The Washington times., 1902-03-11
Free Delivery Bill Passes
Without Contract
Clause.
PROVISION AMENDED GUT
Proposition to Extend Privileges to Con-
federate Soldiers and Negroes as to
Veterans Provokes Heated Debate
Committee Proposition Defeated.


Committee Proposition Defeated.
After discussing the matter for seven
days the House yesterday passed q bill cs-
tablishing the rural free delivery as 4
part Of the postal system of the country,
but the measure which finally secured
majority vote is far different from that
reported from the Committee on Post
Offices ard Postroads by the chairman.
Mr.. Loud.
In fact, the very feature of the bill which
Mr.. Loud sought to have enacted was
stricken from the measure, and in its
place was substituted a provision which
does exactly what the committee rec
commended should not be done. This fea-
ture was the proposition to place the ru-
raj free delivery carriers under the con-
tract system. while The bill as passed
fixes their salaries ut $500 per year.
The majority report favoring the con-
tract system was signed by all of the
members of the committee with the ex-
ception of Messrs. Swanson Dem.. Val
and Cromer (Rep.. In6), who presented
a minority report in favor of the salary
system. The former led the fight on the
floor against the original bill and sue
cecded in securing the adoption of the
salary system as a substitute.
Forty Votes in Favor
Mr. Loud could only secure 40 votes in
favor of the contract system.
The bill was taken IN early in the day
under the five-minute rule. The proceed
ings at times when some of the proposed
amendments were under discussion, were
exceedingly lively.
Probably the most exciting incident oc
Cured as the result of an amendment Of
fered by Mr.. Padgett (Dem., Tenn.) pro-
posing to give ex-Confederate soldiers the
Same pri, ileges in the matter of appoint
ments TO the rural free delivery carrier
service as the Union veterans. Immediate
ly Mr.. Bromwell Rep., Ohio) proposed
another amendment to that amendment to
extend the same privileges to colored men.
The Democrats got together. and with
the aid of number of Republicans sue
ceeded in defeating Mr. Bromwell's amend
ment In turn Mr.. Padgett's proposition
was defeated.
Race Question Injected.
The matter bobbed up again some time
later, when Mr.. Salmon tDem., N. j. Of
fered an amendment giving the Postmas-
ter General authority, upon petition of
patrons oil any new route, to let the service
by contract. Reference TO the matter of
colored carriers at that time was totally
irrelevant. but it was brought in by some
remarks male by Mr.. Bartlett Dem.. Ca
which engaged him in a colloluy with Mr..
Bromwell.
Judge Bartlett said that in the South
they always gave the negro an opportu-
nifty 20 work, a right which had some
times been denied to him in the Northern
States, referring to the fact that in 1lli-
nois and elsewhere negroes who had been
imported had been driven away. NJ.
half 2 dozen Southern members were fir
ing questions at him IN a very excited
manner.
Judge Fox of Mississippi and Mr..
Gaines Of Tennessee Joined in the melee.
and for a. few minutes there was much
confusion.
Mr. Gaines referred rather pointedly to
some Ohio lynchings Mr. Bromwell re-
torted. saying that whatever the people of
Ohio did TO the negroes, their treatment
of them was not SO bad as down in
Tennessee, where they are obliged to
listen to your (Gaines) speeches" This
caused a great laugh
Mr.. Williams Forcible Remarks.
When It subsided Mr.. Williams Dem,
Miss) gained the floor, and in a brief
but Enthusiastically forcible speech
settled the controversy.
I'VE have been accused down South"
said Mr.. Williams. ''of hanging negroes
and doing all sorts of things to them
except one thing. We have hanged them,
but never because they wanted to work.
And 1t seems TO me that / have heard of
your doing some such thing as that up
in sone of the Northern States. Up in
Illinois they shot some of the colored
men because they came there and wanted
to work.
question into this discussion, but Mr..
BromwelPs amendment proposed to give
the negroes a privilege above white men.
You say that we don't allow the negroes
to vote down South. But up North, from
what / can learn. you don't allow him TO
do much else except vote. tLaughter.l
1--WE sometimes deny the negro the
;pb. oF c,tfT n.at IN,
the North have denied him the natural,
inalienable, God-given right to work at
any occupation open to the employment
OF others"
Fight on Salary Amendment.
The amendment fixing the compensation
of rural carriers at 5000 year instead
of placing them under the contract sys-
TEN provoked considerable debate. but
was finally adopted by vote OF 81 to 40.
1t was upon this proposition that the real
fight was made which produced the whole
weeks debate.
Mr.. Cannon (Rep., I'D offered an
amendment to fix the salaries at 81, 900 a
year. Mr.. Tompkins (Rep, N " wished
to make them $500. Both we're defeated
When the matter OF civil service was
reached the House showed itself TO be
very Inconsistent. First It voted not
10 place the carriers under the civil ser
vice. Immediately thereafter it voted not
to take them out OF the civil service.
Mr.. Bromwell ORep.. Ohio offered an
amendment providing that none of the
carriers should be included in the civil
service regulations, ANY executive order
Ia tho .nntnn... Observation-Disclosures,