The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-12

Democratic party In the Southern States;
Second-To ind il there he any method by |
which repetition Of these crimes against a free
ballot may be prevented.
. The newspaper IL the channel through which
the people of the United States are informed NJ
current events, and the accounts given in the
press represent the elections in some OF tho
southern States TO have been accompanied by
violence; in not few cases reaching tho de-
structon Of life; to have been controlled by
threats that awcd and ntimdated large class
81 voters to have been man pulated 10y fraud OF
the most shameless and shameful description
Indeed. in South Carolina there seems TO have
been no election At all in any propersense OF the
term. There was instead series OF skirmishes
over the State in which the polling places were
regarded M forts TO be captured by one party
and held against the other, and whore this could
not DC dQne with Convenience, frauds in the
count and tissue ballot devices were rpsorted to
In order to crectunlly destroy the voice Of the
minority. These in brief nrn the accounts given
in the non partisan press OF the disgraceful out
RACES that attended the recent elections. and 50
fur aB have srpn. these statements are without
serious contradiction. Ii is but Just and fair toall
parties. however, tina, an impartial invcstgn-
uon OF the facts shall DO made by a committee
OF the Senate, proceeding under tho authority
q law and representing the power OF the nation.
Hence my resolution.
But We do not need Investigation to establish
certain facts already OF official record. We
know that one hundred and sin Representatives
IN Congress were recently chosen IN the States
formerly slnveholdng. unu that the Democrats
elected one hundred aud one or possible ono
hundred and two. and the Republicans four. or
possibly five. We know that thirty-nve OF these
Representatives were assigned 10 the Southern
States by reason Of the coiorcd uopulatlon' and
that the entire political power thus founded ON
the numbers Of the coored people hns been
seized and appropriated to the Acknowledgement
Of iis own strength by the Democratic party Ok
the South.
The issue thus raised before tho country. Mr..
President. ls not one Of moro sentiment for the
rights ui the negTO-though far distant hc the
day when the rights OF any American ctilrn.
however black OF however poor. shall form the
mere dust OF the balance IN any controversy;
nor Is the issue one that involves the waving oi
% lee pl a. var
nacular OF Democratic vituperaiion; nor still
further t. the issue. ~ now presented. only u
question OF the equality OF the black voter ~
tho South with the white Votar OF the South tho
issue. Mr.. President. has taken far wider
range. one OF portentous magnitude and That
j.. whether the white Noicrof the North shall
bee equal to the white voter ofthc South In shap-
ing the policy and liking the destiny OF this
country; or whether. TO Put i still more badly.
the white man who fought in the ranks OF The
Union army shall have ~ weighty and iuiiu-
rntinl vote in tho Government Of the republic
rs the white man who fought in the ranks OF
the rebel army. The ono fought to uphold. the
othT TO destroy the Union OF the States. and
to-day he who fought TO DESTROY 10 a far more
imuortant factor in the Government of the ma
tian than he who fought to uphold it.
Let me illustrate my meaning 10y comparing
groups OF States Of the same represe ntatiVc
strength North and South. Take the States OF
South Carolina. Mississippi. and Louisiana.
Thcy send seventeen Representatives TO Con-
gress. Their aggregate population is composed
OF l.O35OOO whites and l.22l.OuO colored: tho
coored being nearly 2Ou 900 in excess OF tho
whites or the seventeen Representatives,
then. It ia evident that nine were apportioned
20 these States 10y reason Of their colored popu-
lation. and only eight by reason Of their white
population ana yet IN the choice OF the entire
seventeen Representatives the coored voters
had no more voice or power than their remote
Kindred on the shores Of Senegambia or on tue
gold coast. The 1856 900 white people had the
sole md absolute choice OF the entire seventeen
Representatives. In contrast. take two States
in tine North. Iowa aud Wisconsin. with seven
teen Representatives. They have u white pop
uatlou 81 2.2l7. ENTHUSIASTICALLY more liam
fIR 80 ftIF ha
Southern States have named. In Iowa and
Wisconsin, therefore. i takes 10000 white
ercss. but in South Carolina Mississippi and
Louisiana every 10000 white people send "A
Representative. In other words. GO.OO0 white
people in those southern States have precisely
the same political power In the government II
the country. that $4,000 white people have in
Iowa and Wisconsin.
Take another group OF seventeen Repre-
sentaiives from the South and from the North
Georgia and Alabama have a white popula-
ton Of lbs 900 and a colored population Of
1.O2O0O0 They send seventeen Representa-
tlves 20 Congress. Of whom ninc were appor-
eight on account Of the colored population
But the colored voters are not able TO choose a
single Representative. the white Democrats
choosing the whole seventeen The four North
! ern States. NJ ichigan, Minnesota, Nebraska. and
/ California. have seventeen Representatives.
based On white population Of two and a quar-
! ter millions. or almost double the white popua-
ton OF Georgia and Alabama 50 that in these
relative groups Of States We Ind the white man
South exercises by his vote double the political
power OF the white man North.
Lei US carry the comparison 10 a more COM
prehensiVe generalization. The eleven States
that formed the Confederate Government had
6y the last census q population OF nine and n
and "A hall millions were white and four mill
lions colored. On this aggregate population
srNenty-ihree Representatives In Congress were
appQrtigned TO- those States-fOrty-two or three
OF which were bv reason % the white population.
and thirty or thirty-one byreason ofthe colored
population. At the recent election the white
Democracy Of the South seized seventy OF the
seventy-threc districts. and thus secured n Dem
Ocratic majority IN IN npNt House OF Represpn
uulyes. Thus IL appears that throughout the
States thnt formed the late Confederate Govern
ment 10000 whtes-tne very people that re-
brlled against the InlCn-are enabled to elect
Representative in Congress, while In the loyal
States II requires 10000 OF the white people
tive. In levyng every tax therefore. in max
Ing every appropriation OF money. in fixing
every line OF public policy. in decreeing what
the Confederate soldier South is enabled 10 cast
vote that Is twice rs powerful and twice rs in .
hqential rs the vote OF the Union soldier North.
But the white men Of the South did not ac-
qlire and do not hold this superior power by
reason OF law or Justice but in disregard and
defiance Of both. The Fourteenth Amendment
70 the Constitution was expected TO he and was
designed to be Il preventive and corrective OF
all such possible abuses. The reading OF the
clause applicable TO the case Is instructive and
suggestive. Hear it:
Representatives shall he apportoncd among the
ns tie Whoe namScr Of sons In each state eScrains
Indians not taxed. But when the rsht to any
election Tor tie choice OF ccctr. for President and Nc-
President of the United states Representative IN Con
err, the executive and judicial officers VI STAT the
members Of the Lee stature thereof u denied 10
tie mnle inhabitants such SuiV being - a-r
and clIrns ni the lnted States or ia wny abridged
except iOt PARTICIPATION ia rebellion 81 other crime, tue
basis 81 representation therein shal he reduced IN tic
bear To we whole number OF male citizens - years vi
IN such Stale.
Tho patent. undeniable intent OF this proy-
sion was that II any class OF voters were denied
or m any way abridged in their right Of SUI
frage. then the caes so denied or abridged
should not be counted In the basis Of repre-
seutation or. in other words. that no State or
States should gain large Increase Of repre-
seutuiiOn in Congress by reason Of counting
any class OF population not permitted TO take
part in electing such representatives. But the
construction given 10 this provision is that be-
lor0 any forfeiture Of representation can be- en-
forced. the denial or Rbrldgment of suffrage
must be- the result Of n law specifically enacted
hy the' state. Under this construction every
negro voter may have his suffrage absolutely
denied or fatally abridged 10y the violence.
actual or Threatened. OF irresponsible mObs, or
by frauds and decoptions oil State officers from
the Governor down to tho last election clerk.
and then. unless some state law can be shown
that authorizes the denial or abrldgment. tho
State IS apes all penalty or peril OF reduced
representation This construction may be up
held boy the courts. ruling ON the letter OF tho
law, which kllleth." but tho spirit OF justice
cries aloud ngnlnEi the cYnslYe and atrocious
conclusion TINT deals out oppression 10 the in
nocent, and shields the guilty from the legiti-