The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-04-20
Mr.. POU'S ARGUMENT
In Favor of His Resolution to Investi.
gate Whether Elections are Bought
HIS RESOlU TON WILL NOR Be ADOP TED
Because It They Adopted it They Would tx
pose Such Practices as Would Rend-r
Republican Defeat Certain at
the Next Election.
the Next Election.
(From Congressional Record.)

VIC NcNt LiFIuuis
(From Congressional Record)
The House being in Committee OF the
Whole en- the State of the Union. and
having under consideration the bill Oh.
b. 1929 making appropriations for sun
dry civil expenses Of the Government
for the fiscal year ending June 80. 1903,
and for other purposes
Mr.. Pou said
Mr. Chairman: l make the usual
apology in submitting these remarks. l
apologize because l shall not discuss
the bill under consideration: hut it
would seem that an apology is hardly
necessary, inasmuch as it appears TO
be the custom of this House to discuss
the merits of one measure While some
other measure is being considered. 1t is
not deemed improper TO discuss. for in
stance. the tariff when the Indian APP
preparation bill is sunder consideration.
Bills about which there is an honest
difference of opinion are rushed through
almost without debate, While ample time
for discussion is permitted when bills
about which there is no contest are con-
siGered. Fortunately there is, I am
told, no rule of the House requiring
gentlemen to confine their remarks to
the subject under consideration This
strikes the new member as being a lit
tie peculiar, but we are told that this
is one of the great liberties permitted
by the Reed rules.
Now, in the exercise of my right as
tho ether day to introduce certain reso-
buttons requiring the Speaker to appoint
a select committee of thirteen, whose
duty it shall be TO ilvestigate the cor
rupt use of money in elections NV all
the great political parties. These reso-
lutions have been misrepresented to
such an extent by the Republican press
of the country that I feel constrained to
submit some remarks.
The reply of the Republican press is
threefcld. They say. first, that I am
proposing to investigate the use of
money by the Republican party. only
and that the resolutions are therefore
unfair Those who charge this certain
ly did not read the resolutions.
The word Republican" is not used
They would inaugurate an investigation
of the use of money by the national
committees of all the great political
parties offering candidates for Fresi-
dent in the years 1896 and 1900. Why
the Republican press should distort the
resolutions 1 cannot imagine, unless it
is prompted to do so by a conscious
ness of the guilt of its own party. Sec
ordly, this partisan press has attempted
a little ridicule which is indeed crush
ing. 1t suggests that l am new mem
Der. My reply is that l came here just
as soon as 1 could get here. Laugh
ter.) Thirdly. it suggests that i am a
member of unimportant committees.
deny this; but if it be true, Repubi-
can Speaker is responsible, and not my
elf. Naugtter) All this, Mr.. Presi-
dent, will not prevent honest men,
thinking men, from giving the resoltl-
lions some consideration.
How is it that this House is about to
enter into an investigation of the af-
fairs of the States: What has pro-
vcked the resolutions of the gentleman
from Indiana? 1 can only speak for
my own State. 1t is not necessary to
so further back than the year 1894. Dur
ing that year two parties, professedly
opposite in principles, united to carry
cur State. ,)ne favored the free coin
age of silver, while the other was com
mitted to the gold standard One ia
vored the subtreasury project, while the
other favored the national banks
One favored the Government owner
skip CT railroads, while the other ia
vored the railroad ownership of gov
sernment. And there were other radical
differences between these two parties
but all that made no difference. Offices
they wanted and offices they intended
to have. So they divided out all the
offices, except the electors for Presi-
dent Their leaders ever went so far as
to calculate the emoluments of the nu-
merous offices parceled out in order that
the division might be just and fair. This
is not a jest. Mr.. Chairman, but mel
ancholy truth. On election day, in
compliance with their program, $4,000
white men walked to the ballot box by
the side of more than 100000 negroes,
and decent government was overthrow
in the State.
1T gives me pleasure to admit that
some men in both these parties repu-
dated this unnatural alliance, and that
mcst of those who did repudiate it
Eelped us to redeem the State in 1898.
What was the result? What offspring
was horn TO this union? AS | love my
State, / hesitate to make this admis-
sion. AS l am proud of her history. l
am ashamed for the world to hear it.
The result of this fusion enabled more
than 900 incompetent negroes-some of
them vicious. very many of them venal
to occupy positions of trust or profit
in our good old State firm 1894 to 1898.
There was incompetency almost
everywhere. Public virtue Was rdi-
culed. There were many rumors of
scandal in high places. A bin was put
upon the statute books which never
passed either house Of the General AS
sembly. The negro. by nature kind,
became insolent. Our wives AMI cur