The St. Johns herald., 1897-02-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Senator Tillman and His Little
 PitchfOrk-Other Notes.

PitchfOrk-Other Notes.
 From Our Regular Correspondent
 WASHINGTON, D. O., February s.
 Senator Tillman has got out his pitch
 fork and he is going to use it If the re-
 publicans try to throw out the electoral
 vote of South Carolina on the protest
 that is going to be made by Murray,
 the negro member of the house from that state, when the house and senate meet this week ID joint session to count the electoral votes. Senator Tillman said on the subject: "1f Mckinley is going to be inaugurated on the 4th of March. the joint convention has got to count the vote of South Carolina. If the republican party wants to make an attack on the constitution of the state, 1t must make IL on some other ground or in some other manner than by en- dsayoring to prevent he counting of that my preference is fer seeing Mir. Mckinley president rather than to sea the presidential function exercised by Secretary Olney, as it will be after the 4th of March, if the effort is made to deny South Carolina the right to vote." The following significant language was used by Representative Mccall, of Mas- sachusetts who is republican and chairman of the Election committee. which has charge of the contested elec- lin iv I0 congress "It is true, apparently. that the election laws and constitution of South Carolina disbar large propor- ton of the population from voting, but it seems to be the illlterate ones who arc disfranchised. There IS question ln the minds of many intelligent men whether this is not wise plan if con- additionally enforced and carried out according to law. A full generation has passed since the colored men were eufranchised, and do not know how long they can expect us to coddle them and fight to secure.thelr electoral rights while they neglect to learn to read and write"
 Nobody was surprised when the senas tors who have been pushing the Nicar- aeua Canal bill decided to give up the fight. At no time during the present session has the bill had the slightest chance of getting through the house, even if passed by the senate. It could have been passed by the senate not Withstandlng the protests of Nicaragua but it could only have been done by a protracted fight, which would have re- suited in preventing action by the sem ate upon other legislation.
 Senator Daniel has made point ! sRaIust the arbitra tiCr treaty which ] wsy result in arraylng he silver sena- i toys solidiy against its ratification. The ! p0int is thatifthe United States should !! adopt the free coinage of silver while that treaty was in force, England could | put Tn claim for the difference between | the value of principal and interest of American debts held in England under the new system of double standard and under the present single gold stand ard. and if majority of the arbitra- tors happened to be gold men would probably get decision in favor of the claim.
 4 marked feature of the contested election cases decided last week by the house was that the democrats who held the seats were upheld by the republican ajority. The democrats so honored were Representa- Swanson, of VIr- ginia; Kendall, of Kentucky, and Price and BoaLner, of Louisiana. Tom Watson's contest has been decided against him and in favor of Represen- tatlve Black, and will this week be de- cided the same way by the house.
 Canada has sent two members of It's to Washington to offer liberal trade concessions in exchange for du- ties Tn the new tariff bill that will not shut out Canadian agricultural prod ucts, but it looks as though they would just as we'll have remained at home so far as accomplishing anything goes.