The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-05-06

pride and self-respect have perished e
utterly, he must learn To malign the
land where his mother rocked his
cradle and slander the people among
whom he was born. Applause A
few years ago the contestant stood
in his place in this House and de-
nOunced as false and slanderOus a
TRADE of abuse against the people Of
his own district.
He stands here to-day to repeat
the very accusations he then de.
nounced, against the very people he
then defended, amid the plaudits Of
the very accusers he then opposed.
Renewed applause.l tits hard, Mr..
Speaker, to believe that it is the
same person who has appeared IN
these two roles; and yet in all essen
tial particulars they are one and the
same. When this contestant ceased
to rant about negro domination aud
began to cant about purity of cleo
! tiOns, he changed his methods with
out changing his character. / say to
the honorable gentleman, the mere
! fact that he has added his voice to
that of the defamers of his people
lends neither truth nor dignity to
the slander. II can not elevate to q
plane of respectability the calum-
niators of his country, though he
may easily and by IA very short step
descend to the level.
| stand here, sir, to repeal the
assaults made upon my people from
whatsoever quarter they may come,
TO refute the accusations against
their honor and good name by what
soever lips they may be uttered; ; and
having done that, am ready to ac-
cept with a light heart whatever
verdict the House may choose to
record. Side by side with that ver-
dict shall stand the testimony and
the law, which shall vindicate or
put to shame the action of this
House. Applause.
1t has been said, Mr.. Speaker, with
grave Injustice | hope, that every
step in the trial Of contested. cleo
ton case is but Il mockery Of law
and of legal procedure; that at last
the question is decided upon con
sideratiOus of party interest or Of
party prejudice, and that all these
tedious and costly proceedings are
but barren and empty fOrmalities,
the mere husks and shucks of the
law, in which there is no kernel of
justice and no grain of right.
If | should assume, Mr.. Speaker,
as | do not and shall not, that the
dominant party in this House would
be controlled by such Con5ideTa-
tions, that it would be influenced by
some sense Of political obligation
incurred, that it would be governed
by the absurd and prepOsterous be-
lief that political or party advant-
age is to be gained by seating this
contestant, then | should have
frankly to admit that | have moth
ing which can oppose to such q
motive. must frankly say to this
House that in the last campaign,
with all my heart and soul, L sup
ported the nominees aud the plat
form of the Chicago convention.
Applause on the Democratic side.
expect to do the same thing in
1900. Renewed Applause
: Politically speaking, there is not
and can not be any common ground
between myself and the majority Of
this House. | can not come to you
and say that in the last campaign,
while publicly proclaimed myself
supporter of the regular Demo-
cratic organization, | was secretly
t false to my public professions. [
t can not appeal to you on the ground
that, while [ was Democrat every
day, was Republican every night.
J can not appeal to you by saying
that, while | prOclalme myself a
, supporter of Bryan at the front door,
| was for Mckinley in the back
alley. Laughter A man can not
/ be the kind of IA Democrat | am,
) Mr.. Speaker, and aid the Republi-
can party any more than he can be
3 the kind of Republican you are and