Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-27
TILLMAN DEFENDS HIS STATE.
'Stufed Ballot Boxes and shot Men
and Not Ashamed of LIZ,

The Senate continued to debate the Ha-
Waiian bill yesterday afternoon until after
3 O'Clock. After The Stars report of the
proceedings was closed Mr. Tfllman argued
that his amendment substituting the suf-
frage provisions of the constitution of
South Carolina was in all senses a better
provision than that offered by the commit
tee reporting the bill.
Mr.. Tillman said: The people Of South
Carolina. in their constitution. have done
their level best to prevent the 'niggers' from
voting What L now ask You to do is to
give the Kanakas and Portuguese of the
Hawaiian islands the same power of suf
Irase as We in South Carolina have given
the 'niggers.'"
In reply to a question of Mr. Spooner. Mr..
Illlman said that the 500 property quail
hcation had been put into the South Caro-
line constitution for the benefit of the ne
gro.
No provision was needed for the whites"
said Mr.. Tillman, because the whites
would get through anyhow We have some
conscience in the south as to treatment of
the nlgger' You have been sneering at us
a long time and don't like it,"
In brief, temperate speech. Mr. Spooner
deprecated discussion at this time OF the
racial question which had been precipitated
by Mr. Tillman
IF the senator from South Carolina" said
Mr. Spooner, wants Il debate upon this
question he can have it, / have respect
Tor the senator and regard for his ability
but this is not proper time for a discus
sion of the question. The senator has said
that the people of South Carolina have sod
ulously excluded the negro vote They are
now accomplishing their purpose through
me state constitution. but they did not al
ways do 1t by constitutional amendment
AdVerting to the pending amendment Of
Mr. Cullom, Mr.. Spooner said: 81 don'r like
a property qualification for voters There
Is something of reason in an educafionaI
QualDCatlOn.
thing and dollar suffrage is quite another.
L do not know what may be done by Con-
gress with the islands acquired, but as TO
the islands of Hawaii there are men there
who can read and write, and III not vote
for proposition to exclude a vote of any
man because he has not property quail
ncauon- He then appealed TO Mr. Till
man to lay aside the bloody shirt
Mr. Tfllman replied that his only reason
for rehabilitating the bloody shirt before
1t was finally and irrevocably laid to rest
was that he wanted the position of the
southern people to be undo rstood.
I'm getting tired of these taunts and
sreers,' said he. You won't let US alone"
Inc senator won't let us let him. alone"
suggested Mr.. Spooner amid laughter
In every state where the whites have
divided in politics between the democrats
and populists-and it is so in every southern
state except South Carolina-the tniggers'
held the balance of power As such they
stand there as menace TO a pure suffrage
and to good government because they are
d purcndSaDle quantity, educated or I'M
educated. We are charged with fraud and
corruption and ballot-box stufiing Finally
after the bayonets had come to US again in
1876 We rose in Righteousness and might
We took the government. We stuffed bal
lot boxes, We bulldozed the 'niggers' and we
shot EN- And We are not ashamed of tt"
Leaning over toward Mr.. Spooner and
shaking his finger at the Wisconsin senator
Mr.. Tfllman said: What would you have
done? You would have done the same
thing; l see 1t in your eye" U-aughter)
The amendment offered by Mr.. Cullon
was finally adopted. So too, was the
amendment of Mr.. Plat Comm, which has
been pending for several DAYS relating to
the appointment and tenure of office of the
judges of the Hawaiian courts.
After the bill had been further amended
storing to Hawaii the postal savings bank
system.
The amendment was supported by Mr.
Butler and Mr.. Mason, the latter declaring
this was the only civilized country in the
world which did not receive loans from The
poor people of the Countrywide only gov
ernment which was absolutely dominated
by the banks.
Mr.. Allison submitted that it would be i'm
possible to extend the postal savings bank
system over a part of the United States
without making ii general in application;
and even If il We're possible il would not
be equitable TO pay AZ per cent interest to
postal savings bank depositors in Hawaii
the proposed amendment provided. when
bill was about to be passed by Congress
refunding the Understanding debt of the
United States at . per cent.
Without concluding the discussion of the
amendment the Senate, at 5:12 pm, went
into executive session, and, at 5:15 PM,
adjourned.