The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-04-08
IT IS NOT YET IN EFFECT
SO Declares Mr.. Depew and so Replies
Mr.. Simmons.
SURVEYS FOR THE INLAND WATERWAY
The Senate Committee on Commerce Has Added
an Amendment to the River and Har-
Dor Bill Providing For This

Especial to News and Observer

Especial to News and Observer
Washington, ID. c., April Ex-senator
Depew, of New York, in his bloody
shirt speech today said:
The North Carolina Democracy put
q clause in the constitution excluding
the negro from voting in order to keep
Senator Pritchard out OF the Senate
when his term expires and for no other
purpose whatever, and in order to elect
a Democrat in the place Of the Populist
Senator Butler and for no other purpose
WhateVer.''
Senator Simmons was in the Marble
Room talking with Prof. Holmes about
the Appalachian Park bill when SeHa-
tor DepeW referred to North Carolina.
AS soon as he went into the
Senator Clay, of Georgia, told him Of
what DepeW had said, and in about ten
minutes he secured the floor and said:
Mr.. President. | was not in the Sen
ate at the time the Senator from New
York, Mr.. DepeW made his speech and
/ do rot know Of my own knowledge
what he said with reference to the con-
stitLtional amendment which has recent
ly been adopted in my State, and with
regard to the existing law of my State.
L en- informed, however, by Senators
who were present, that in general terms
he made the charge that his amend
ment and these election laws were pass
ed for the express purpose of securing
the emOVa of my predecessor, Senator
Butler, from this chamber, as we'll as
the prospective purpose Of removing
from this IN my colleague, and
that but for that amendment and these
election laws, my State would now be
Republican.
Il merely rise for the purpos of say
ing that if the Senator from New York
made these observations with respect to
the purpose and object of the people OF
my State in adopting this amendment
and with reference to the use by the
Democratic party in that State Of the
existing election laws, he is entirely
mistaken about the facts. and ] do not
hin had he been in possession of the
facts he would have made the state
ments which are credited to him by
those who heard him"
Mr.. Hoar: Permit me to call atten-
ton to the fact that the Senator from
New York is not now in the chamber"
Mr.. Simmons: Il am not saying any
thing about the Senator from New York
that / think it particularly necessary
for him to hear. l merely propose
showing he is mistaken as to the facts.
/ am sorry he is not in the chamber,
however.
Mr.. Teller: "If the Senator will allow
me / should like to suggest that the
Senator from New York left while this
question and this very phase of it was
under discussion. If he is not here he
knew it was being discussed. Go on"
Mr.. Simmons: Il do not desire nor
intend to enter upon a general reply. I
will reserve that until l lave seen the
remark of the Senator. 1 merely wish
to say now, Mr.. President, that if the
Senator from New York made the state
ment [ understand he did make. to the
effect that the constitutional amendment
passed by my State was for the pur-
pose of legislating Senators of the OPP
posite party out Of this amb and
legislating Senators of my party into
this chamber, that statement has no
sort of support in the facts with refer
ence to the adoption of that amendment,
because, While the amendment was
ddopted in August, 1900, it has not yet
gone into effect and will not go into eff
'NI t1Ibi July VI tiIC 1851 year. 1Ic
next election, to be held in November
of this year, will be the first election
held in my State under that amendment
Now if the Senator from New York
said or meant by what he did say that
We have used the present election law
and election machinery for the purpose
of voting Republicans out of this cham
Der and voting in Democrats in this
m that statement jS an11anV nm
warranted by the facts. In 1898 the OPP
posite party in my State was in control
of every department of the government
Mr.. Teller: The Republican party?'
Mr.. Simmons: "The Republican par
ty and the Populist party in conjunc-
ton, for they were in fusion in my
State. They We're i'll control in 1898 of
every department of the government of
my State, and the election law under
which the election of that year was held
was an election law passed by the Re
publican and POpuliSt Legislature Of
1894. SO the election in that State was
held under a law of their own making,
with the entire election machinery in
their hands, ard in that election, held
under these circumstances, the Demo-
ocratic party carried the State by a ma
-jority Of nearly twenty thousand. That
is the way the Democratic party got
into power in my State.
again, Mr.. President, if the Senator
from New York meant to say or meant
by what he did say, that we have used
the election law which we passed when
We came into power in 1898, to vote out
Republicans by the suppression of the
colored vote of the State, or any part of
it, the answer and the conclusive an
sWer to that statement is that there
Were polled in North Car Dina in the
election of 1900 a larger vote in pro-
portion to the population over twenty