Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-02-04
THE TREATY
Senator Simmons Makes a Speech
for the Panama Canal.
ARlHBLIHc DEBATE ii THE HOUSE.
the Considers ton Of the Urgent Deficiency
Abpropristisn Bin Depressed TO Dis
cussion Of Political Topics. the Rscs
Question and Aerial Navigation.

ADpropriation Bin DEPRESSED TO . Dis
cussion Of Political Topics. the Rsos
Question and Aerial Navigation.
washington, Jan. 20.--The senat.
proceedings yesterday included
speech by Senator Simmons. Of Nortl
Carolina. IN support Of the Panama
canal treaty and the passage Of Q mum
Der Of bills and resolutions. Senator
Simmons was the first democratic
senator to favor the measure on thu
floor Of the senate. He announced bill
disapproval Of the intervention OF thu
United States In the Panama revolt
but said as the revolution was an &C
complished fact, and was such before
the treaty was made, he could not &C
cept the theory that the treaty itself
was invalid.
Among the bills passed was one
granting to citizens Of Porto Rico and
the Philippines the right to take the
advantage Of naturalization laws oil
this country, but Senator Spooner
moved to reconsider the vote, thus
leaving the question undisposed Of.
The resolution giving authority to the
committee on privileges and elections
to proceed with the investigation Of the
charges against Senator Smoot was
passed.
The senate committee on public
lands authorized q favorable report on
the bill providing means for acquiring
the groves Of sequoia gigantea In the
state Of California, with q view to
making these tracts q national park.
General debate in the house yester-
day on the urgent deficiency bill d.
crossed to q discussion Of political
topics, the race question and aerial
navigation. Mr.. Burkett, Of Nebraska,
led of with q discussion Of the political
situation from republican standpoint
and Mr.. Cochran, of Missouri, spoke
for the democrats. Mr.. Hardwick, OF
Georgia, made an extended address on
the race problem. Discussion Of flying
machines was precipitated by the re-
port OF the appropriations committee,
which recommended the tabling Of q
resolution calling on the secretary Of
war for Information as to expenditures
that had been made In connection with
flying machine tests. Mr.. Lands, Of
Indiana, closed the day in q political
speech lasting an hour. He declared
that Mr.. Roosevelt will be nominated
on the record Of bis administration for
his platform.
Mr.. Hardwick, speaking on the race
problem, rejoiced at the happy rela-
ton now existing between the north
and south. He said the south yielded
to no section in loyalty, and, In that
spirit, he invoked consideration, Of the
question. The negro, he said, consti-
tute about SO per cent. Of those Of tho
voting population in II Of the south
ern states.
Reviewing the voting qualifications
by constitutional action In
southern states Mr.. Hardwick said 1t
was not believed by some Of the law
yers Of ability that any Of these qualih-
cations were In conflict with the
fifteenth amendment. He said the
negro can no longer stand a. q special
ward Of the government, but must
stand on his merits as q citizen. There
never had been any disposition In the
south to deprive the negro OF his civil
rights, the right to earn a living, and
the right Of protection to life and
There cannot be political
he added. He quoted Stats
tics and said 1t was shown that as
Illiteracy decreased among the race
criminality increased, from which he
ieduced that education had been detri-
mental rather than beneficial to the
negro.
Mr.. Watson, of Indiana, asked II he
believed in abolishing schools for the
negro. 4 St
Mr.. Hardwick replied that higher
education untitled the negro for work;
hat It gave him an ambition too high
10 be realized In the south or else
where. Calling attention to the laws
of number Of states. including Ohio.
Vermont, Massachusetts,, Connecticut.
Maine, Oregon, California, Wyoming
and Idaho, he said II the representation
81 the southern states were to be re-
tuced because Of the voting Qualifca-
lions imposed the representation Of the
states named would have to be 70.
iuced for the same reason.