The Portland daily press., 1901-01-05
Debate Marked by Great
TrankneSS.
Members Admit Blacks Have
Been Eliminated as Voters.

Washington, January 4-The House
today had another spirited struggle
over the Olmstead resolution TO investi-
gate the abridgemsnt of the suffrage in
certain Southern States with view to
reapportionment upon the actual basis OF
suffrage. IL was finally referred 20 the
census committee where ths opposition
desired it to go originally.
Mr.. Olmstead tried to get Mr.. Hop
kins to agree that the committee would
consider the resolution within week,
but the chairman OF the census COM
mittee declined TO make any pledges to
that effect,
The debate upon the resolution was
marked by exceeding frankness. Some
of the Southern members avowed that
! the attempt to enfranohise the negro had
been a lamentabie failure and the action
of certain states in legally eliminating
the blacks as factors at the polls, they
said, was In the interest Of civilization
and progress.
| Altar the resolution had bsen disposed
of the re-spportionment bill was taken up
and debated. The general impression Is
that the debate Will concluds early
next week.
Warrington, January 4.-Mr. Dalzell of
pennsylysnia, called the Houss to order
| today in the absence Of Speaker Hsnder-
son, who was detained at hi5 home by
severe cold.
Immediately after the approval OF the
! journal half q dozen members wers on
| their feet demanding recognition.
| Among them was Mr.. Olmstead OF
Pennsylvania who yesterday created a
stir by Offering the resolution to instruct
the committee on census to investigate
the alleged abridgemsnt OF the righr to
vote in several of the Southern states.
But the speaker pro tenn tirst recog-
nizeu Mr.. Lacy of'Iowa, who presented
a privileged resolution asking the Presi-
dent to return a minor bill In which
there was clerical error. 1t was adopt
ed.
air. Burton OF Ohio presented the riv-
er and harbor bill.
In order to clear the way for Mr.. Ohm
stead, MIR. Graf of Illinois, chairman OF
the committee on claims, after stating
that it was apparent that no claim bills
could be considered today (this being the
day set aside under the rule for their
conslderation), asked unanimous consent
to postpone the regular order for today
until next week.
Mr.. Swanson of Virginia. objectsd.
The Speaker pro tenn was then able to
recognize Mr.. OlmEtead, when Mr.. Un-
derwood of Alabama headed him OF with
q point Of no quorum.
The Houss was counted, but there
were only 142 members in the hall. Un'
der the operations Of the automatic rule,
the Speaker was about TO direct a cali
of the House when Mr.. Underwood In
terposed with a motion to adjourn and
the filibuster was on,
The vote was taken by ayes and noes.
The motion to adjourn was defeated So
to 103.
The Speaker pro tenn hsid that the
pending question was the vote on the
question OF consideration raised against
the Olmstead resolution yesterday.
During the previous roll call the lead
ers on both sides had conferred, and an
| agreement had been reached, that the
resolution should bs recommitted. Mr..
Richardson, the minority leader, now
formally proposed that this counsel be
followed. Alr. Oimstead replied that he
would consider the proposition after the
House had voted to consider the resolu-
tion.
81 may say" said he, "that it had