The morning call., 1890-12-13
CONGRESS.
THE SENATE.


Butler Of s5uth Carolina Uses Hard Language
to Hoar.
WASHINGTON, Dec PA number of i'm
portant bills were reported to the Senate
from committees and placed upon the cal
endar, after which Plumb's resolution fixing
the hour for daily meetings was taken up.
1t was agreed to after being amended by
striking out the clause for evening sessions
and making it take effect after tomorrow.
The resolution offered yesterday by Dolpf,
inst1ucting the Committec-On Privileges and
Elections to inquire into and report whether
the right to vote at any election for PEesi-
Dental r Electors, members of Congress, Leg
islatIre or any 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 the
committee to give attention to whether
some States had not provided in their Con-
stitntions or laws such voting qualifications
as were not permitted by the fourteenth
amendment TO the Constitution without an
abrldgement of the Congressional repre-
senta,ion. He said the Constitution recently
adopted in Mississippi did impose such
qualifications, and the representation Of
| tnat 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 we're in control of
the State Governments. and proposed TO
maintain control at all hazards. These
propositions, showed clearly, Dolph said.
that the colored people of the South were
not to be permitted to vote as long as they
voted the Republican ticket, or where their
voting would secure Republican control.
Vest moved an amendment instructing the
committee to inquire further. whether by
any State legislation any citizen Of the
United States was denied the right to
work on public Improvements by reason of
color. he read clause from a recent
statute Of the Oregon Republican Legisla-
ture authorizing the building of bridge and
providing that none but white laborers
should be employed on the work. 1t might
be. Vest said, that the provision was in
tended to exclude Chinese labor. but the
language OF the statute excluded the Mon
golian, Indian and negro. Democratic
States had never denied the negro the right
to earn his bread by his honest labor.
Dolph replied, and in further discussion
an illusion to Tillman's message brought out
the declaration from Butler that he was per-
feetly willing to stand by that message.
Dolph said lie was Informed that the
Senator (Butler) himself had threatened the
coiored men in his employ that he would
discharge them If they voted the Republican
ticket
Butler replied that whoever made that
statement was guilty of deliberate and
wiIlful falsehcOd.
Hoar arose and said he had made the state
ment, having read within twenty-four hours,
in public document the testimony of the
Senator from South Carolina before a CON-
mittee, in which he said he had told the
colored people on his plantation that he
should dismiss them if they voted the Re-
publican ticket
Butler-Then the remark I made applies
of course to the Senator from Massa-
chusetts.
Hoar replied that he was OF to be deferred
from saying what he had to say either by the
manner or behavior Of Butler.
The resolution then went over until to-
morrow.
The Elections Bill was taken up and
Bloogett and Walthall spoke in opposition
to it.
HOar then referred to the incident Of the
morning again, and had read the testimony
IN question, which was from minority re-
port to the House in 1878. In it Butler is
represented as saying he gave tickets to the
coiored men and told them they had a right
10 vote the Republican ticket if they
pleased, that they were free men, but if
they exercised that right and imposed taxes
upon him that would destroy his prosperity
and prospects, he should throw himself
back On some rights he had and see that
they LETT his plantation. He intended To in
form himself how they voted.
lie question was asked, with a view to
turning them off If they voted the Republi-
| can tcket2"
futler-Not for voting the Republican
ticket II they had an honest ticket, but for
voting for these thieves and robbers.
,butier SAID this testimony WAS garbled.
de had never seen the report before, but
said now he had never attempted to influ-
encc single negro on his plantation in the
exercise of the elective franchise.
Messrs. Hoar and Butler then expressed
the greatest respect for each other and the
matter was dropped
Jones of Arkansas took the floor ON the
Elections Bill and the Senate adjourned.