The Oskaloosa herald., 1900-01-18
TO AVOID LYNCHINC.
Senator Cullom Presents a Petition
Asking for Legislation.

Washington, Jan. 17.-With the
opening of Tuesdays session of the
senate Senator Cullom Qll.) presenteda
petition, handsomely bound and signed
by 1920 colored persons, asking for
such legislation as will protect colored
men of this country from the "barbar-
GUS practice of lynching and burning
colored men,"
POwerIess to Act.
Mr.. Hoar, chairman of the judiciary
committee, said he believed every sem
ator would be glad to have such meas
ures adopted as would suppress this
wrongdoing and enable the officials TO
enforce the laws. No senator, he
thought, would disagree to that. He
directed attention to the fact that the
state laws take cognizance of the
crimes referred to in the petition. By
what constitutional method the Unit
ed States could take action in this
question is difficult query.
The petition was referred to the
committee on judiciary.
Holds Brief Secret Session.
sion at 1:10 p. IN. on motion of Senator
Davis, chairman of the committee on
foreign relations, who was at the time
addressing the senate on the various
resolutions and amendments relating
to the Philippine archipelago. The
Minnesota senator made the point of
order against the amendment calling
L.. h. 10 h.
nissioners at Paris. This was overruled
and Senator Davis, who was the chair
man of the peace commission, began
speaking. He finally said he was
much embarrassed in speaking of the
subject in open session, and moved
that the doors be closed, and the sem
ate agreed to the motion.
Laid ON he Table.
After the doors of the senate were
closed Mr.. Davis did not continue his
speech as had been supposed he would,
but Immediately moved to lay on the
table the Pettigrew amendment call
ing for instructions to the peace COM
mission. Senator Hoar made the
point OF order that this motion could
not be properly made or debated in
secretAsession. President pro tenn.
Frye ruled in accordance with Senator
Hoar's suggestion, and the doors were
reopened to permit the making of the
motion in order. The motion pre-
vailed Al to 20.
Senator Teller made a brief speech,
saying that the president had the
right to withhold information or
transmit it in secret session.
Senator Hoar pointed out that such
information ought to be sent when re-
quested by senator if not incom-
patible with public interests.
Objects to Being MuzzIed.
Senator Vest (Mo.) said that the
friends of the administration should
desire to have the whole of the Paris
correspondence placed before the
American people. He said he denied
the right of anyone to muzzle him in
his expression of his honest opinion
by calling him public enemy.
The senate then took up the finaa-
cial bill and Senator McLaurin Is. c.
addressed the senate thereon.
Senator Wellington (Md) intro
duced a joint resolution declaring the
purpose of the United States toward
the Philippine islands and gave no.
tice that he would address the senate
on the resolution next Thursday.
Question of Polygamy.
Washington, Jan. Ex-senator Raw
Inns presented to the senate a brief me-
mortal from President Lorenzo Snow
of the Mormon church, on the question
of polygamy. Mr.. Snow says he is
persuaded that there is much misun-
Outstanding upon this question. He
adds:
In accordance with the manifesto OF
President Woodruff of 1890 the church has
positively abandoned the practice OF
polygamy or the solemnization of plura
marriages in Utah and every other state
and no member or officer thereof has any
authority whatever to perform a plura
marriage or enter into such a relation
Nor does the church advise or encourage
unlawful cohabitation on the part OF an,