The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1903-02-13
WASHINGTON CITY, Fe

Senator Mark llama nas lutro-
iuced in the Senate a bill which be-
cause OF its barefaced purpose OF
catching the negro vote and offset.
ting the negro appointments OF
President Roosevelt, would be lu-
dicrous were it not capable OF being
made the means OF defrauding thous-
ands Of ignorant andtrusting people.
senator Hanna's bill proposes to
pension every ex-slave and relatives
Of such ex- slaves rs have older MEM
bers Of their families dependent on
them. The pensions are to vary
from 81 per month for slaves under
so to $l5 per month for slaves ~
and over. Moreover, bonus IS
10 be paid to such as prove eligible
ior pensions, ranging from 500 for
those aged 80 to $500 for those sew
enty and over. As soon as the bill
was introduced, Mr.. Hanna was seen
~ your correspondent and frankly
admitted that he had no intention
II urging the measure, and never ex-
oected il to become law. When
asked Why he introduced it, ne said
ne had done so at the request OF
friend and merely wished to be ac.
,ommodating. Asked if the friend
was going to be his campaign mana
ger in 1904 Mr.. Hanna refused to
answer. Commissioner Ware, when
seen the next day, said that the Ham
"a bill would almost bankrupt the
government if it we're to become
law. Evidence as to who were and
who we're not ex-slaves would be
practically Impossible to procure,
and the law would be made the ex-
:use for voting thousands OF private
pensions to negroes by legislation
anxious to secure the negro vote.
While Senator Hanna's pension
bill is obviously bid for negro sup
port in the next national convention,
its worst feature is the end to which
il will be put by unscrupulous per
sons. Senator Mason introduced q
similar measure seme years ago, and
IL is estimated that certain"educated
negroes who formed the "Ex-slaves
Federation" collected from the
negroes in the South upwards OF
5000 900 for registry, repres sntlng
that registry by the association
would insure to them the benefits OF
the proposed pensions as soon as the
law passed. The bill, as do all
measures introduced in Congress,
bore the legend, "Read twice and
referred to committee on, etc" and
it was represented to the negroes
that having been read twice 1t would
REQUIRE but one more reading, and
they must lose no time in becoming
enrolled. The Federation" was
finally barred from the use OF the
mails.
According to the Senate leaders,
the antitrust program OF this ses-
sion Of Congress is completed in so
far as the upper chamber is concern.
ed. The passage Of the Elklns bill
is expected in the House. The Lit
tlefield bill, itself too mild in its
prov .sions to correct any CT the trust
abuses, was passed by the House on
Saturday, but will be buried in .
Senate committe, where it will new
ar see the light of day.
Reviewing the "Senate program, :"
a prominent democratic senator,
; who requested that his name be
withheld, said to your correspondent
TO day Antitrust legislation by the
republican party was bound to be a
farce. II is ridiculous to suppose
that the republicans are going to
enact legislation which would cur
tail the profits, OF be otherwise ob
iectionable to the very interests
which have sent then here and keep
them in Congress. Som, OF the
+, provisions are fairly good.
The publicity hill is a farce.
: Statistics are to be gathered, IT is
I true. bu, what then? They are not
to be publishe !, except as the Pres
iien, may direct. There will be a
close relationship between the stat
; i.,ics published and the generosity
' witt which contributions are made
/, to the republican campaign funds:
Il is merely great club to be held
$ over the trusts by the republican
campaign managers. Incidentally,
how do you suppose those north
/ western republicans, who voted the
n republican ticket on the promise
! that the tariff would be reformed by
y its friends, feel now? Representa-
g tive P,yn. has announced that ther,
will never be a revision Of the tarif
Y by the republican party-well, W
l. will see at the next election. +"
/ No progress has been made in th'
Statehood situation. The Senate
managers still predict compromise
u and thew hold very sc ,ret cOnferen