The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-04-22
Mr.. Gilbert of Kentucky Declared
All Talk of Social Equality
Is "Hypocritical Rot"
STRONG PREJUDICE GENERAL
"As Strong in the North as in the
South" He Said Congress
Takes Up West Point Ap-
preparation Bill.

| Washington. April of.-The House to-day
entered on consideration of the military
academy appropriation bill. In addition to
the regular items. it contains provision for
the extensive Improvement of the grounds
/ and buildings at West Point These i'm
provements are to cost s6.500co0. of which
100000 is appropriated in the bill.
Twenty-four of the thirty pages Of the
! bill Were completed.
| During the general debate on the mill
tary academy bill. Mr.. Gilbert of kentucky
| precipiated a discussion on the race ques-
| ton, which was participated in by Messrs.
| Giilett of Massachusetts. Blackburn Of
| North Carolina, ". ". kitchin of North
| Carolina and Gaines OF Tennessee. Mr..
| Cochran of Missouri and Mr.. Gillett dis
cuSsed the question OF the alleged viola
| ton of the neutrality laws in connection
| with the shipment Of mules and horses to
| South Africa.
| Social Equality of the Races.
Mr.. Gilbert of Kentucky took occasion to
| reply TO some remarks recently made by
| Mr. Gil!ett of Massachusetts, Mr.. Brom-
| well OF Ohio and General Funston, which
! he thought reflected upon his State. In the
| course OF his remarks, MIR. Gilbert said
| that in Kentucky and, in fact, in all the
| South, they looked with supreme contempt
upon the social equality of the races. The
| most ignorant white girl in his State. he
| said. would infinitely prefer TO marry the
| lowest, meanest. most ignorant white man
| in the world to the most cultivated negro in
| America
Gentlemen on the other side could not
cry down the ''taint in the blood" He re-
called the fact that when a colored man sat
on the other SIDE of the Hous, not one of
colleagues irE IN 10 Tbea
prejudice against social equality
strong in the North in the South, he
declared, and all talk To the contrary was
"hypocritical rot and rant
AR. Gilbert then turned 10 Mr. Bromwells
fling at heniuCky poiics and gave his
version of TaylOrs flight from the State af-
ter the murder of Goebel. He described
Mr. Taylor appearance at the Philadelphia
convention, chaFacteTlzILg hIm as an AS
North.
Mr.. GiIletts Reply.
Mr.. Gaines. of Tennessee, asked If the
Governor Of Massachusetts VIXEN he went
to the Nashville Exposition, declined TO take
with him member Of his stan VINO was
negro.
because he did mol want to wound the sensi
bilities of the people of Nashville"
Proceeding, Mr.. Giliett eNp.aned that in
lrejudices in the South against the negro
and against negro domination. but the peo
pie of his section insisted that social ostra-
did not share these prejudices. When
negro man raised himself above his fel-
lows and led a pure. cean. manly life. he
thought his worth should be recognized.
he did not sympatfhZe with a state of So
clety which accepted man whose hands
were stained with the blood of lynchng
or with election frauds. hut " hich rejected q
worthy. pure man simply because his color
was black. He objected to making unpar-
doneble the crime of color ~.
DO not dodge this issue cried Mr. Gill
bert Did you ever invite a negro to your
I never have" replied Mr.. Gillett. but
never have been mean enough TO criticise
a man who has done So CRepublican ap-
plause)
He did not ask the people of the South
to put aside their prejudices, but he did
insist that they should not ostracise others
whe did not believe as they did. ,
blushed for the honor of Massachusetts,
when he heard a defense made of social
eqIaiify Wa OF the nesrS @ % and nSin whltg man:
vehement speech. protesting against the
constant injection OF the race question into
politics in the South.
Mr.. Cochran on British Camps.
Mr.. Cochran of Missouri made a speech
In which he argued that it was the bounden
duty of the Government to stop the ship
rnent of war material to South Africa. He
declared that within forty miles of his
home there was n British garrison engaged
in buying war supplies. and said the ex-
istence Of camp near New Orleans was
notorious. He insisted that it was the duty
OF the administration to prevent these vio-
lations of the laws of neutrality.
Mr.. Gillett of Massachusetts replied to
Mr.. Cochran. reading a letter of the Sheriff
at Chalmette of Louisiana to the Governor
Of Louisiana. stating specifically that while
mules and horses were being loaded at
Chalmette there was no British military
camp there.
After completing twenty-four of the thirty
pages of the bill, the committee rose. The
agricultural appropriation bill was reported.
A joint resolution was adopted to authorize
the admission free of duty of the replica of
the statue of Rochambeau.