The Washington times., 1902-04-12
Mr.. Depew Arraigns Sew
eral States for Character
of Election Laws.
SENATOR BLACKBURN REPLIES
Suggests New York Is Represented in
Senate by Railway Attorney-Asserts
Supreme Court Has INDICATED Ken
lucky Election Laws.

Senator Depew very effectually secured
the undivided attention of the Senate as
whole and of half a dozen Southern
Democrats in particular yesterday by
another speech on the proposed amend
ment to the Constitution providing for the
popular election of Senator's
He made a sharp attack on the election
methods and suffrage laws of the Southern
States, charging wholesale fraud in sey-
eral of them.
His Opponents Reply.
In response to his charges he was sub
1ected to an hour or more of attack from
representatives of the States he assailed.
Senator Blackburn finished the onslaught
with bitterly ironical speech charging
the New York man with being ignorant
Of the facts, reckless in his statements
unmindful or ignorant of the rules of the
Senate, and foolishiy disregardful of the
opinion of the Supreme Court in the Ken
lucky election law.
Mr.. Blackburn ended his speech with a
sneer at "a railroad attorney" who he
implied had been sent to the Senate by
the New York Central instead of by the
people.
The incident began early In the day
during the morning business. 1t was pre-
cipitated by Senator Money. who made q
reply to Senator Depew's speech on his
proposed amendment to the popular eIec-
tion bill of the day before.
Only Skirmisher's Fire,
"Of course l know this is but the fire
OF skirmisher.' he declared When the
time comes for the heavy artillery | want
to give notice that we will give suitable
entertainment on this side of the cham
ber."
The people. Mr.. Money declared. were
more afraid of the oligarchy of trusts
and corporations than they we're of the
of the great mass of citizens of
State. He denied that any voters. black
or white. had been refused registra tion
in Mississippi, and he declared that Mr..
Depew's amendment would destroy the
very equality which was the priucipal
point of the Constitution. That Senator
he said, did not want equal representation
in the Senate. but he wanted to destroy
that part Of the Constitution which had
been, in terms. made unrepealable.
Mr.. Money said the clamor for cleo
tion of United States Senators by direct
vote didn't come from the niger States"
He declared the demand came from Re-
publican States, ''and this is because tie
people OF those States are dissatisfied with
lhe men they nave sent to this body" he |
declared in conclusion. !
Mr.. Depew then made his speecb ]
In his opinion the pending constitutional |
amendment would open a Pandora's tox |
The end of which no man could see. And |
yet that amendment producing such a rad |
cal change in the conditions under which |
The United States Government had been
for lis years had passed the |
'ther branch of Congress without a single |
discussion or without any reason being
given for or against it.
Senate Would Investigate.
If the amendment should be adopted and |
his eloquent friend from Mississippi
hould come back by popular vote las Mr.
)epew trusted he would) the Senate would
want to know whether the people of Mis-
issippi wko were United States citizens
inder the Fourteenth and Fifteenth
amendments of the Constitution had had
he right to vote for or against him. And
( the Senate should find that they had
lot. but that they had been deprived o,
heir suffrage. the Senator from Missis-
ippi would have a hard road to travel
vhen he sought his seat.
The Senator had, in his remarks, sneered |
t manhood suffrage and had spoken with
ontempt of the 800 900 citizens of New
FORK. saying that they were controlled by
rusts and corporations.
1T IS the pride of New York Mr.. De-
ew exclaimed. that she puts no restfic-