Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-03
BILL PASSED
ALL-DAY DEBATE IN THE HOUSE.
strong Speeches Made and Many
sharp Thrusts Given-Hot Words
Between Senators Flood and Fi"n-
agan-Provisions of the Bill.

The General Assembly did not adjourn
without revising and amending the Wal
ton law.
The bill passed by both houses last
night was what is known as the Parker
measure. which differs but slightly from
the bill adopted by the Senate caucus and
subsequently passed by the upper branch.
The discussion Of the DILL in both
personalities were INDUCED in to some
extent The House acted in the afternoon
and the Senate at night.
The bill provides that all tickets shall
be printed uniformly in Roman type;
In presidential elections all electors shall
be grouped under the name OF the cam
didate whom they are to support; that
there shall be no constable. and that the
| judges OF election shall designate one Of
their number to assist illiterate voters
| with power to alternate in the discharge
OF this duty as often as they see fit. Its
other provisions are Identical with the
Walton law.
|
When the election-law question was
taken up in the House shortly after noon
Mr.. Saunders took the floor.
He advocated changes in the present
| law sufficient to satisfy the objections
raised against 1t by the Democrats OF
| the State. and said he was pledged to
his people TO vote for certain changes.
He was. he said, willing to vote for the
Craig bill, but II he couldn't get the
Craig bill. he was willing to vote for
/ some amendatory bill. He certainly ia
vored a change which would wipe out the
| constable feature. Discussing the ques-
| ton of fraud. Mr. Saunders said. as he
| shook his finger over at the opposition,
| 1.-The very people who now loudly decry
| fraud, Will, II given an opportunity, per-
| petrate those same frauds.
| Crime Is crime whatever be Its nature
| and the same law that prosecutes muir
der Is competent to punish robbery OF
| the ballot-box."
Mr.. Coles followed Mr.. Saunders and
! spoke to his bill. and incidentally en-
dorsed the Craigbll. He characterized
| the Democratic party as sinking ship,
and said its machinery must soon give
way before the pressure for fair cleo
TONS The revolution in the State in
| the sole reason so many of the opposition
were members OF the General Assembly.
The speaker referred to General Humid
| ley's reference to negro domination"
| and said he knew, and so did all other
white men In the State, that there was
not shadow OF possibility of the negro
becoming a ruler.
AN EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS.
Mr.. Parks followed the gentleman from
| Northampton. and in the outset said II
II were constitutional he would advocate
| the yiva-voce system. He would also i'm
| pose an educational qualification, and said
| further that II the Constitution were pro-
perly construed no man would now be
| allowed to exercise his suffrage until he
| had paid his capitation tax. The speaker
| favored the Walton law when II was
| passed, ne said, because IL took the voter
away from outside Influence. He charac-
terized the act giving suffrage TO the
negro as cruel, and said the men who
did It ought to live despised forever. for
| when they died not sprig of Gods green
heritage would grow within 10 feet OF
| their graves. He was in favor of the
| Parker substitute, and believed that was
| the only measure so far put forward that
would satisfy the people. He didn't have
any sympathy for the man who couldn't
| read and write
/ II.
Parker substitute. and In a powerful
speech, showed that there was abso-
lutely no consistency in the Republican
cry for fair elections, and that 1t ms an
| ignIs fatui
KEESEEE IN A MIDDLE.
Mr.. Keesee followed Mr.. Thomas In
one of his Characteristic speeches. He
heartily favored the craig bill, and said
| its passage would cause rejoicing in the
PopulIst and Republican camps. He be-
gan charging fraud against the Demo
Gratis. and was asked by General Humid
ley II any fraud was practiced In his
| (Halifax) county ct the last election, and
replied affirmatively He was then knock
ed completely off his feet by General
Hundiey and Mr.. Parker, who asserted
that he had stated before the COM
mittee. when his seat was contested that
the election was absolutely fair Gene
raj Hundley told him that he preferred
to believe his statement before the COM
mittee. and he, therefore, denounced his
last statement on the floor Vf the House
as SANDER.
Mr.. Taliaferro spoke against the Craig
| bill, and was followed by Mr.. Stovall,
who said that though he was nominated
| by Republicans. he was voted for by all
parties, and he represented no party on
the floor of the House. but the people
OF all beliefs. He favored the craig bill
| He was aseked IL the elections in Halifax
were fair, and said, when pressed for a
direct answer by General Hundley. that
they were, and that the Democrats Of
his county would see that fair play was
done.
| Mr.. Parker explained that his substi-
tute would become law within two
! hours II passed by the House, but that
! no other measure under consideration
could be gotten through the Senate.
A vote was taken. and the WII1eon
substitute was voted down.
Afternoon Session.
As soon as the House assembled for
the afternoon session Mr. Randolph Har-
risson introduced a substitute for the
Parker bill. Mr. Harrison spoke Of the
election laws In general, combining himself
largely to constitutional points. He said
he could safely state that no dishonest
vote had been cast or counted In Lynch
burg. There was pronounced sentiment
there against the constable feature OF the
| Walton law Speaking Of the Parker
substitute, Mr.. Harrison said II provided
the same thing as the constable feature.
with thin veneering to placate the
people. He spoke derisively of the sub
stltute offered by the gentleman from
Southampton. and fully explained his
substitute.
HUNDLEY'S HOT-sHOT.
General Hundley took the foor as sooD
as Mr. Harrison concluded, and he re-
Piled to some OF the arguments advanced
by Messrs. Coles and Keesee and. an n
pleasant manner. ridiculed their positions.
lie then directed his attention to Mr.