The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-05-03
SAND CURE' OF
 FRED SHIRTS" North Carolina Senators
 Cross swords. DEBATE NAKED LIVELY Pritchard and Simmons Fight Old Political Battles. The Republican Attacks the Constitu- tion of the TAr Heel State, and
 the Democrat stoutly De-
 fends the Instrument.
DEBATE NAKED LIVELY

Washington. May IA lively debate was precipitated in the Senate today by Mr. Pritchard (N. O by some remarks he made on political methods in North Carolina, in the course of a discussion of the Philippine bill. He suggested that some of the methods employed by the opponents of the bill in this country ought to be reformed and told of what is called the sand cure" in North Caro- Iina., the victim having his face crushed into the sand to strife his cries. while he was being beaten to intimidate him politically.
 MT. Simmons (N. C.) declared that he never heard of such a practice.
 Mir. Pritchard charged that the ''red shirts" rode over the State to intimidate Republican voters. Mir. Simmons denied the statement and insisted that the red shirts never had committed any unlawful act and as a matter of fact intended only to organize the voters of the State.
 The debate waxed warm MT. Pritch- ard declaring that he had been approach ed by an emissary of the Democratic party with a proposition to drop the ini- peachment proceedings against Republi- car, judges in North Carolina If he would nolle prossequi cases pending in the courts against certain Democrats for election frauds. Mir. Simmons unaualihedly de- nied that such proposition had been made by any emissary of the Democratic party.
 Mir. Pritchard (N O spoke in support of the Philippine bill. He declared that a majority of the people of North Carolina and of the South were in favor of the proposition of the majority of the Philip pines committee. and he quoted The Charlotte Observer as a leading paper of the South in support of the retention of the Philippines.
 Does not the Senator know" inter- rupted MT. Simmons Oem.. N. O that The Charlotte Observer opposed the cleo ton of William J. Bryan to the Presi- dency? S-. "but the paper opposed him purely on the issue of free siver."
 'If we retain the Philippine Islands |" said MT Pritchard, "as we will, the Southern States will retain the bulk of the trade with the Philippines and the South will be the chief beneficiary of the extension ef the cotton goods trade in the Orient"
 Mir Pritchard declared frankly his be- lief that the United States ought to re- lain the islands permanently.
 MT. Simmons replied to some of the suggestions made by MT. Pritchard as to North Carolina politics and justified the white people in protecting themselves against irresponsible majorities."
 MT. Pritchard asserted that the sand cure" was used by Democrats in North Carolina on Republicans. He said that a Republican voter was taken from his home at night and beaten. his face being crushed into the sand to stifie his cries.
 MT. Simmons declared that this was the first time he ever heard of the sand cure" For six years he had been the chairman of the Democratic Executive Committee of North Carolina and he never had known of any cases of out rages and violence for political purposes.
 Mir. Pritchard inquired if 1t were not fact that organized bands of ''red shirts" rode over the State of North Carolina for the purpose of terrorizing the Re- publican voters.
 That organization (the red shirts)" re- piled Mir. Simmons, never had for it's object any bellicose or belligerent pur- pose toward any part of the voters of North Carolina. It is merely an organi- Zation for the purpose of more effectually organizing the voters of the State."
 Prolonged laughter on the floor and in the galleries.)
 Does my colleague say," inquired MT. Pritchard. that the red shirts did not ride through the State and terrorize voters?"
 T state" declared MT. Simmons, "upon my authority as a Senator and as chair man of the Democratic Executive Com mitte that the stories of outrages com mitted by red shirts are absolutely and utterly without foundation. I know of no outrages that can be traced to that organization. Except for political pur- poses the organization of so-called red shirts never has been charged with be- ty,e, 1fYla uyfuI and violent niZa. ton"
 He declared that not a single red shirt ever had been arraigned for violation of the law. As an instance of the politi- cal methods employed in North Carolina, Mir Pritrhard asserted that an emissary of the Democratic party from the State had approached him. promising that if he (PritchardD would have entered a nolle prossequi in certain cases of cleo ton frauds. the proceedings of impeach- ment of Republican judges by the Demo- cratic legislature would be dropped.
 Tt was proclaimed boldly in North Carolina" said he. that these judges were to be impeached in order to get Democratic bench to pass upon the grandfather clause of the new constitu- ton"
 MT. Pritchard said he indignantly de- ,clined the proposition and that subse- quently brave and patriotic members of the legislature, Democrats and Republi- cans. by their votes, had prevented the unjust impeachment of the judges.
 In reply Mir. Simmons asserted that the man who approached MT. Pritchard with the proposition to drop the impeachment proceedings was not in the remotest way an emissary of the Democratic party. In explanation of the State constitution, he said that while it permitted educated negroes to vote it was adopted express Iy for the purpose of excluding the votes CT irresponsible negroes"
 An amendment to the sundry civil bill -gas passed appropriating $2.50O.OO0 for a n amorial bridge across the Potomac, the plans to he approved by Congress
 The Senate. at 5:2o p. m. adjourned