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

Washington, Jan. 17.-With the
opening of Tuesdays session of the
senate Senator Cullom Qll.) presented
petition, handsomely bound and signed
by 5000 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,"
Powerless to Act.
Mr.. Hoar, chairman of the judiciary
committee, said he believed every SEN
ator would be glad to have such meas
ures adopted as would suppress this
wrongdoing and enable the officials 70
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 a difficult query.
The petition was referred to the
committee on judiciary.
Holds Brief Secret Session.
The senate went into executive ses.
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
for the instructions to the peace com
Eissioners 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 SEN
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
secretssession. 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 brief speech
saying that the president had the
right to withhold information OF
transmit il 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 MOI 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 finan
cial bill and Senator McLaurin Is. c.
addressed the senate thereon.
Senator Wellington (Md) intro
duced joint resolution declaring the
purpose of the United States toward
the Philippine islands and gave no
tice that he would address the senat,
on the resolution next Thursday.
Question of PoIygamy.
| Washington, Jan. Ex-senator Raw
Inns presented to the senate brief me
mortal from President Lorenzo Snow
of the Mormon church, on the question
of polygamy. Mr.. Snow says he il
persuaded that there is much misun
Outstanding upon this question. HI
adds:
In accordance with the manifesto o
President Woodruff of 1890 the church hal
| positively abandoned the practice o
| polygamy or the solemnization of plura
marriages In Utah and every other stat
and no member or officer thereof has an
| authority whatever TO perform q piurp
marriage or enter into such relation
Nor does the church advise or encopfag
= unlawful cohabitation on the part o. an