Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-12-23
A Scheme to Take the Negro
Out of Politics.
SOUTHERN SENATORS TALK IT OVER

As~PubtiSau ,cudtOrS 10 Notc TOT tue meas
ure, Which, he declares, would receive his
hearty support.
Pngh Would Jump at the Chance.
Pugh declares emphatically that the
south would not hesitate one moment to
give up any representation based on the
negro vote IL by so doing it could forever
eliminate the negro AS political entity
This, the senator thinks, is the universal
sentiment OF the southern people and this
he thinks could be done by repeating the
fifteenth amendment to the constitution
and reiegating the powers back to the
states again as il was before the adoption
of that amendment.
Vance SHES at the Idea.
Vance is not so favorable to the proposi-
ton. He says that the whites are numer-
ically the stronger in the Old North State;
that the races are living peacefully to-
gether, and that the whites have nothing
to gain by abridging the negroes right of
suffrage. As an abstract proposition, he is
opposed 10 it. The result would be to in
ject into our body polite large class of
citizens who can neither vote nor be voted
for They would constitute an element of
political as well rs social pariahs. They
would be an incubus upon our material
prosperity. They would have nothing to
appeal to their better instinct.
The Question Now in Solution.
They would lose their manhood They
would be without responsibility, and, as
such, dangerous element in the commun-
ity. The south, Senator Vance says, is
gradually working out this race problem
To happy solution A few years more
and it will be solved completely As the
negro acquires property he becomes a bet
ter citizen. His interest is identical with
the white man. aud with this community
of interest he is quite as desirous of good
government rs his white neighbor is.
Views of Mississippi Statesmen
Representative Stockdale of Mississippi
says that he would be glad to see the ne
gro question taken out of politics in the
south, even If this resulted in his losing
his seat in congress. Representative Catch
ings of the same state said that TO elimin-
ate the negro and accept the reduced rep
Iesentation would be a happy solution of
vexing problem. Public sentiment in
Mississippi, so far as he was acquainted
with it, was in favor of this solution. He
does not believe that the Republicans will
ever adopt such a resolution as Butler pro-
poses TO offer, because it would result in
the political ruin of their party.
Oates Talks of Gerrymandering.
Oates OF Alabama says two-thirds of the
south are in favor of reduced representa-
ton in congress and the electoral college
if, onthe other hand, the hegro population
is taken ont of the apportionment calcula-
ton. He deuies the Republican claim to
twenty or twenty-five districts from the
south, but is willing TO concede them
seven or eight. He acknowledges that the
Democratic Legislatures in Alabama and
South Carolina gerrymandered the states so
that all the black counties were thrown
into one district in each state but SAYS
that gerrymandering is practiced by boil
PARTIES in the north without criticism.
How Mills Looks nj the Matter
Mills says that the question does not
concern him personally, as there are only
7oOU0 negroes in his state. But he saws
that the Republican party will never con.
sent TO disfranchise the negro, even though
The southern representation was decreased
thereby. II the colored vote was eIimi.
mated, New York, PENNSYLVANIA, Ohio,
Illinois. Indiana, Iowa and other states
would be Democratic for the simple rea-
son that the Republican majority in those
states is less than the colored vote. Mich.
igan, Connecticut and Massachusetts
would also be doubtful Republican states.
VOORHEES, ON THE FORCE BILL.
The Indiana Senator Takes a whack Mt
the President.
WASHINGTON CITY, Dec a3.-voorhees
was the Democratic speaker yesterday in
the senate against the force bill. He
spoke at great length. The opening part
of his speech consisted of a criticism of
President Harrison for that portion of his
message to congress urging the passage of
theelection bill. If Mr.. Harrison, he said,
should undertake TO put on the stage "a
school for hypocrisy" he could not do bet
ter than dramatize that portion of his
message that related to fair and honest
elections. The rank corruption of the
presidential election of 1888 was resting.
folded away in blocks of five," and was
still fresh and carefully preserved in the
minds Of the American people He then
read The New York Worlds charge that a
plan had been preached in 1888 to COLOMBO
negroes in Indiana, West Virginia, and
Connecticut, and that Treasurer Huston
had Endorsed it and promised to recon-
mend it To the president
General A rraignmcnt.
The bill now before the senate, he said
which was made an administration meas
ure. would take control (by force If neces-
sary) of the elections of every state. 1t
would do so in the northern and western
as well as in the southern states. II was
assumed in the provisions that the Amer
lean people (without regard to sectiou)
were Tot sufficiently intelligent, virtuous
or honest TO be entrusted with the great
and'etcrnal principles of home rule-seIf-
government. Benjamin Harrison. he said.
had recorded his distrust of the people OF
all the states; and the people ON their part,
in nearly every commonwealth of the
Union. had, with unparalleled unanimity.
recorded their distrust OF him and of his
administration
The Negro In North Carolina
Referring TO the condition of colored
men a. the south, Voorhees, read extracts
rom. Testimony taken before congress
s-onal COMMITTEES IN North Carolina, show
ing positively that there was no discrimi-
nation made against the colored men in
that state; that many of them were pros
Erous land owners; that they had the
same ehool advantages as the whites, and
that they were never interfered with at
elections, but voted the Republican ticket
without interference
Coiored Progress in the south.
He also read the testimony of colored
Republicans of Mississippi to the same
effect, and asserted that, in every one Of
the southern states negroes had received
more and higher political bonors than In
ali the northern states put together; and
that, IN the ownership Of real estate, In
the requirement of property of every de-
scription, and in the possession and use OF
ready money, the colored people of the
south have. he said, man for man, in COM
parison with the scolored people in the
north, beaten their northern brethren ten
times over in the-great struggle Of life
SUPREME COURT DECISION.