The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-03-02
WHY HIS SLATE IS DEMOCRATIC
he Tells Senator Spooner that Under
Like circumstances the Wisconsin
senator would Have Done the same.
republicans of the House Ask for
Postponement OF Vote on Porto Rice
Bill Majority Still Divided Request
Granted Upon Conditions.
SENATE.

from Pennsylvania was begun
today by Senator Turley, of Tennessee,
IN a constitutional argument against
the seating Of Mr.. Quay. Consideration
or the Hawaiian government bill
brought out a lively discussion betwe cen
Senator Tillman, of South Carolina,
and Senator Spooner, of Wisconsin, in
which the former admitted that ballot
boxes had been stuffed and negroes
had been shot in the south to maintain
white domination. An amendment was
made to the bill striking out the prop
erty qualification for voters for mem
Ders OF the Legislature, but little other
progress was made. Senator Frye, of
Maine, reported the shipping subsidy
bill.
Senator Turley, who e prepared the
majority report of the committee on
the Quay resolution, then spoke. He
SAID the governor under the constitu-
tlon, was powerlesS to fill the vacancy
and his action was lin the teeth of
every provision of the constitution
bearing on the subject" He then en-
tered upon a detailed discussion of the
constitutional and technical points in
VolVed in the case, his desire being. he
said, to present every legal phase of
the question.
On unanimous consent the case was
then postponed.
When the Hawaiian bill was taken
up, Senator Cullom offered minor
amendments n one striking out the
property qualifications of those who
desired to vote for representatives and
senator's in the Hawaiian legislature.
Senator Tillman argued that his
amendment substituting the suffrage
nrnIICInn Of thu 1..L
Carolina was in all senses a better
provision than that offered by the COM
mittee reporting the bill. Senate Till
man said:
THE people of South Carolina, in
their constitution, a lone their level
best to prevent the 'niggers' from vot-
ing. What / now ask you to do is to
give the Kanakas and Portuguese of
the Hawaiian islands the same power
OF suffrage IS we in South Carolina
have given the 'niggers.'"
In reply to a question of Senator
Spooner, Senator Tillman said that the
5000 property qualification had been put
into the South Carolina constitution
for the benefit of the negro.
M provision was needed for the
whites" said Senator Tillman. be
caus" the whites would get through
any low. We have some conscience in
the south a. to treatment of the mig
gel. lou nave Deen Sneerlng at us a
long time and. don't like it."
Senator Spooner deprecated a discus
sion of the racial question and added:
THE senator has said that the people
of South Carolina rave sedulously ex-
cluded the negro vote. They are now
accomplishing their purpose through
the state constitution, but they did not
always do it by constitutional amend
ment."
Adverting to the pending amendment
of Senator Cullom, Senator Spooner
said: Il don't like a property qualifca-
ton for voters. There is something of
reason in an educational qualification,
but manhood suffrage is one thing and
dollar suffrage is quite another" He
then appealed to Senator Tillman to lay
aside the bloody shirt.
Senator Tillman replied that his only
reason for rehabilitating the bloody
shirt before it was finally and irrevo-
cably laid at rest vas that he wanted
the position of the southern people to
be understood. I'm getting tired Of
these taunts inc sneers,' said he.
You won't let us alone"
The senator won't let us let him
alone" suggested Senator Spooner
amid laughter.
I'm every state" said Senator Till
man, where the whites have divided
politics between the democrats and
P3iio oIlo i L II 81 III every SOulH-
ern state except South Carolina, the
'niggers' hold the balance of power. As
such they stand there as a menace to
a pure suffrage and to good govern
ment because they are. a purchasable
quantity, educated or ~uneducated.
I'VE are charged with fraud and cor
ruption and ballot-box stuffing. Final
ly, after the %bayonets had come to us
again in 1876, we rose in righteousness
and might. We took the government.
We stuffed ballot boxes; we bulldozed
the 'niggers,' and we shot EN-. And we
are not ashamed of it,"
Leaning over toward Senator Srooner
and shaking his finger at the Wiscon-
sin senator. Senator Tillman said:
What would you have done? You
would have dor the same thing;I see
it in your eye" Laughter.)
The amendment offered by Senator
Cullom was finally adopted. So too,
was the amendment of Senator Plat,
of Connecticut, which has been pend
ing for several days, relating to the
appointment and tenure of office of
the judges Of the Hawaiian courts.
Senator Butler, of North Carolina, Of
fered IN amendment restoring to
Hawaii the postal savings bank sys-
tenn.
without concluding the discussion
Of the amendment the senate. at Sis
| o'clock D. m. adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
The general debate on the Porto
RiCan tariff bill in the house today was
| extended until tomorrow night, on an
| nouncement Of Mr.. Payne, of New
| York, the floor leader, that no compro
mise had been made with the dissatis-
fed republicans.
When Mr.. Payne preferred the re-
| quest for the extension Of time, Mr..
/! Richardson, the democratic leader.
| said: This is a remarkable request to
| come from the majority. We construe
il to be a frank and candid confession
that they have brought here a bad bill,
| and an admission in open house TO the
! country that they have not votes
| enough to pass it"
The democrats, he continued. were
always magnanimous. They would not
strike their foes when they were down.
He demanded, however, as a condition
to an extension a night session tomor-
row night and permission to offer a
substitute in the house on Wednesday