The Winchester journal. [volume] (Winchester, Ind.) 18??-1920, 1870-07-21

selves To Congress with constitutions
Of government based upon the white
citizens of those States alone, being
IN some OF the states, not much more
than half the number of citizens.
Those constitutions did not cate re-
publican gernmcnts. and heLce,
fell under the Jurisdiction Of Congress
for reconstruction. 4 republican gov
ernment is one under which the adult
cuDlpOs Hentis male citizens, not dis
/ franchised for crime, have the right 10
vote and hold office.
This definition Is taken substantially
from the report Of the Democratic
members of the committee In Con
gress on the Dorr rebellion In Rhode
Island in 1913 4. The report was made
upon a memorial of Rhode Islanders
asking Congress 10 give that State q
republican government, and was
drawn by Edmund Burk, Of New
Hampshire, a very abe Inan-was
concurred IN by Mr.. Clenand, Of lii
nOis, and RaihbUn, of New York, the
other Democrats on the committee;
was sustained 10y all the Democratic
m, mbers in Congress, AMI was made
the text book OF Democratic stump
speakers in the Presidential campaign
of 1911. | sustained il IL Polk cleo
tor then; l continue to- support ii now
a private citizen, because il j. right.
The report says: "-All the power which
Congress possesses over the subject
matter of the memorial il derived
from the ith section Of the 4tl article
of the Constitution which has been
before cited. That provision guaran-
tees To each State republican form OF
government, and stipulate. to protect
each Of them against evasion, &c.
This provision of the Constitution vests
in the Congress Of the United States a
supervision over all the State constitu-
tons SO far rs the asccrtainment OF
their republican character is concern
ed, and when those constitutions do
not provide for republican form OF
government, which, in addition to an
outward popular organization, the
committee understand to be one which
exists in the consent Of the people, and
over which they have control, il il the
duty of Congress TO set it aside, and to
recognize and enforce one which pos
sesses this republican character"
Again says the report: "On this
point the committee differ with the
President John Tyler They hold
that when the cdsus Jtcdcris arises
which demands the execution of the
constitutional guarantee to the State,
the author of the Union, charged with
the execution of that guarantee must
deliberate and decide. They NUT de-
eide whether they are called upon to
guarantee IA republican form of gov
eminent adopted by the people Of the
State claiming the guarantee, or to
perpetuate a government which is not,
or has ceased to be, republican. The
section of the constitution containing
this stipulated guarantee, er ri termini,
requires this deliberation and de-
ci>ion."
Such was unanimous Democratic
doctrine in 1914, upon which Polk was
elected.
This Democratic report not only de-
fines Republican Government as one
i'm which all the adult male citizens
are voters, but it goes further. The
Committee say: "They believe that
the right Of suffrage is "a natural right,
not q constitutional right, which at
taches TO man, independent OF the ac-
cidents of birth, or fortune; of which
right he can not be Invested, except
by usurpation or forcen
y government which excludes n
large number Of its citizens from the
right TO vote is an oligarchy.
The negroes, then, being citizens,
have the right to vote.
State governments dcpriving them
of this right are not republican, and
it is the duty of Congress to cause such
State governments To be reconstructed
with republican form.
All this has been constitutionally
done, SO far Is the States of the United
States are concerned, and the negro
man is a voter by constitutional, and
fthe Democrats said in 1871 10y natural
rights. Te oppose his right To vote
now is to oppose the Constitution, to
oppose republican government, TO de-
ny the Declaration of independence,
and favor the return of the negro, in
effect, towards slavery. The negro, in
fact, votes without disturbance, and
associates with the whites in daily
labor, i'll carriage rides, in barber
shops, in menageries, and in kitchen
and dining rooms, and why he may
not in voting do not see.
a word as TO the bearing of the
amendments upon State rights. There
is much Misrepresentation on this
point. No amendment has been
made not justified by the original con-
stitution, and none but what is I'm dis
charge Of an obligation imposed 10y it,
Ii says that the United States shall
guarantee to each State republican
government. Now in discharge of
this obligation the United States have
added these amendments 10 the Ma
tional Constitution, viz, the Thir-
teenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth.
The first Of these takes away the
State right of establishing slavery.
The "a takes away the State right of
exercising despotic power over her
citizens.
The 81 takes away the State right Of
establishing an oligarchy of race.
The amendments compel the States to
continue TO keep their governments
republican.
They take away the State right to
do wrong, but leave the State right to
do right. :. +. PERKINS.
INDIANA-iIER GROWING TRADE