The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-27

Now, for myself, before the people of the
United States and before God, in all rever-
ence, / swear we will not leave 1t. ZAP
plause. IL is the home Of our fathers,
There their bones lie buried They bought
it with their blood when Concord aud Lex
lngton were the battlefields Of this country.
They have handed it down to Us unim-
paired; and, gentlemen, are we not our
fathers sonsl Shall the blood first turn
back in our veinsi Shall we transmit to
coming generations great and noble state
which has been overruled and down n-trodden
by a race whom God never intended
should rule over usi do not
hesitate to say the colored man has as
many rights as I have; but he can't have
his rights and mine too; and this law Is
intended TO put him again in control of the
southern states; intended to awaken that
race problem which is fast dying out; in
tended to bring about again that constant
clash between the colors in the south which
will retard its growth and which will be
destructive Of the very principles Of human
government.
Ex-Gov. CHAMBERLAIN's VIEWS.
Mr.. Hemphill then read from a recent
address by ex-Gov. Chamberlain Of South
Carolina republican,. in Boston, TO show
what former governor and republican
thought of the negro situation in the south.
men IN the north. They did not want to,
and would not believe anything the south
might say. But there were many people in
the country who believed In its honesty,
and he had no doubt that "when we
pass back of the politicians and get to
the great body Of American people
and have stated to them honestly and fairly
the truth with reference to the southern
country and the black man in it; when they
q Va nd nEaf< tha ~hA1a a..Na ln.~
come to conclusion, I have no doubt they
will render an honest and righteous verdict,
and whatever their verdict may be, as COM
mon citizens of common country, pledge
the people of the south to accept it as
the final arbitrament of this moral
problem, and relying upon Him who
Is a God Of justice, we will
60 forward in the greet work Of life before
us and endeavor to perform our whole duty
to this country, honestly, patriotically and
faithfully" Mr.. Hemphill was loudly ap-
plauded by the democrats as he sat down,
and nearly all Of them pressed forward TO
congratulate him.
RoWELL AsSAILs THE SOUTH.
Mr.. Rowell of Illinois said that after the
presentation Of the case by Mr.. Lodge the
republican side might well afford to rest
the debate, and after the eloquent speech of
Mr.. Hemphill all sides of the House ought
to cry aloud for the passage of the bill; but
he proceeded to speak at length, asserting
that the necessity for the bill arose chiefly
from the condition Of affairs in the south,
and. upon being challenged for specifica-
tions by southern members, gave instances
in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and
Arkansas. His assertions were disputed by
gentlemen from those states so constantly
and stubbornly that at times two or more
members would be speaking at once. Mr.
Rowell, however, held the floor, and abated
nothing of the sweeping character of his
charges.
POWER OF CONGRESS.
Mr.. Rowell said he would not discuss the
constitutional question of the power of con-
gress to enact this law. It was res ddjudi-
cata, and he would not waste the time Of
the House in talking about it.
But the fact that congress had
the power was conclusive of the necessity
of using that power. If frauds against the
ballot were occasional and sporadic-the
work of criminals-it might not be so; but
if they were general and continuous, and If
the people were unwilling or unable to cope
with the crime, then it should not only be
the duty, but the wish of every representa-
tive of the people to use whatever power
was found in the federal constitution to cor
rect the wrong. The number was
not few of those who believed
that six years ago President Cleveland was
counted into the presidential chair by cor
rupt officials at the polls In his own state.
TO say nothing of the suppression of votes
in all the southern states, and the number
was increasing every day of those who be-
lieved it. If they believed it to be a fact,
ought it not to be the duty of the people to so
conduct elections as to make it impossible of
belief in the futures
SUPPRESSION OF THE BLACK VOTE.
1t was in northern circles believed that
the black vote Of the southern states was
suppressed, and the fifteenth amendment
nullified. If that belief was not true it was
the purpose Of the bill of insuring to every
man, no matter where he lived, or of what
color, free ballot. The constitution guar
anteed that. The members took the oath to
support that constitution. Did they do it with
mental reservations as to some sections?
he affirmed that the belief that the black
vote was suppressed in the south was well
founded. And, moreover, it was the ex-
pressed intention of the men who constituted
that section of the country that the suppress
sion should continue in spite of the law. A
man of wealth might forget election
day, but the common citizen, who
at the polls knows he is equal
with any man, never willingly stayed away
on important occasions Whenever you
found great body of men absent from the
polls on election day, you might set it
down as truth that they were not away by
their own consent; that something improper
had been done then, or at some preceding
time, to keep them away.
OATES DENIES THE STATEMENT.
Mr.. Oates of Alabama-I deny your state
ment, and know Of my own knowledge that
it Is not true.
Mr.. Rowell replied that he did not care
to handy words as to the gentleman's knowl-
edge, but he undertook to say that it was
the universal experience and observation of
unprejudiced men. He knew how neces-
sary it was to deny that conclusion, be-
cause only on that denial could there be an
accounting for the almost total absence
from the polls of black men in many south
ern states. Had the black man
voted in South Carolina at the last
presidential election a majority Of $4,000
votes would have been cast for the republ-
can electors, and there would have been a
solid republican delegation in this congress.
Yet the total vote was but 76, ,365-less than
IL 900 to the congressional districts; and the
total republican and scattering vote was
only 10, 460-7, 900 of which was cast in one
district
OTHER STATES ALLUDED TO.
Mr.. Rowen proceeded to refer in sim
liar strain to other southern states. An
allusion to Arkansas brought Mr.. Peel to
the front with statement that in his dis
trict elections were fair; that there was no
charge to the contrary, although his vote
aggregated but 5000.