The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1908-02-29
NO jim CROW
FOR CAPITAL
ePaRATE CAR QUESTION RAISES
FIERCE DEBATE IN THE
HOUSE.
FINALLY VOTED DOWN
SHARP SPEECHES ON BOTH SIDES
OCCASION LAUGHTER AND
APPLAUSE.

Va =hineton The race question
can 10 the surface in the house Sat
VI lay when Mr. Hetlin of Alabama of
fer an amendment to the District Of
Columbia street railway trackase bill
pr ding for lin crow" cars. Mr..
Holm declared that separate coaches
for the whites and blacks had solved
tn race problem in Alabama, and he
eN rrsSed the opinion that such an ar
raE tMent would solve il in Washing
tor
MIR Foster of Vermont voiced his
protest against the amendment, and
satJ that it was regrettable that on the
BIZ lhauy of George Washington such
an uu-Amercan proposition should be
advanced
Iaes my friend believe Washington
him If would vote for this amend
mon if he was here?' inquired Mr..
GIigrS of Georgia. amid laughter.
"EmDhatcally no." responded Mr..
Fo-'er.
Z he amendment was bitterly fought
by Alr Madden of Illinois. who as
set"d that Congress should never leg
islate in favor of one element against
another.
He was twitted by Mr.. Grisgs, who
inquired of him if he remembered the
shotgun quarantine established by
Co Tanner against negroes.
Mr.. Madden responded that he never
conceded the right of the governor to
&C as he did.
r. this time number of Southern
members We're vainly seeking reeogni-
tiOn
Which race does the amendment
discriminate against ?' inquired Mr..
Humphreys of Mississippi, who first
got the charmans eye.
"I don't concede the right of the gen
tleIuau to ask such a question" Mr..
Maiden replied, at which the Demo
crats derisively laughed.
Alr. Humphreys insisted that the
amendment provided equal but sepa
rate accommodations. He provoked
Democratic laughter and applause
when he said, pointing to the mem
bers in the galleries, that although the
Republicans were the friends OF the
negroes, he could not see any members
of the African race in those galleries
"Has the gentleman ever issued
any cards to the members gallery to a
negro" asked Mr.. Grisgs. insistently.
Yes, sir" Mr. Madden replied, "and
| will be glad to do so again"
1t remained. however for Mr.. Camp
bell of Kansas to arouse the interest
of the house on the subject. He de-
Tended the negroes of Washington, and
said he never noticed anything often
sive on their part on street cars.
Mr.. Campbell said he would regard
il as an evil day when Congress would
create class distinction.
A voice was heard to say that the
Republicans were after negro votes.
This inlamed Mr. Campbell, who de-
clared it to be "a shame to the gentle
man from Alabama and his party that
there are thousands of colored men in
his state and in the south who have no
vote"
Laughter was brought down upon
him when, after stating that Kansas
guaranteed the rights and privileges
of every citizen, Mr.. Bartlett of Georgia
read a dispatch stating that Booker
Washington had been denied hotel ac-
commodations at Wichita, Kan.
Mr. Campbell took the matter seri-
ously and declared that if the dispatch
was true and Washington had the time
to give to an action in the court, the
in an action for damages and he added
amid shouts of laughter the prob
abilities are the hotel man was Dem
ocrat from Alabama or Georgia"
THE Democrats from Alabama or
Georgia." interjected Mr.. Bartlett OF
Georgia, don't go to Kansas very of
ten"
And they don't stay Democrats
when they do co. was Mr.. Campbell's
quick retort
The house was thrown into an up
road when Mr.. Simms. Tennessee. af-
ter urging the members to get back on
the railway bill, said:
Lets thresh the negro question out
later, even il We have to thresh each
other out"
Debate on the question was brought
to a close by Mr.. Smith of Michigan,
declaring that the amendment, il
adopted, would drive the street rail
ways into bankruptcy.
The amendment was defeated, 140 to
IS.