Evening journal., 1890-04-24
THE WORK OF CONGRESS
Is the Senate Usurping the
Houses Power?
CONGREssMEN IN WARM DEBATE.

We're ~ treated in the South-The Al
legged Defamation of Arkansas The
Oklahoma Hn Goes to the President.
WASHINGTON, April 24.-The house occu-
pied the day in discussing the legislative,
executive and judicial appropriation bill,
the pending question being on the motion
to strike out the clause providing clerks
for senators. A long discussion ensued as
to the relative rights and privileges Of the
two houses without much reference TO the
pending bill. Mr. Butterworth said that
nine ont Of ten representatives favored
clerks for members Of both houses but they
were afraid TO vote for it when yea and
nay vote was called Mr. Buttelworth said
i he had clerk he would be worth $4,000
year NJ ore TO his constituents
The Cierkship Faction Victorious.
Mr.. Brackinridge tISy) said that under
the present rules the senate was usurping
the power Of the house. and in spite Of its
continuing character was becoming the
leader Of public opinion The senate dis
eussed public matters in public before Che
nation, and so long as it continued to do
this, and the house continued to conduct
its business without proper debate, the SEN
ate would come to be the true representa-
tive Of the people. The house was abdicat-
ing its power day by day. After further
discussion the motion to strike out was lost
yeas, IS; nays, 81.
Republican Postmasters in the south.
Mr.. Kelley (Kan.) started general de
bate as to persecution Of Republican
postmasters and outrages in the south
Speaking to verbal amendment Mr. Kel
ley replied to a remark made by Mr. Allen
tMiss) to the effect that some of the newly
appointed postmasters in Mississippi had
moved their offices out of the towns into
the country. Thinking that there must be
some reason for this, he had gORe to the
postotiice department and had been in
formed that in some places 1t was impos-
sible for Republican postmaster TO secure
location in town, and he was obliged 70
go to the country As an instance of the
manner in which some Republican post
masters were treated in the south. he read
4 letter from w a. Finley, appointed in
May as postmaster at Abbeville. S. c.. who
states that shortly after his appointment
he was set upon by a mob, led by Ward S.
Cothran, son OF Congressman Cothran and
beaten with barbed wire and ordered to
Leave the town.
The q. o. +. and Southern Outrages
Mr. Allen Miss said that there had
never been time in the history Of the q.
@, Z. when southern outrages were more
necessary for the purposes of that party
than they were today It had gone to the
wall on the tariff: Il was busted higher
than kite on civil service; the elections
We're going against it, and if ii could not
carry the election on southern outrages the
q. o. p. were gone.
Mr. Cothran (S % said that there was
Just enough Of fact in the flaming letter
which had been read by the gentleman
from Kansas relative to the Abbeville case
to make out story, There was a town.
and there were some hot headed Young men.
of which his son was one After the war a
northern man had been appointed post
master and served until Arthur's term.
when he died, and his wife, a most estima-
bic and able woman, had been appointed.
Finley had filed an application with the
first assistant postmaster general in which
he had misrepresented and DETAINED the
character of the postmistress. There was
a feeling Of outrage against him.
These young men, not for the purpose Of
doing Finley any harm, went to his house
one night and made some demonstration.
With guilty conscience he had broken out
at the back door and run down to the rail
road track. In Jumping down a cut he had
broken his leg.
The Alleged Defamation Of Arkansas.
MIR. Rogers (Ark.) called attention to the
fact that under leave to print the gentle
man from Kansas had printed in The Rec
ord vile calumnies enthe state of Arkansas,
and asked: Had the gentleman no shame
or decencys no idea OF propriety, no charec-
ter TO lose and nOneito maker It was char
liable TO attribute his conduct 10 mental
depravity that came of unprovoked malice
or OF blind prejudice, that idiotic offspring
OF an impenetrahle ignorance Oufrages
0ccslsred ln all ststes; crime was committed
in all states. Whywas it that only the
south was rnaligned for outragesP IL was
simply for the purpose Of political capital
A 0rfms 40 Tell the Truth.
Mr.. Fe@therston lark )-said that Powell
Clayton and Judge Mcclure, who had been
defeated by bis colleague, in this debate
stood as well with the Republicans OF Ar
kansas as his colleague did with the
Demoeracts. He was not here to defame
Arkansas or slander her people, but it
seemed to be crime to tell the truth II
was an outrage TO say that ballot boxes
were stuffed and that men were assassin
ated and the murderers not arrested When
it was complained that these outrages were
wrong, the only answer was that Powell
Clayton had done the same twenty-five
years ago If to tell the truth was to
slander Arkansas it was necessary and
must be done. That there was not proper
regard for the purity Of the ballot could
not be doubted. The party in. power in
Arkansas rested its power not on the votes
of an honest majority, hut on stuffed ballot
boxes. Pending further discussion the
committee rose and the house adjourned.
In tile Senate.
WASHINGTON, April 24-Mr Reagan adj
dressed the senate in support Of his bin TO
repeal all laws for the retirement Of army
and navy officers with pay. He did so