Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-06-30
TALK IN THE HOUSE
McComas and Bland Make
Things Very Lively.
A NOISY AND wRATHFUL DISPUTE.


Canal-Re-Count Ordered for Minneap-
olis-What Was Done In Congress Sat-
urday-The Crop Report.
WASHINGTON CITY, June 30-McComas
opened the debate Saturday in the house
on the national election bill, and for time
during his peech the house was regular
menagerie at feeding time. fornoise Bland
twitted him for saying nothing when the
power of local government in the District
was taken away, which Bland interpreted
as DISTINGUISHING the colored men of the
District. There was great uproar for
time, during which McComas could be
heard above the din declaring that when
the gentleman from Missouri stood on this
aoor and affected an interest in giving
suffrage to 5000 or 10000 black voters of
the District, and when he recalled the fact
that the gentleman during his long serv-
Ice here had never raised his voice in be-
half of the 100000 or 10000, 900 of poor
and oppressed black men in this country,
he felt like saying, in the language of the
Scriptures; "Thou hypocrite, first cast the
beam out of thine own eye"
Bland's Hot Retort.
Bland denounced McComas as unwor-
thy of confidence, and vehemently de-
clared that it was he and his colleagues
who were the hypocrites in pretending for
party purposes an unfelt interest in the
negro. At this point the uproar became
| 80 great that nothing could be heard save
the commingled Shouts of the debaters
and the rapping of the speakers gavel.
When quiet was finally restored Cum
mings of New York spoke against the
| measure
Cummings Refers to Massachusetts.
Cummings said that when George S.
| Boutwell, ran for. congress the manufact-
urers had posted notices tSat those failing
to support him would be discharged Yet
| Massachusetts, had purged herself of this
blot without judicial interference, he be-
lieved. Federal law would have pro-
longed the contest for purity of elections.
Admitting that the charges against the
south were true, was she not as capable of
purifying herself as Massachusetts,? Why
apply the red-hot iron to the cicatrized
sore. But while election frauds were be-
ing talked about, it should be remem-
bered that Republicanism was a synonym
for fraud.
| Republicans Charged with Fraud.
They were guilty of frauds in 20, in
Montana last year, and in this house in
this session in turning out elected mem
bers. Referring to Reeds speech at Pitts
| burg he said that Reed felt that he was
required 70 rise above principle for the
benefit of party. He thinks 1t proper that
the blacks ought not to control their own
local government, but rsserts the right Of
| the Republican party to have his vote in
its favor at the national election. He toll
crates negro prescription for state pur-
1 poses and denies it when the domination
| of his party is at stake.
/ Henderson on Hem phiirs Speech.
| Henderson of Iowa read from the speech
of Hemphill the passage declaring the
whites must either rule or leave the
| south, and that they would not leave it.
lie wanted no further proof than that
declaration that the blacks of South Caro-
lima would not be allowed to exercise the
/ rights guaranteed by the constitution.
| This declaration meant defiance of the
will of the majority, and defiance of the
constitution. He felt warranted in saying
that it was as dangerous as armed re-
bellion, and he meant it. The shotgun,
| the dagger, was to protect the south from
constitutionally enacted laws If they in
terfered with Democratic political con-
| troll
Hot Blast at the Democracy.
\ Under God he declared that Grover
| Cleveland had no right to his seat in the
White House, and that the Democratic
party had not had an honest majority in
the house in twenty-five years. He
| wanted to say that before he should con-
sent that a minority should govern ma
| jority he would favor the protection of
every ballot by killing bullet APP
! plause. The house had been told that
| what was needed was not q new south,
but a new north. They would get it. The
| north had peacefully and patiently sub
rnitted to this injustice. The people of the
north. had seen their fellow-countrymen
butchered on the altar of liberty A new
north was at hand which would enforce
| the law and the rights of every citizen.
A Republican In Opposition.
| The next speaker was Republican,
Ewart of North Carolina, and like LehI-
bach of New Jersey he was not in har-
| mony with his fellow partisans. He said
he was aware of the penalty he would
ha We TO pay for his opposition. Unfortu-
netely politics had come TO such a pass
that under the rule of King Caucus men
in their hearts they did not believe in
They knew deep down in their hearts that
this was as damnable and vicious piece
OF legislation as over was put on the stat
ute books. AS to the negroes political
rights, speaking for his own state, he I'M
hesitatingly asserted that no Republican
| tn the state black or white, was prevented
from casting his vote. The elections there
were absolutely fair.
Very Few Negro Republicans.
He was sick and tired of the sentimental
talk of the negro problem. There was no
such problem. 1t was delusion to sup
pose the negro was voting the Repub-
loan ticket solidly. He was doing moth
ing of the kind. Many of them were vot-
Ing tho Democratic ticket; and it was get
ting more and more difficult every year
for the Republican party to control the
negro. He had no hesitation in saying
that not three tsnths of the negroes of the
south would vote for the Republican party
If an election were held tomorrow. As
to the talk of no Republicans coming up
here from the south, why, North Carolina
sent as many Republicans here as the
great state of Indiana. [Laughter.l
Greenhalge on Rip Van Wrinkles.
Greenhalge of Massachusetts said the
objections made to the bill were worthy of
consideration. They were interesting, il
not original or instructive. Some of them
resembled Rip Van Wrinkle. They had
slept twenty years. but had not, like Rip,
awakened: He had yesterday listened to
Vaux, and he dryly added: 81 have now
dropped the subject of Rip Van Wrinkle.
Comparisons are odious"
THE CONGRESSIONAL BRIEF.