Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-12-22
A CHANGE OF NOTE.
Senatorial Music for the Fed
eral Election Bill.
sPooNER UPHOLDs THE MEASURE.

~ YIN AAh VI 1OLOc j M MGA0O hIs
He Claims Few Things for she Repub.
iicans and Criticises the Democratic
Contention--A Dull Week In Congress
ProbsbIe-The Statesmen Hanicr for
Christmas Joys Protest. of Sugar
Expert Against Free sweetenine Too
Big a Hale In The Country's Income
WASHINGTON CRY. Dec. % The Re
publicans seem TO have concluded that de-
bate on the election bill had better not be
left entirely to the Democrats OF the sen
ate. Perhaps the outspoken opposition OF
Stewart OF Nevada Friday had stimulat-
ing effect on them also At any rate
Spooner took the floor Saturday and made
the most extended speech for the bill that
Inns yet been delivered He said that
stranger in the gallery listening to this de-
bate. without any knowledge OF the his
tory OF the country, would be impressed
with the Idea that all love of liberty and
devotion to tue constitution and freedom
from partisanship were To be found on the
Democratic side OF the chamber. He
hoped that gentlemen on the other side
would not assume that Republican sena-
tors were not equally with them lovers of
liberty. He took pride in belonging to a
party whose history had been love of liber-
ty and defence of liberty.
Few Other Similarities.
Senators on the other side constantly as
serted that they spoke for the Anglo Saxon
race. Republican senators were also An
- 90.
gio-Saxons and they would be as unwiIl-
ing as the Democratic senators to dispar
age or degrade the race Gentlemen op-
posing this bill denounced IL as clearly un.
constitutional and spoke of their devotion
to the constitution. He begged them to re-
member that devotion to the constitution
was not confined to the Democratic side.
He begged TO suggest that possibly some
persons might imagine that the fierceness
OF the opposition TO this bin was attribute
ole IN part 10 craftsmanship Senators
ought 10 be willing To eoncede that in the
consideration OF measure of this charac-
ter there was room for AN honest differ
ence OF opinion
The Matter of I'D. miciIiary visits
good deal had been said in connection
with what is called adomiciliary visits
but nothing had been said of the domicili-
AIRY visits of night riders at the south, or
OF the shooting of men and the whipping
of women All the indignation of Demo-
cratic senators had been directed at domi-
ciliary visits involving only.a polite in
quiry by n federal official as to who lived
in the house, 40 as to enable him to Judge
whether persons registered from that
house were legal voters. IL had been said
on the other side that the bill was aimed at
the south IL was in part, but it was also
aimed at every spot in the United States
where, by fraud or force, men who had q
right 10 vote for members of congress were
cheated out of that right
Quotations from Mississippi.
The south, he thought, was where the
bill was specially needed In proof of this
he read extracts from speech made by
Mr.. Chrisnan in the late constitutional
convention of Mississippi, declaring that
since 1919 there had not been fair cleo
ton IN that state; that in plain words,
they (the white people, had been stuffing
the ballot boxes, committing perjury, and
carrying elections by fraud and violence,
until the whole machinery of elections
was about TO rot down. Was it fair for
southern senators to shut their ewes to
and TO say that those from the north who
complained against the inequality which
the southern policy gave TO the house of
representatives, and in the electoral col
lege, were mere partisans, seeking the &C
eomplishment of partisan purposess
Educational Qualifications.
If they did not wish to be led by ignor
ance, there was nothing TO prevent them
from aiontiuO the srriarast lind of ..1,ao
tional test if it were an honest one. If
the constitution of Mississippi had stopped
at the educational test and excluded from
the right of suffrage every man, white or
black, who could not read that instrument,
nobody would have complained of it. But
now the ignorant white voter might have
the simplest clause read to him and be
asked if he understood it. and answering
Eyes, might be permitted TO vote; while
an abstruse clause (as the right of emf
nent domain or some legal aud technical
question: might be read to the coloreG
voter who would be asked to give a rea-
sonable explanation of it. The scheme
was plainly devised to let the ignorant
white man vote, if he voted the Demo-
cratic ticket, and to keep the ignorant
black man from voting unless he voted the
Democratic ticket
Doesn't Consider 1t a Fair Deal
Referring to Stewards speech, and to his
remark that the elections law could not be
enforced in the south, because public opin-
ion would not support it, Spooner re-
marked: "To that complexion have we
come at last? Have we fallen on a condi
tion in our country that calls for preserva-
ton by virtue of the purity of the ballot at
the north, but that we must stop at Mason
and Dixon's line because public opinion in
the south is in favor of dishonest and
fraudulent and violent suppression Of the
suffrage, | cannot believe il.
Same Information Promised.
George said that lac was not in the cham
Der white the constitution OF Mississippi
had been under discussion by Spooner and
could not now reply to his remarks But
he would do so in good time, and in way
that would remove the imputations made
on the constitution by Spooner, and by
Dolph some days ago. Ingalls, thought it
important that some light should be shed
ON the subject TO which George proposed
to address himself He would therefore
read some extracts from speeches of dele
gates to the Mississippi convention and
from editorials of local newspapers on the
subject of the qualification as to the abil-
tty To read or to explain clauses OF the con-
stitutiOn.
Newspaper Reports Read.
ingalls, thereupon read from the Jack
son Miss Ledger report OF some re-
marks made by a delegate at the conyen-
tion, on the qualification clause, which
clause he understood to have been the in
yention of George himself and which was