The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-05

with oratorical effect and made deep
Impression on the House. He said:
Mr.. Speaker, it is not without stgnifl-
canoe that the preamble to this resolution
selects three States in the Union. and
names them only as the States against
which the resolution is ostensibly d.
reoted. and that these three are Southern
states. 1t would have been easy for the
gentleman who drew IL up to have men
toned all the States in the Union which
provide for an educational qualification
ior poll-tax qualification, or for other
restrictions upon the suffrage not con-
templated in the amendment to the Con-
stitution of the United States. | can tell
the gentleman that within the last two
| or three years a few men down South
have been misled by the siren voice. and
| nave begun to believe that they could
| hope for justice and broad minded, non
| partisanship from the Republican party
| Ihey have been warned that whenever
| power came in sufficient abundance the
| cloyen hoof would come, too. and that
| they would see that the voice they we're
| beginning to hear was but a siren voice,
and that the Republican party would show
| itself to be still what 1t hitherto has
always been politically-the black mans
party in the South and the enemy of the
white man. of his civilization, of his com
merce Of his property. and of all that has
made him what he Is. 1t remains for the
| gentlemen on the other side to follow in
| the leadership OF the gentleman from
| pennsylvania IL they choose and com
pletely pluck from the eyes of those who
have been partially deceived the veil
which has been attempted to be thrown
/ over it.
1mpracticaSIe and stupid.
Now. Mr.. Speaker. II there is anything
that is more remarkable about this reso-
luton than It's evident sectional animus.
1t Is its impractibility and its stupidity
For example, how would anybody ind out
how many people in the State of Missis-
stppi were disfranchise5 for the reasons
stated in this resolution There Ia there
an educational qualification How are you
to determine how many of the men in the |
state OF Mississippi who did not vote. did |
not vote because they were disfranchised |
under the educational qualification Then,
there is qualification in extension and not |
In limitation Of the suffrage saying that /
even those who cannot read and write
may still vote, provided they can give an
Understanding Interpretation OF the Con-
stitution or any part of it. How are you
going to determine how many are dis
quallhed by that? And then there is |
qualification which says that those cannot
vote who shall not by a certain time have
paid their poll tax.
Out Of the number of people who did
not vote, how are you going to determine
which OF them have Eot voted because of
the educational qualification? Which be-
cause OF the understanding qualification
which because of the poll tax qualification,
which because of the registration quaifica-
tion, how many because of the pure Aus
tralian ballot which exists in the State
AiGgi-gtnniS Ac fI,o
preceded me has well said but moment
ago, there is not a State in the Union
which does not restrict manhood suffrage
in some way or other There is not a
State in the Union which has the Aus
tralian ballot which by the very fact and
the necessity OF voting according to that
Australian ballot does not prevent the
citizen who cannot read and write from
voting, If he votes a split ticket of any
sort
If 1t be the pure Australian ballot as
we have it in Mississippi, whether man
be allowed to vote where he cannot read
or not; as matter OF fact he cannot vote ,
unless he can read. because he must read
the names OF those for whom he desires
to vote. and he must put the mark oppo- {
site the name or the ticket ,
Now, word as to the merits of this /
question Any man who is lover of the ,
American Republic and who loves its ,
INiiIHduou, VINO IoVes TO see II go for
ward in the world as a great advan,e /
power. intellectually and otherwise ought
to be glad in his heart that we have re- {
sorted to constitutional and legal meth !
ods-methods adopted in Massachusetts. G
Connecticut, and other States in this 4
Jnion-for the purpose of solving, as Test !
We could, great and troublesome. if not n
nsoluble. problem. He ought to be glad a
o see intelligence in control Of our des- I
my"
Mr.. Kluttz closed for the opposition. He I,
laid in part:
Il find that the States o, Maine. Massa- n
husetts. Connecticut. South Carolina.
Mississippi. Louisiana. Colorado, and I,
Wyoming all have an educational ouali-
lcation in addition to the requirement
or residence l find that Rhode Island,
Delaware Georgia. Florida
lississipSi. Tennessee. and Nevada have :
provision requiring the payment OF a L
ak; and find that some of those States t
Maine. Massachusetts. Mis- a
ouri. New Hampshire and New Jersey {.
ave qualifications which exclude paupers =
1en upon whom God has laid his hand y
'ho are unable to pay tax and are COM a
elled to go to homes for the poor-that u
hese men in all these States are ex- =,
luded from the suffrage. l find that N :"
,hode Island there is a property qualif- -,
alton. | find in Delaware that no man II
an vote unless he has paid a regulation "
ee Of 81" q
Upon the conclusion of debate Mr. Dim di
ted offered to move the reference OF his pl
esolution to the Committee on the Gen. u
rs if Mr.. Hopkins would agree to have VI
acted on The chairman OF the COM II
littee replied eyasively but Mr. Olmsted pi
loved to refer. and this motion prevailed p'
ithout dissent. The reference Of the d
ssolution was what had been contended II
IT by the Democrats. pi
The Hopkins Fill Called Up. g.
Mr. Hopkins. Chairman of the Commit eli
e on Census. called up the bill to make ad
oportionment of representatives from
lie several States under the Twelfth Cen ,tr
IS. Various efforts were made TO secure SUI
consent to an arrangement to P'
ose debate. the prevailing opinion fav- be,
ing a wide expression in debate. =
Mr.. Hopkins opened the discussion. set
ng forth the reasons why the Commit
e on the Census had felt constrained s,r
report a bill continuing the present wr
embership OF the House at 357. These Tn
ere, in brief that it in line with the 'an
neral policy of the Congress for more W un
an a century that it was in the interest
economy and the expedition of legis- :
ton intelligently and satisfactorily; that
was economical. and that under the {
II every State would retain it's relative uar
nix and Importance. He pleaded with PIT
smbers to consider rather the interests IA
the whole country than the personal
d local interests and desires of indi-