Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-03-29
58TH CONGRESS.
Sundry Civil Bill Took Wide
Range in House.
GilIett, Mass, Answers Some State.
ments Made on Floor.
Discussion Of Pension Matters in the
Upper Branch.

NISiiiIStoll, March 2S.-Thc Sundry
| civil bill was before the House TODAY
but it took a wide range. Mr.. Gillctt Of
Massachusetts. devoted considerable
time to answering some of the state
ments recently made on the floor by
Mr.. Spight OF Mississippi, regarding the
race question. Mr.. Gillett declared no
had supposed there were no social
| grades in the United States. but tina,
every man had the right to choose his
own friends and associates among
| those most in sympathy with himself
| He defended the president for inviting
Booker Washington to dine vita him
and said the president WAS Il man Of a
big heart as well as of birth, breeding
and cultivation.
| Mr. Clark (MissOuri.) made Il speech
or the tariff and declared uncuuivical-
| ly in favor of the tariff program for
the Democratic party as outlined by
Mr.. Williams, the floor leader of the
minority.
a strong plea for the tobacco grow
crs was made by Mr.. Trimble of Ken
lucky, who urged the removal of the
tax Of six cents n pound on raw to-
bacco in order that the producer might
| sell tiIeCl 10 the CONSUMER.
| Imcdiately after the House con-
vcned, today, the Speaker announced
the following committee appointments:
| Morrill,, Penn. committee on militia,
| chairman: Patterson, Penn, military
affairs. private land claims and en-
rolled bills; Aiken. S. G.. pensions;
Messrs. I;ates, Penn. and Bassett, n.
| Of in fl,.
! treasury and other departments.
| The House then went into Il COM
mttee of tho whole for the further
consideration of tie sundry civil ap-
| preparation bill.
| Gillett, Mass, referring to the re-
cent iltteranccs in the House of Spight
on the negro question said that Spight' S
statements We're so surprising and so
disc ouraging it was necessary for some
one 10 dissent from the extraordinary
proposition lie expressed.
He believed it was necessary he
| said, in these cases, to rely on local
sentiment. with the hope that that SEN
timent would gradually develop and be-
come more generous instead of more
intolerant. He spoke of the adoption
of the Louisiana Exposition and de-
clared that it was useless to have a law
which did not have local sentiment be-
hind him. He did not believe it fair
or wise for the Democrats of the South
to say that they intend forever to pre-
vent the negro from participation in
government. There are 100000 ne
Srocs of the South. he said who can
not stay as they are, who either have
got to so up or down.
| Nobody. he declared, wants the South
to submit to negro domination. hut the
| outrageous thing was that they say the
negroes cannot be developed into the
faculty of voting or becoming citizens.
He was surprised. he said. that no one
on the Democratic side OF the House
had denounced lynchingS. Tho over
whclming proportion Of lNnchinSS, he
laSscrted occurred in the South. Some
occurred in the North too. he said. IL
the North. however. it W@' the diSnr-
derby element which conducted the
lynchings. hut the great MASS OF the
people openly dis;.voNed it, whereas. IL
the South, he said. they did not. Re
3pect for the law he contendcd, should
always be present but every time :,
man was lynche1. il iifrinGcd that re-
spcct for law without which no repub-
lican government could long endure.
People of the North realize. he said
that mob violence ought to be stoppc
not because Of sympathy for the criIr;
nails. but from the results that are en-
pectcd to come from il. In many cases
hurningS are not too gool for the
criminal and no punishment; is too So
we're for him. but, he said. it is much
better that the criminal should escape
his punishment than to have the IL "
trarSgrcSSed.
| Answering Il question by Claude
Kitchin. y. G.. Gillett declared that nc
condemned lynchngs on any terms.
Richardson. Ala, interrupted to say
that whenever the negroes cease COM
uniting the crime of rape. the lynch
| inEs ana burninGs will cease with it.
! Gillett declared that the feeling in
| the North toward the negro is stronger
than it is in the South. In the North
| he said. there is n stronger natural re-
pugnance toward the negro. At the
same time. he said. the people of the
| North don't recognize this preposter-
Gus talk of social equality and inc
quality" He supposed. he said, there
were TO social grades in this countdy.
Every man. he said, can choose his
own friends and can associate with
whomsoerer he pleases. All classes So
ically are equal. he said, but that don't
mean we are all going TO associate to-
gether. Every man. he continued. Sc
lects for his associates those most in
sympathy with himself
| TIe spoke of the Booker Washington
incident at the White House and said
no one had the right to say it was a
disgrace to invite Booker Washington
to the White House.
| Gillett was asked by Claude Kitchin
| if he had ever invited a negro to his
table. Upon Gillett answering that he
/ had not. kitchin remarked:
| Il want you to practice what you
preach"
statement by Gillett that it is not
blood that makes caste brought Stay
den. Texas. to his feet who insisted
| that it does make caste in this country.
, 1T does in some parts of the country
rctorted Gillett.
Continued on page 81 ~