Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-07-30
Senators TilIman and Burton
Meet at Prospect
Park.
SIDES WERE WE'LL REPRESENTED
Takes Radical Stand
Against Fifteenth Amend
ment.

debate with Senator j. X. Burton, of
Kansas, at Prospect park under the
auspices Of the Moline Chautauqua
association On the race problem.
Senator Tillman contended for the
south, holding that the negro must
not be allowed indiscriminate suf-
frage, as against Senator Burton's
plea for the enforcement of the 18th
amendment.
Probably no greater contrast
could be found between two men
well known as public speak
ers than that between the
principals in last evenings debate
Their personalities correspond to the
sides they take on the great question.
However, Senator Burton is nearer
what one would expect polished
southern gentleman to be- while SEN
ator Tillman fairly represents the
public notion of an unkempt states
man from the Cyclone state. The
former Is an accomplished elocution-
list, impressive in discourse and logical
withal, and graceful and well groom
ed in outward appearance The lat
ter makes no attempt at graceful de-
livery and is rough and unkempt.
Their lines of argument correspond
ed. Senator Burton represented the
thcorist, while Senator Tillman spoke
facts from experience, not all agree
able ones, to be sure, but couched in
terms that left no doubt as to the
speakers sincerity.
Weight Was Felt.
The audience, while agreeing with
l,n f,,r
his oratory, seemed to feel the weight
of his opponents argument. and if a
vote had been taken on the question,
Judging from the expressions heard,
would have sustained the latter.
The debaters were introduced by s.
W. Odell. Senator Burton spoke first
and had the closing argument, the
order being reversed from that of the
previous discussion at Madison, Wis.
The Kansas statesman referred to
the magnitude of the question and
the impossibility of doing L justice in
so short time. He traced the
growth of freedom for rhe colored
race and referred to the fearful cost
at which il had been established.
holding that now the 18th amendment
has been written in the constitution
we must see to its enforcement or we
will be sowing the seeds of death to
the colored race, which means death
to the white race in this country as
well. While he did not argue that the
colOred man is the equal of the white
man socially, he held that he must be
kept equal as a citizen. Some faults
of the colored race were admitted,
but they were charged to the contact
with the whites in the vicious exam
pie that had been set by the latter.
IlluStrious examples of colored peo-
pie who have attained success in the
highest sense were cited. and pic
ture was drawn of what it would mean
to degrade such men and women from
the rights of citizenship. The colored
race, the speaker held. has been iudg-
ed unfairly by the record of its Grim
inal class and he ventured the state
mcnt that there had. been more vio-
lence and disregard of law in the city
of Chicago during the past three
months than there has been in the
south in the past five years. Educa-
ton was held to be the only solution
of the question. education not alone
as a mental attainment, but education
to do things. Lynching was denounc-
ed as anarchy of the worst type, the
most heinous of all crimes.
TIIman Was Frank.
Senator Tillman. who had sat tip
ped back in his chair during his OPP
ponent's talk, occasionally running
his fingers through his hair in rumin-
alive manner, was introduced and was
warmly applauded. He began by say
ing that he had always found north
ern audiences fair and patient in lis
tening to things the northern people
do not like to hear. He had a vast
amount of prejudice instilled by
| long period of contemplation from
one side of the subject to overcome.
However, he was going to tell the un-
vanished truth whether it was well
received or not
Senator Tillman said he had history
ON his side. The Caucasian race had
been created superior to every other
race and never in history had it sub
mitted to the domination of an in
ferior race till the north by its re-
construction policy after the civil
war placed the negro in position
to govern his white associate in the
south, through the use of the ballot.
Figures were quoted to show the ma
iority of colored people over the
whites in the south, and the speaker
said that race enmity is such that as
soon the colored man has the
power he will form a party of his own
and elect colored men to Office to rule
over the whites. This condition, he
stated, had never been submitted to
and never would be submitted to. "If
we had known that you intended set
ting the negro up to govern us after
the close of the war;" he said, "we'd
have been fighting yet"
/ DeterIorated In Freedom.
Speaking of the attachments of the
lcolored race. Senator Tillmau con-
TENDED that all the civilization that