitution, without
an abridgement of their congressional
representation. He said the constitu-
ton recently adopted in Mississippi
did impose such qualifications, and the
representation of that state should be
abridged. He sent to the clerks desk
and had read the recent inaugural mes
sage of Governor Tillman. of South Caro-
lima, which he said was an official declar-
alton that the great mass of colored men
of the south were not fit to exercise the
elective franchise; that the white peo-
pie of the south were in control of the
state government and proposed to main
tain control at all hazards. These propo-
sitions showed clearly, Dolph said, that
the colored people of the south would
not be permitted to vote so long as they
voted the Republican ticket, or where
their voting would secure Republican
control.
Vest moved an amendment instruct
ing the committee to inquire further,
whether by any state legislation any
citizens of the United States were de-
MED the right to work on public i'm
provements, by reason of their color.
He read clause from a recent statute
of the Oregon Republican legislature,
authorizing the building of bridge,
and providing that none but white la
Dor should be employed on the work.
1t might be, Vest said, that the provi-
sion was intended to exclude Chinese
labor, but the language of the statute
excluded the Mongolian, Indian and ne
gro. The Democratic states had never
denied the negro the right to earn his
bread by his honest labor.
Dolph replied, and in the further dis
cussion, an allusion to Tillman's mes
sage brought out 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
c0lOred men in his employ, that he
-woai1a ii. ssiscs. .aIss them if they voted the
puHiitan ticket.
Butler replied that whoever made the
statement was guilty of deliberate
falsehood.
Hoar rose and said he had made that
statement, having read within the last
twenty-four hours, in a public docu-
ment, the testimony Of the senator from
South Carolina before a committee, in
which he said he had told the colored
people on his plantation that he would
dismiss them if they voted the Repub-
lican ticket.
Butler-Then the remark I made ap-
plies, of course, to the senator from
Massachusetts,.
Hoar replied that he was not to be
deferred from saying what he had to say,
either by the manner or behavior of
Butler.
The resolution then went over until
tomorrow.
The elections bill was taken up, and
Blodgett and Walthall spoke in opposi-
ton to it. Hoar then referred to the in
cident of the morning again, and had
read the testimony i'm question, which
was from a minority report to
"a D,.41
is represented as saying he gave
tickets to colored men and told
them that they had right to vote the
they were free men; if they exercised
that right and imposed taxes upon him
that would destroy his property and
prosperity, he should throw himself
back on some rights he had, and see
that they left his plantation. He in
tended to inform himself how they
voted. The question was asked: "With
view to turning them off if they voted
the Republican ticket?"
Buffers answer was: mot for voting
the Republican ticket; if they had an
honest ticket, but for voting for these
thieves and robbers"
Butler said this testimony was garbled
He had never seen the report before
but said now he had never attempted
to influence single negro on his planta'
tion in the exercise of the franchise.
Messrs. Hoar and Butler then ex-
pressed the greatest respect for each
other, and the matter was dropped.
Jones, of Arkansas, took the floor on
the elections bill, and the senate ad
journed.
House Proceedings.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.-After reading
the journal this morning, the house