The National tribune., 1900-02-08

Senator Spooner said he was in favor of
drawing the line against placing upon the
records the justification of man in arms
against the United States. 1t was not, ht
added, q question as to whether the state
ments in the offered paper were true ol
false. On that question he believed the
people would take the word of George
Dewey. 1t was. however. much more
serious to determine whether the Senate
would give countenance to the Statement
of man in arms against our flag, who
spent his days and nights in concoctlnf
measures to kill American soldiers. Suci
action, he asserted, would give direct en-
couragement to those i'll insurrectior
against this Government. Whatever the
people may say" he continued, "abou
this question when the war is ended,
think they now stand by our army, ano
they will have no sympathy with any utter
ance here or elsewhere which endangers
the life of one man wearing the uniform
of the Federal army and fighting 1000
miles away under our flag.
| Then, with an eloquent tribute to Gen
Lawton, Senator Spoonef read from the
| latter's letter, i'll which he said he wished
10 God the whole truth of the Philippine
situation could be known in America. ano
that the insurrection was aided by those
in this country who sympathized with
Aguinaldo.
Senator Jones, the Democratic leader
| said: Il agree with Gen. Lawton. L wish
10 God the whole truth could be made
| known. The whole truth ought 10 be
| known. | have sufficient faith i'll the
American people TO abide by their Judgment
if they are only allowed TO know the truth.
Senator Sewell, of New Jersey, who
wears medal of honor for bravery in the
| civil war, advanced to the space i'll front oi
the presiding officers desk. He spoke in q
| low but distinct tone. He admitted that
| he had been opposed to the acquisition ol
| the Philippines, but now he sank his private
views and stood by the President and the
| army.
81 deprecate beuond measure" he ex-
| claimed, .'the action of the Senator from
South Dakota. Under the circumstances,
L consider him a traitor and his conduct as
monstrous. 1t is beyond comprehension
and outrageous in the extreme that man
| clothed with the dignity of Il Senator OF the
| United States, representing sovereign
State of the Union. should attempt tefurniSh
here a forum for the arch-traitor OF Manila.
| | believe" said Senator Sewell, Solemnly.
that Gen. Lawton'S death was due as
| directly To him as to a Filipino bullet.
| When this statement was made Pettigrew
sat in his seat, within an arms reach OF
| SeWeil. de turned pale. but said nothing.
Senator Teller made a pacificatory
| speech. urging that there was no occasion
| for elimination or recrimination, and eS-
| pecially no occasion for calling Senator
a traitor. ANY Senator he said, had the
right TO criticize the conduct of the war,
and in England members of Parliament
criticized the war of the British upon the
Beers. He was averse, however, to print
ing the Aguinaldo document, unless
Dewey's letter went with it, a remark that
led Senator Hawley to say that Pettigrew
would not agree to this, because to do so
would brand his friend Aguinaldo as a
liar"
Senator Pettigrew said he did not care to
deal in personalities. Il will not reply,
he said, ito the charge that | am traitor.
l yield TO no man in my devotion to the
country or the flag. No one is more jealous
of the country's honor. but L have my own
opinion as to how its honor may best be
sustained"
The proposed ballot law in North Caro-
lima, involving an educational provision as
a qualification for voting, was discussed in
the House, while the Indian appropriation
bill was under consideration. This is in
the form of a constitutional amendment,
and proposed by the Democrats; it is
claimed it aims at the negroes. Judge
Linney directed his attention to elections
and lynching in the South. The lack OF
free elections, he said, was the only in
trinity in our Governmental system. In
exact proportion as people were deprived OF
their votes, he said, lynchingS and assassin
ations were prevalent. Since 1891 there
had been an average of 40 lynchings each
year in the South.
Il would like to have the gentleman TO
State what proportion of the lynchings is
due TO assault by colored men upon white
women" inquired Representative Burke,
of Texas.
There you have it, Mr.. Chairman" an
swered Judge Linney. you cannot dis
cuss any question with Southern Demo
crat, no matter what it is, that he does not
holler 'nigger."
81 have Investigated the facts in regard
IN fuesp 1N-nphinDc for tho IoGt tWn nnI :,
half years" interposed Representative
White, of North Carolina, a colored man.
"and | say that less than Is per cent. OF
the lynchings which have occurred in the
United States were chargeable to the cause
stated"
The point make is this" added Judge
Linney: ''The suggestion of my friend
from Texas is a good one. In his State
they have pure ballot, as we have in ours.
He asked if it was 10 be believed that we
can have any such thing as order and
regard for law and its administration
with no victims 10 anger and hatred. if
two-thfrds of the people are denied The
right To vote"
Representative Williams who resented
some statements regarding his State. rose
to reply soon after Judge Iinney closed.
He made a warm defense of the action of
certain Southern States in disfranchising
the Ignorant and illitertate. He frankly |
avowed that Mississippi had sought by her |
Constitution to suppress the ignorant and |
IllIterate, and the Supreme Court had SuS- 1
tanned the constitutionality OF her Constit,i-
hon. In Mississippi Ire said, the law had |
been violated by murder arson, and rape |
but no man had ever been shot down there
because he wanted to work. He gave some /
accounts of lynchings for assault by ne
groes, and said of one III particular: 81
believe that the men who engaged in that |
lynching are much more clear in the sight |
OF God to-day, and in the sight of good men |
everywhere, OF any crime than any man |
can possibly be who denounccs lynching
without also denouncing at the same time |
the crime which has led 10 it," He said |
that every day colored people 'are leaving |
North Carolina, and leaving Georgia, and |
leaving Alabama, and seeking the State of |
Mississippi. Hundreds of thousands Of |
them have gone there this wear. Legally |
diSiranchised as they are when they cannot |
read and write, legally disfranchised as |
they are when they do not pay their taxes. |
yet they have left these other places, where
no complaint is made of the administration
OF the suffrage, and have come to the State
OF Mississippi, knowing one thing, that
there they get absolute equality before the
law and administration of justice, and in
every other way"
In the Senate a resolution of Mr.. Allen
discharging the Finance Committee from
further consideration of his resolution call
ing for Information from the Secretary OF
the Treasury with reference to his trans
action with the National City Bank and the.
Hanover National Bank of New York was
laid before the Senate. Mr. Allen claimed
that the replies of the Secretary af tho