New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-05
4 COLORED MANS ELOQUENCE.
MIR. MURRAY HOLDS THE CLOSE ATTENTION
OF TIE HOUSE.
HE MAKES A VERY ABLE ARGUMENT IN THE
DEBATE OVER THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS
LAws-IIsTENED TO CLOSELY
BY DEMOCRATS.
fsY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBrSE.l

fBY TELEGRAPH TO TRIBrSE]
Washington, oct. At seems pity that stateS-
mon like benson, of Alabama Kyle. OF MISSISSIPPI
Champ Clark of Missouri; Dinsmore OF Arkansas;
Rlack of illinois, and others who might be Named
and all of whom excellent men In their way
should appear at disadvantage In such oeoa'e
as that which is now in progress In the House Vi
Representatives. when compared with Murray VI
South Carolina who late this afternoon began a
speech on the pending bill to repeal the Natohai
Election laws That he did not conclude 1t was
owing TO the interposition OF Mr.. Biancharu Vi
Louisiana, who on account OF the latehess Vi INC
hour expressed the hope that Mr. Murray wouId
Weld for motion to adjourn when 'he h'tci
cautiously did OF course 1t is not probable that
Mr. Blanchard's acton prompted by the de-
s,re or suegestion of any Southern Democrat that
he needed eighteen hours in when 10 prepare an
..mpromptu" reply TO Mr. Murrays Speech al
though that is by no means beyond the bounds
Of possibility.
II one may fairly judge OF the entire speech by
the norton w hch was delivered to-day 1t was en-
nhat,cally one OF the ablest arguments thus far
submitted Although MIR. Murray passed the hrst
fourth or more Of his life In condition OF slavery
and despite the fact that he did not learn the
alphabet until he thirteen years DID, he ~ not
an uneduoated man. ana. as his speech to-day
showed he possesses not only logical mind. but
very con siderable powers OF eloquence-eloquehco
of the sort to which men instinctvely respond on
account of its earnestness and evident sincerity.
After listening to the raning and the hyperooHcai
rhetoric and witnessing the transparent attempts
TO dodge the real question: as well as otner ahcs'
in which Democrats from the South have INDUCED
during the last few days. II was an immense "A
nrofound relief TO hear a Southern man discuss the
questions involved in the pending measure IN the
calm common-sense and straightforward tone anu
manner In which they were discussed by Mr.. Muir
ray to-day. He spoke az patriots speak. ana out
of the fulness Of his heart But there was not a
| Th.rn Wa IN l.
guage If anybody will take the trouble to COM
pare the "constitutionar' argument Of Mr. Tucker.
of Virginia. who opened this debate. with the plain
argument OF Mr. Murray. who Is not ana does not
profess TO be a lawyer. on the constitutional issues
involved he must invountarily decide that the
latter has altogether the better Of the polished
Virgnan.
II ever an argument went to the core OF SUBJECT
Murray's did to-day. and the applause with which
he was rewarded again and again by hard-headed
LAWYERS as he drove the truth home showed that
they fully appreciated the points he made. No
man ever spoke in the House Of Representatives
who was listened 10 more attentively, and 1t Is due
TO the Democrats who were present TO say that II
they did not applaud they did not openly dissent.
and they listened quite as attentiVely as did the
Republicans. II they expected to hear utterances
| that could be made use OF to fire the Southern
heart for the benefit of the Democratic state ticket
in Virginia they disappointed 1t Is true that
Mr. Murray described IT. graphic words the condi'
ton Of political affairs In South Carolina ana some
other Southern States. and that he spoke under
keen sense Of the solemn and peculiar responsibility
that rested upon him "as the sole representative IN
this body OF so many millions OF our feilow-citi-
zens" but there was rancor in his language tone
| manner. T., nj. s,o.ch
Perhaps the most singing sentences In ms speech
were those in which after saying that Sou,he.n
Democrats might find some excuse ior th' acss
which had produced the existing political cohui,ohs
I'm several Of the Southern States 1t was incompre
hensihle 10 him how Northern Democrats. mer,
from the free States" could lend their voices ana
their votes TO maintain and perpetuate those con
di,,nrs and svccp away the last safeguard or free
and honest elections In the South. The northern
"doughface'' seldom receives a harder rap or one
more richly deserved than Murray gave him
The other speeches Of the Day were hn ho d,d no,
seem TO be able to speak on the pending pii WIN.
out wandering into an irrelevant dscussio on, vi
the silver question the course OF when ne cnlde
the Republican minority in the House peGhhse ,h II
| mpossible when that question was before that
civ akG