The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-12-13
the RETORT COURTEOUS.
One Serene and Mighty Senator
May Not Call Another
a Liar
st.
But He May Flatly Say His Fellow
Ia Guilty of False
hood. GN
Explanations and Protestxtions of Esteem
Follow and the Dove of Peace
!. Sercnely Coos.

said he particularly wanted the committee
to give attention to whether some states
had not provided in their constitutions OF
laws such voting qualifications as we're not
permitted by the fourteenth amendment to
the constitution without an abridgement OF
congressional representation. He said the
constitution recently adopted in Mississippi
did impose such qualifications and the
representation of that state should be
abridged. He sent to the clerks desk and
had read the recent inaugural message OF
Gov. Tillman, of South Carolina, which he
said was an official declaration that the
great mass of the colored men of the south
were not fit to exercise tho elective fran.
chise; that the white people of the south
we're in control of the state governments
and proposed to maintain control at all
hazards. These propositions showed
clearly, Dolph said. that the colored people
of the south would not be permitted to vote
as long as they voted the republican ticket
or where their voting would secure republi-
can control.
Vest moved an amendment instructinR
the committee to inquire further whether
by any state legislation any citizen of the
United States was denied the right to work
on any public improvement by reason Of
their color. He read clause from the
recent statute of the Oregon republican
legislature authorizing the building OF a
bridge and providing that only white labor
ers should be employed on the work. Il
might be, Vest said, that the provisions in
tended to exclude Chinese labor, but the
language of the statute excluded Mongol-
ians, Indians and Negroes. The democratic
states had never denied the negro the right
to earn his bread by his honest labor.
Dolph replied, and in further discussion
an allusion to Tillman's message brought
out the declaration from Butler that he
personally was willing to stand by that
message. Dolph said he was informed that
the senator (Butler) himself had threatened
colocrd men in his employ that he would
discharge them if they voted the republican
ticket. Butler replied that whoever
made that statement was guilty of CO.
liberate and willful falsehood. Hoar arose
and said he had made the statement, hay
ing read, within twenty-four hours, in a
public document, the testimony of the sem
ator from South Carolina before a COM
mlttee, in which he said he had told the
colored people on his plantation that he
should dismiss them if they voted the re-
Publican ticket.
Butler-"Then the remark I made ap-
plies, Of course, to the senator from Massa-
chusetts."
Hoar replied that he was not to be de-
TERED from saying what he had to say
either by the manner or behavior of But
ler. Later in the day Hoar referred to the
incident of the morning again and had
read the testimony in question, which was
from minority report made to the house
in 1876. In it Butler is represented as
saying he gave tickets to colored men
and told them they had the right to vote the
republican ticket If they pleased, that they
were free men, but if they exercised that
right and imposed taxes upon him that
would destroy his property and prospects,
he should throw himself back on the same
rights he had and see that they left the
plantation. He intended to inform himself
how they voted. The question was asked:
with view to turning them off if thew
voted the republican ticket?"
Butler-"Not for voting the republican
ticket if they had an honest ticket, but for
voting for thieves and robbers.''
Butter said this testimony was garbled.
He had never seen the report before, but he
said now that he had never at any time at
tempted to influence a single negro on his
plantation in the exercise Of his franchise.
Messrs. Hoar and Butler then expressed
great respect for each other and the matter
drOpped.