Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-26
BEDLAM In CONGRESS.
All Decorum Thrown to the Winds
During a Political Debate.
HARRISON CALLED DOWN HARD
By One of His Own Party for His Neglect
of the COlored Voter.
AN INDIANA MEMBER DEFENDS HIM

tative Henderson, of Iowa, arraigned Presi-
dent Harrison and the Governors of States
for failure to give representation to colored
people in connection with the Worlds Fair.
He was followed by Mr.. johnson, of Indi-
ana, in speech euloglstic of President Har-
rison, denunciatory of the Democratic
party in its treatment of the negro in the
South, and strongly in favor of the force
bill. There was great excitement and con-
fusion during the delivery of Mr.. Johnson's
speech, and the Chairman was at times un-
able to preserve order. Members crowded
into the aisles, raising their voices and
gestieulating wildly, and the House became
perfect bedlam.
After some routine business, the House
went into committee of the whole (Mr.
Lester, of Georgia, in the chair) on the
sundry civil appropriation bill. The first
subject considered was the appropriation
for the Government exhibit at the Worlds
Columbian Exposition. Mr.. Houk, of
Ohio, offered an amendment appropriating
500, 700 to pay the expense of collecting,
preparing and publishing facts and statis-
tics pertaining to the industrial advance of
United States citizens of African descent
from January 1, 1863 to January 1, 1898,
to constitute part of the Government ex-
hibit
Harrison and the Colored Voters.
Mr.. Henderson, of Iowa, said the colored
people of this country numbered about one
eighth Of our entire population, and yet the
evidence taken by the special committee at
Chicago disclosed the wonderful and amazing
fact that neither the President of the United
or Iha cold II with pnorfifoafiop opI
shame), nor the Governor of single State,
nor the Government Commission, nor the
local corporation, nor the Woman's Com
mission-not one of these had given repre-
sentation to these 100000 people.
President Harrison had given them
no representation. He could answer
for himself In all the State COM
missions not one single Governor had
remembered his God and his country and
these people. Not one head of depart
ment, not one chief clerk, not one officer of
that vast army of employees had been Sc
lected from that element of our people 1t
was shame, and he proclaimed it with in
dignation in the American Congress- that
it hadn't been done. He believed there
were two or three petty little places held by
colored men-places that did not rise to the
dignity of barber ''Only this and moth
ing more" The civilized world was inter-
ested in knowing what was coming from
freedom to these people.
Mr.. Holman made a point of order
against Mr. Houk's amendment, which was
sustained by the Chair.
A Defense of the President.
Mr.. johnson, of Indiana, replied to what
he characterized as the remarkable speech" |
of the gentleman from Iowa in regard to |
the failure of the President of the United |
States to appoint a colored man on the |
Board of Management. He did not know |
whether or not the gentleman intended to |
make a reflection on the President He |
did not suppose that he did. He did not |
know whether the President was asked to |
appoint colored men. The President of the |
United States had during his entire life |
been the firm, answering and consistent |
friend of the colored men. 1t ought not to |
be forgotten that the President had stood in |
favor of a just measure of national relief /
which, if passed by Congress, would have
provided for the supervision of national
elections whereby the colored people of the
South would have the right to cast their
votes and to have them counted. The Presi-
dent had stood for the measure known as
the force bill, when men with less courage
failed to stand up tor the pledges of the Re-
publican party.
The allusion to the 'force bill'' brought a
VI bSLuOCrdlS W GIl6lT 16GI, ana Mr
johnson was deluged with questions but
the confusion was so great that the only
query heard was one propounded by Mr..
Richardson, Of Tennessee, as to whether the
President was in favor of the force bill
now.
Harrison and the Force Bill.
Mr.. johnson replied that the President
was in favor of any system of constitutional
legislation that would guarantee to the low
lest man of the South the right to cast his
vote without fear, favor, or intimidation. |
He was surprised in view of the appoint
ments of the President, that the imputation
should be cast against him that in the
distribution of patronage he had not recog-
nized the colored man. He then cited list
of colored men appointed by President
Harrison to important Offices
Then there was a scene of great confusion
in the hall Dozens of members were on
their feet, raising their voices and crowding
into the aisles.
Mr. johnson proceeded in vehement Ian
guage to denounce the treatment of the
negro by the Democratic party of the
Southern States, and, as he was as vehe-
mently contradicted by number of the
members from the South, the House be-
came perfect bedlam-the chair being ut
terly unable to secure the semblance of
order.
Mr.. Enloe, of Tennessee, asked the gen. |
tleman whether, as he had put Harrison in
nomination, he had any objection to giving |
the friends of Blaine and Alger chance
Mr.. johnson replied that he was in favor
of doing for Blaine what the Democratic
politicians in New York who counted him
out had refused to do-give him an opportu-
nifty to be heard.
A voice-How about 1876?
The Hayes-TiIden Controversy Again.
Mr.. Johnson-I am surprised that any
man would repeat that stale lie that Hayes
was fraudulently elected.
Mr.. johnson then proceeded to review
the Hayes-Tilden controversy, and stirred
up a good deal of excitement. The con-
fusion became intense, and nearly every
member was crowding around Mr.. johnson,
who was hurting out his defances vehe-
mentlv and vociferously.
Finally Mr.. McMillin rose to a point of
order, in behalf of the decency of the House, !
as he said that the gentleman should con-
fine his remarks to the subject under con-
sideration. The point was sustained by the
Chair, and Mr.. Johnson was directed to ad- I
dress his remarks to the apreal
Mr. johnson did not obey this direction,
but proceeded with his review of the Tilden
case He spoke only brief time.
Mr. Hooker, of Mississippi, promised his
remarks by the quotation from a speech
made by MI. Garfield, when a member of
the House, that any man who undertook .
again in the history of the American Com
gress to wave the bloody shirt would find
he had no party behind him-North, South,
IHoe 10 IL