The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-02-25


ca. De'Is.'- '-r.'tsr-.Ancndnient WAS
1,|Ica.cG ~ .otc oi LAG 10 90.
:, ;,s1instoL, February 22.-The race
QUt..>.OH ~2ptCL34iJ Ct.A4o - Lne
SsTldce in .ue house d rcprns 3EtatiVes
tOUGy. WnCn Mr. Helm, O. Alabama,
offered an amendment to the District
OF Columbia street railway tracking
bill providing Tor Jim Crow cars.
Mr.. Helm declared that separate
coaches for the whites and and blacks
had solved the race problem in Ala
bam1 and he expressed the opinion
that such an arrangement would solve
1t IN Washington.
EIr. Foster, Of Vermont, voiced bis
prOtest against the amendment. and
SAID that it was regrettable that on
the birthday Of George Washington
"such an un-American proposition"
shouid be advanced.
Does my TREND believe Washing
ton himself would vote for this amend
ment if he was here?" inquired Mr..
Griggs, Of Georgia, amid laughter
"EmDhatically no. responded Mr..
Foster.
The amendment was bitterly fought
by N4r. Madden, OF Illinois, who as
serted that congress should never leg
islate in favor of one element against
another. He was twitted By Mr.. Griggs
Who inquired Of him il he remember
ed the shoL gun quarantine estab-
lishcd by Governor Tanner against ne
grOas
kr. Madden responded that he new
en- conceded the right Of the governor
to act as he did.
Ey this time q number Of southern
members were vainly seeking recogni-
ton.
Which race does the amendment
discriminate against?" inquired Mr..
Humphreys, Of Mississippi, who first
got the chairman's eye.
az don't concede the right Of the
gentleman to ask such a question"
Mr. Madden replied, at which the dem
ocrats derisively laughed.
Mr.. Humphreys insisted that the
amendment provided equal but sep
aate sections.
He provoked democratic laughter
and applause when he se d, pointing
the members in the galleries, that al
though the republicans were friends
of the negroes who could not see any
members Of the African race in those
galleries.
Has the gentleman ever issued any
cards to the members galleries to a
nigger?" asked Mr.. Griggs insistant-
B.
Yes sir" MT Madden responded,
land I will be glad to do so again"
MT Campbell, Of Kansas, defended
the negroes of Washington and said
he never noticed anything offensive
nTo thnir on street cars
Nothing disturbs your equanimity
except small children" remarked Mr..
clayton, of Alabama.
''There are a great many who don't
disturb me at ALL was Mr.. Campbell'3
retort.
Would you add the representative
from Alabama" inquired Mr.. Griggs,
amid laughter.
Il will add the gentleman" smil-
ifngIy answered Mr.. Campbell.
''By request" said Mr.. Simms, soto
voce.
Yes" said Mr.. Campbell, land by
request Of the gentleman from Geor-
eia."
The repartea convulsed the house
and galleries which had become packed
to the doors.
Mr.. Campbell said he would re-
gard it as an evil day when congress
would create a class distinction
A voice was heard to say that the
republicans were after negro votes
This inf1amed Mr.. Campbell, who de-
clared 1t to be shame to the gen
tleman from Alabama and his party
that there are thousands of colored
men in his state and men in the south
who had no vote" Laughter was
brought down upon him when, after
stating that Kansas guaranteed the
rights and privileges Of every citizen,
Mr.. Bartless. Of Georgia, read news
paper dispatch stating that Booker
Washington had been denied hotel ac-
commodations ct Wichita, Kansas.
Mr.. Campbell took the matter very
seriously and declared that if the dis
patch was true and Washington had
the time to give to an action in the
courts the hotel keeper would be the
defendant in an action for damages
sand" he added, amid shouts of
laughter, "the probabilities are the
hotel man was democrat from Ala
bama or Georgia"
f'The democrats from Alabama or
Georgia" interjected Mr.. Bartlett of
Georgia, don't go to Kansas very