Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1908-05-11
MONDAY EVENING. MAY II. 1908
In THE House on Saturday Mr.. John

in the course of perhaps the bitteress at
ia, he ever made on the republican
party, gave Speaker Cannon, Leader
Payne and the republicans generally a
vigorous dressing down for failing to
bring in and put on Its passage the bill
fOr the publicity of campaign contFibu-
tioup. Mr.. Payne came back With q
sarcastic TRADE against the democratic
party and drfgged up the spectre Of
negro d siranchissment in the South.
When Mr.. Williams could get the
floor sgain he poured into the republicans
as wilheriDg a FIRE Of vituperation as
they have listened 10 in msny session.
There was no trace Of his usual humor
in what Mr.. Williams said or bis way Of
saving it, He was 10 deadly earnest
and talked with cold, incisive delibers-
ton that made bis words sting like
whips. The republicans sat silent under
the mercless csstigslion, but there was
frequent applause on the democratic
side.
Mr.. Payne first criticised the minority
leader "for having the hardihood to say"
he was in favor of honest e'ectionf.
'Since when was the democratic party
In favor of honest elections p he inquired
In stentorian tones. "Was it," he
asked, "when II was dsprivipg a certain
class Of citizens of suffrage by every
means, by perjury, fraud, intimidation
murder, riet aud everything else under
the sun ?" He vented to know if the
democrats favored honesty in elections
in the State OF New Yoik, "when time
after time they carried the election not
b. the lontst ballot, but by fraudulent
Fotes.'s
The democrats, said Mr.. Psyne, were
in favor of homes! elections only when
they got a majority that way. "1s 1t
necessary for the d ,mocratic party in
Maryland to disirsnchise the black
man p he asked.
10 reply, Mr.. Williams said;
"Mr Speaker, 1t is refreshing 10 hear
q lecture upon honesty of elections from
the republican party. the party OF crisp |
81 bills, the party of blocks of five, the
party Of the returning board way back |
in &c, the party that carried the cleo |
tion 10 80 by Wholesale bribery, the |
party that in 1904 denied it had receiy- |
ed money from fduciary corporations
for political purpo'es, snd was aherward
convicted of fslsehood in the denial; the
psrty of MY dear Hartman There
was time in the history of my OVID
section when there was Intimidation and
when there was fraud. There Was some
excuse for i'll do not say justification,
but extenuation. A great race was en-
gagged in saving its civilization and
there was some excuse at any rate, some
extenustion, for setting civilization
above law. But there was never any
excuse, there was never any exlenua-
ton for the republican party in its pro-
grsmme of wholesale bribery In 1896,
in 1900 and in 1904, when it took the
money that belonged TO widows and
orphans out OF iduciary funds and
never had the manhood nor the justice
10 return ii. One of the most honest
men in the republican party is now in
the White House, and at one time be
did have the manhood, it is at least
reported, to have said that The republi-
can campaign committee ought TO return
the money that had been filched from
the widows and orphans and bene-
fciaries and policy holders Of the New
York Life and the New York Mutual
Iosurance companies. But, under the
influence of his environment, which is
too strong for him, he has ceased to
treat on the subject, and no longer do
we hear either in message TO Congress
wherein ordinarily all matters under
heaven are dealt wilh-nor Ia any in
terview in the press, auy proposition to
restore those stolen funds"
Yes, there WAS q time in the his
tory of the south when revolution stood
in the saddle but, since then these
States have adopted new constitutions.
The disfrsnchisemen laws we're passed
for the purpose of preventing fraud, and !
The Supreme Court of the United States ,
has upheld them. Why, the geutlemsn's :
zoul reDels at the idea Of democrats
mentioning honesty of election and hon.
ssty OF administration. Think Of that
coming from the party ct the whisky :
fraud, the party of the Credit MObilier, 9
the party of the star route fraud | can !
handy history with Mr.. Payne all day,
but do not want TO handy history. Let S
the dead past bury itself on both sides. {
Let the fraud that constituted republic
canism in various parts of the country, i
the fraud that stslked through the
south for a while when men in despera-
zion were saving a rsce's civilization, q
let 1t all go for what it amounts 10 in /
history. But what are you saving now,
now at the present moment; what do you
saSS Here stand with shoulders not n
TOO broad and strength not too great,
but at the least knowing that represent o
abe democratic party 10 hatregard-here I
stand to challenge you TO enact that II
every dollar that goes into campaign
funds shall be published TO the world '
the day after it is received, so that The I
world may judge the motive Of the giver
and know the extent of the means of
corruption in the hands Of the recipient.