Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-12-10
The Force Bill.
ABLE REMARKS OF SENATOR TURPIE, OF
INDIANA.

ABLE REMARKS OF SENATOR TURPIE, OF
INDIANA.
On Wednesday last, the hour of 2
O'Clock having arrived, the Vice-President
laid before the Senate as the unfinished
business" the election bill.
Mr.. Hoar said that as he had made few
comprehensive remarks to the Senate when
he reported the bill, near the close OF the
last session, be would not now open the
discussion, but would reserve what he had
to say as a reply to such objections or criti-
cisms as might be made to the bill.
MIR. TURPIE AGAINST THE BILL.
Mr.. Turpie took the floor in opposition
to the bill. The substitute measure rested
for it's support on what was called the sup
pressed colored republican vote in the
South. The returns of the elections
showed an abstinence from votlng-an alb
stinence much greater in Massachusetts
and other Northern States than elsewhere.
The extremists, with meagre majority IN
both houses, said that this was proof
enough of the suppression of the colored
tionzs the whole method of congressional
elections. There had been suppression
a suppression patent, well known, undeni-
able and widely prevalent. The recent
census would show that in the States OF
Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois there were
about $50 600 colored people, yet In those
States no colored man had ever served as
Governor or been elected to any depart.
ment of the State government. Thsre had
been not only no proportional division OF
the offices-there had been none at ALL
Tho colored race in those States had been
deprived of participation in official prefer
ment.
THE LAW OF RACE AND BLOOD.
The colored citizen in these States was
not barred by any constitution or statute;
he was barred by a more potent law-the
law of race and blood. The colored man
in those States had no more chance of pre-
ferment than the Roman Catholic had had
in New Hampshire or Great Britain
hundred years ago. The suppression OF
the colored vote in the South was thing
manifestly in question, affirmed on one side
and denied on the other, but the suppress
sion of the colored voter of the North was
thing without question-actual, absolute,
unconditional. The supremacy of the
white race was not peculiar to any portion
of the United States. South Carolina was
not more completely under its sway than
was Pennsylvania. Its supremacy was not
one whit more firmly established in Texas
and Arkansas than In Illinois and Ohio
NJ UGH might be said of the injustice OF this
supremacy. 1t was easy to write and print
aphorisms, even to give them shape of legis-
lative formulas, that all citizens are equal.
Political rights as between races might be
granted, defined and decreed, but political
equities could only be adjusted by action
That action was every where wanting; it
was everywhere withheld.
SUPREMACY OF THE WHITE RACE.
The supremacy of the white race had not
been brought about by force or fear. 1t
had not been wresled or seized from others.
but it had been given, granted, voluntarily
coded to these deemed for the time most
worthy of it's possession. The man (es-
pecially the man of the White House, who
sought to embroil the white and black
races for a purpose be could not conceal
ard dare not svow was guilty of an out
rage tenfold greater than any of those he
invented or described. The solution of the
race problem was process, not OF ABSTRACT
specU atiop, but Of real experience. Wher-
ever the people of the different races were
laws, members of the same body-politic,
without any othsr thought than that some
must command and others must obey, this
problem was being solved. The purpose
of the national election bill (so-called) was,
SO far az related to the South, to wreck and
destroy this pending condition of inter-
racial adjustment. 1t proposed not to
maintain the will of the majority. but to
overthrow it on the single issue of race-to
make majority of black men, because
they are black, to establish government
Of complexion, not of opinion.
ENMITY BETWEEN THE RACES.
The kernal and purpose of the pending
bill was that the law of the land must be
suborned to set enmity between the white
man and the black man. The bill was not
artfully framed. Its only art was its abso-
lutte malignity. Pass this bill, and the
right of he people to choose their repre-
seDtatives-that right so precious and
priceless to every lover of libsrty-was lost,
lost beyond recovery and beyond recall
He then proceeded to make constitutional
argument against the power of Congress to
pass law regulating the election of Repre-
sentatives in the lower house of Congress.
Not having this power itself, it could not
delegate it to federal election boards
which the lowest forms of fraud and wrong |
would be practiced with impunity.
THE EFFECT IN THE SOUTH.
The effect on the colored constituency of
the South would be most unfortunate. The
negroes, stripped of ali motive for further
self-exeItiop, would become perpetual PEN
sioners on the national treasury. Facile
and Yenal representatives would be ready
"a cOffarG. |
would be levied on the labor of the white
men and women of the North for the sup
port of the negro constituencies, who,
abandoning every thought of self improve
ment, would idly wait for their annual
dole. Tho South had had a period of years
ofrest. 1t had made great industrial progress
and invited Northern capital. This had
been The result of the re establishment of
the normal ascendency of the white race
Should this bill become law the investor
would find in many places in the South not
shares, dividends and income, but chilled
furnaces, idle mills and Smoking ruins
The future would intone a malediction ex-
csedingiy rare and vehement against GER
tain men of oar day who would betray their
own race to subjugation; white apostates,
charred with the bar-sinister; an illegiti-
mate offspring lecrealt to their kindred I
and lineage; beings of perdition, doomed
to Ieproach which would darken in infamy
as the past receded, until time, grown
weary of such fell remembrance, should
cast their mscreant names prey to the
dumb forgetfulness of oblivion.
At the conclusion of his spreech Mr..
Turpie received the congratulations of his
democratic colleagues, and the Senate at
1926 adjourned.
"THE GREAT AMERICAN MEDICINE,
Schurz is the auth Or of