The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-04-12
Statements About Southern EIec-
ti0ns COntradicted
NOT INFORMED AS TO FACTS
Mr.. Money Says the Body Politic of
Mississippi Is Purer Because of
the Self-ExcIusion of
Some People.

Washington. April 11.-Some remarks
which Mr.. Depew of New York made
yesterday regarding the proposed amend
fnent to the constitution providing for
the election of Senators by popular vote
in the course of which he adverted to
Southern election methods, precpitated
a lively discussion in the Senate today.
Mr.. Money Mississippi to whose state
reference had been made by the New
York Senator replied tartly to some of
the statements of Mr.. Depew and de-
Tended the suffrage clauses In the Mis-
sissippi constitution
Mr.. Depew made a warm reply and
attacked the election methods not only
OF Mississippi but of several other South
ern states. He intimated that If fair
methods were employed in those states
Republican Senators would be here as
their representatives
His remarks drew a sharp fire from
several senators. Mr. Money and his
colleague, Mr.. McLaurin, explained Mis-
lsslppi election methods, and Mr. Sim
mons of North Carolina pointed out that
Mr.. Depew had been entirely mistaken
about the operation of the constitution
of that state and his statements were
erroneous.
Mr.. Blackburn of Kentucky warmlysar-
ralgned the New York Senator for his
comments on Kentucky elections and de-
Tended what is known as the Goebel eIec-.
ton law, asserting that the New York
Senator was not informed as to the facts
or Kentucky politics
Then the Chinese exclusion hill was
taken up and agreement was passed that
d Vo'e should be taken on It next Wednes-
, Gay at l0 o'clock Mr. Teller of Colorado
, supported the measure in a. brief sneecb
e maintaining that 1t was necessary, and
that 1t was not In contravention of our
: treaty obligations with China
y Mr. Money Replied.
Replying to one Of Mr.. Depew's argu-
ments, Mr. Money said he could not
o understand how the sovereignty of a
= state would be invaded by the adoption
- of an amendment to the constitution pro-
vlding for the election of Senators by the
people, but he could see that the efforts
or corporations and trusts to crowd the
Senate chamber with their agents would
De invaded. Mr.. Money said Mississippi
had registered vote of 125.O0O but many
did not vote because of the poll tax of ~
And he believed the body polite was the
, purer because of the self exclusion of
such people.
Mr.. Money declared that it was not the
southern states which were dissatisfied
with the present method of eleeting
United States Senators but Republican
states, which evidently were dissatisfied
with their representation in this cham
ber.
Mr. Depew said he had proposed his
amendment because he had desired TO get
> | the question before the 70 md
try. Some legislatures had adopted reso-
iutions In favor of electing Senators by
the people but evidently there had been
proper consideration of the question. The
proposed amendment had passed the
House of Representatives without amend
ments, consideration or discussion, the
effort seemingly being to unload the
whole. question on the Senate
Mr.. Depew insisted that If Senators
were to be elected by popular vote the
} whole question OF their election would be
called up whenever their credentials
were presented
when the Senator from Mississippi
shall come here" said Mr.. Depew, and
! l hope he may continue to come the
Senate will want to know whether citi-
zens of Mississippi have had the right.
under the constitution of the United
States, to vote for or against him. If
l any OF them have been deprived of that
right the Senator will have a hard road
|
No Disposition to lnterefe.
8 Mr.. Depew said he had no disposition to
: interfere with local affairs of any South
X ern state, and he would not favor a So
: called force bill but when the men of
e New York had cast votes in accordance
n with manhood suffrage, they had a right
: to demand to know that similar votes
: had been cast in Mississippi. He declared
= that the registration boards in Missis-
Eipni SalPcted liU
e party and for one particular purpose
y to prevent the negro from voting. The
: negroes. he asserted, never could satisfy
the registration boards that they were
qualified to vote.
That was the kind of popular vote said
he, by which United States Senators
, would be sent here from Mississippi and
those methods would serve only to pre-
cipitate agitation in the Senate chamber.
II, he suggested, a change was to be
made in the method of electing Senators.
then the electorate must be kept entirely
pure and free from any suggestion of
| any unfairness
He declared that If there was manhood
suffrage in Virginia, Kentucky and North
Carolina there would be Republican Sem
ators In this chamber from those states
He said there had been no fear of negro
; domination in North Carolina, yet for the
purpose of keeping Senator Pritchard
| (Republican) out of the Senate and to Sc
cure a Democratic Senator in the place
of Mr.. Butler (Populist) and for no other
reason, the grandfather clause was In
serted in the new constitution of that
state. He sharply criticised the Goebel
election law in Kentucky, by which. he
said, Mr.. Taylor was deprived of the
Governorship. He asserted that the
! boards of registration in Mississippi de-
termined the result Of the eleNion before
the vote was cast. Personally he did not
believe, and other Republican Senators
did not believe. that the $1,000 votes in
Mississippi should count for as much as
100000 votes In New York.
corrects Misstatements.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Depew's re-
marks Mr.. Money corrected what he
| termed some of the "misstatements" OF
the New York Senator regarding the cleo
| tion laws of Mississippi. Mr.. McLaurin.