The Portland daily press., 1890-03-13
GEORGE ON THE SOUTH.
He SAYS Black Men Are Favored In
Mississippi.

WASHINGTON, March 12.-Fhe Senate to-
day proceeded to the consideration of the
resolution declaring it competent for the
Senate to elect president pro tenn, who
shall hold Office during the pleasure of the
Senate, until another is elected, and shall ex-
ecute the duties thereof when the Vice Pres
ident is absent.
Mr.. George argued against the resolution.
He said that with uniformity of practice,
without break for 100 years, the Judgment of
the Senate had been that the president pro
tenn, elected in the absence of the Vice Pres
ident, should vacate his office on the return
of that officer. The Senate was now asked
to reverse that uniform practice. without the
committee giving the grounds for its recon-
mendation. The meaning put upon the
Constitution by Jefferson, Madison, Clay,
Calhoun, Webster, and all the great men
who had sat in the Senate, sanctioned by a
long line OF precedents, was to be set aside
and alnnulled. to suit the convenience of a
be adopted, and that would be only the set
ting aside of the Constitution in order that
the Senate might be relieved of little in
convenience.
At the conclusion Of Mr.. Georges argu;
ment, MIR. Blair said. as to the educational
bill. he thought that by Thursday or Friday
next week, a vote might be taken. The dis
cussion on this point was participated in by
Messrs. Plumb, Hawley, Platt and Frye, the
latter stating that there was evidently no de-
sire on the part Of the Senators to listen to
speeches on the educational bill. He had
frequently counted as few as seven Senators
present, Mr.. Blair suggesting that perhaps
those were the times when the Senators
were engaged with salmon dinners.
1t was finally arranged that on Thursday
of next week vote should be taken on the
amendments and the bill.
The resolution in regard to the president
pro TEN was again taken up and Mr.. Turpie
moved to amend by making it read that the
president pro tenn shall hold office during all
future absences of the vice president. The
resolution was agreed to without division.
The educational bill was taken up and Mr..
George addressed the Senate in advocacy of
it. He accused the Republicans of melting
in the southern section the dagger and torch.
Even if VIC in the South" he said, "are
not htted for self government, as we are, we
do not need your tutelage" Mr.. George as
serted there was no distinction in the admin
istration of justice in Mississippi except that
the black man had, in the jury box and on
the bench, leniency accorded to him not ac-
corded to the white man. There were GER
tain crimes committed by white or black,
followed by swift and terrible vengeance in
the shape Of mob law. He deplored the
bloodshed which occasionally resulted from
race conflicts, and asked were there no mobs
in California and other western states, where
conflicts were excited by the presence of the
mild MongOlian?
Mr.. Hoar said the Massachusetts plan, the
northern plan, the Republican plan, and the
American plan of dealing with the American
| problem which confronted the country today,
was that where mass of illiterate Ameri-
| can children was growing up. the citizens
| and voters, the soverei 1ns were to provide
the means SO far as possible for curing the
evil. The power of the country and the law
executing power of the country should pro-
tect the right of every American citizen, poor
or rich, foreign or native born, black or
white, to cast the ballot which the constitu-
tion conferred upon him, and have that bal
lot counted.
The Senate agreed to the resolution to ex-
clude from the Congressional Record inter-
polations made by Mr. Call in the report of
the discussion with Mr. Chandler on Februa-
ry goth. The vote was-yeas, SO; nays, H.