The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-05-15
JOHN SHARP WILLIAMS
DFMOLISHFS PAYNE.
Political and Sectional Lines Drawn In
the House.

Washington, May 9.-Sectional lines
were sharply drawn in the house to-day
and for time charges and counter
charges OF dishonesty in elections by
both political parties we're heard. In
terest In the proceeding was all the
more keen because the two floor leaders
Messrs. Payne Of New York and Will.
liams of Mississippi, we're the princi-
pals in the stage setting.
Mr.. Payne got the floor and criticised
the minority leader "for having had the
hardihood to say" he was in. favor of
honest elections.
"Since when was the Democratic
party in favor Of honest elections?" he
inquired In stentorian tones. "Was it"
he asked, when 1t was depriving GER
tain class Of citizens of suffrage by
every means-by perjury, fraud, intimi-
dation, murder, riot and everything
else"
He wanted to know IL the Democrats
favored honesty in elections in the
state of New York, "when time after
time they carried the election not by
the honest ballot, but by fraudulent
votes deposited in the ballot boxes and
fraudulent counts"
FRAUD IN MARYLAND
He said it was well known that In
Troy, Albany and the city of New York
the Democrats sent around repeaters
from poll to poll in gangs Of five, who
impersonated well known citizens and
swore they were registered, who were
allowed by the Democratic officials to
vote, "who, when the honest voter came
around, deprived him of the ballot"
The Democrats, said Mr.. Payne, were
in favor Of honest elections only when
they got majority that way.
"Is it necessary for the Democratic
party In Maryland to disfranchise the
black man, he asked. Maryland, he
said, chad gotten in the habit Of going
Republican now and them The peo-
pie we're being educated, he said, and
by Republican ideas.
THE PARTY OF HRRoDs.
He declared that the Republican
party had an honest majority in Mary
land, and In order to overcome it the
Democrats we're bending every effort to
deprive every citizen Of the right Of
franchise "and thereby make Demo-
cratic state Of Maryland
Mr.. Williams replied that he had lis
tened to the lecture upon honesty in
elections from the leader OF the Repub-
lican party, "the party OF fresh, new
crisp 81 bills; the party Of blocks Of
five; the party of the city Of Philadel-
phia; the party OF returning boards back
in 1875: the party that carried the cleo
tion In 1895 by wholesale bribery; the
party that even as late as 1904 denied
that il had been receiving money from
fiduciary corporations for political pur-
poses, and whose officials were con-
victed Of falsehood In the denial; the
party Of Herods."
srKNcH or FPHILADELPHIA.
II there was anything that was .
stencil In the nostrils Of humanity, he
uaid, IL was the city Of Philadelphia.
ut has such bad SMELL" he de-
clared, "that even the Republicans
could not stand it all the
time"
MI. williams admitted that there was
! time when there was intimidation and
fraud 10 his section Of the country, but
here was some extenuation for it "when
J great race was engaged in saving it's
sivilization.'
"Tkere bever was, however, he ex-
"any excuse or extenuation for
he RupubIican party in its programme
i Wholesale bribery in 1898, 1900 and
1904, when thaA party took the money
bslongIng y widows snd orphans and
lsvee ~ ~ aaahooA nor the Justice
5 t4 .ral 4.4a