The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-02-14
DEMOCRATIC RoURBoNs.

Inc etOif0 lnOlncfenc6 OF the Ocmo'
cratic leaders in Congress to the lessons
Of experience is the great marvel Of the
times. Some weeks since Mr.. Edmund:
introduced in the Senate q resolution re-
afiirmiBg the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and
Fifteenth Amendments to the Federal
Constitution. For this resolution,
against which no positive objection can
lie, except, perhaps, that it is surplus
age, the Democrats have formally pro-
posed . substitute. adopted in party
caucus, which embraces substantially
the beresy which impelled the South in
to rebellion, and which it had been sup.
posed the fierce fires Of war had con-
sumed. The substitute admits the
amendments to be of binding force and
validity, but it asserts that when the
right of citizen to vote is denied OF
abridged on account of race or color oil
previous condition of servitude by "the
conduct of q person who is not 90
acting by the authority and in obedience
to the laws of the State, the jurisdiction
to punish such conduct is in the State
Government, and is not in the Govern.
ment of the United States. The adop
tiOn of the principle here advanced
would be destructive of the vital eie-
ment of nationality. 1t would involve
the abdication by the Government of all
control of the fundamental sources Oi
power, and do for the south nearly all
it failed to accomplish by the rebellion.
The right, it is true, would remain with
Congress to prevent State Government.
from depriving citizens of the United
States of heir rights under the Consti
tuition, but the citizens Of State could
combine for the accomplishment of that
end, and no remedy would he applicable
by the General Government. That the
States could not be depended upon for
the punishment of persons guilty of in.
timidation, fraud and violence is only
too apparent both from the failure of the
authorities of South Carolina, Louisiana
land Alabama to take any decisive steps
for the arrest and trial of persons con,
cerned in the November election frauds,
and from the efforts made by citizens OF
some of them to Obstruct the execution
of the processes of the Federal Courts.
There can be but one opinion among
patriotic citizens as to this attitude OF
the partisan Democracy. The party
leaders cannot plead ignorance of the
fact that in at least four of the Southern
States the Federal authority has been
positively assaulted by deliberate legisla-
tive action. In Virginia joint resolu
tons are pending which propose the
notification of the Civil Rights Bill and
Enforcement Act, which. in other
words, demand the absolute withdrawal
of Federal authority Is to elections and
the equality Of citizens. In Florida
practically similar action is proposed
while in Alabama the Legislature de-
nounces bitterly all attempts, under
Federal law, to secure the purity Of
elections, and proposes to escape the Op
Grafton os such law by obstructive local
legislation. In the same State certain
Federal officials engaged in the perform
ance of lawful duties, and the custodisns
of important evidence designed to bs
used in United States Court in the
trial of persons indicted for violation Of
the Federal Election Law, nave been ar
rested by order of local court, impris
oned and the prosecution of the offender.
thus made impossible. In all these States
as we'll as in Arkansas and Missouri, the
dominant party asserts, unhesitatingly
the right of the State to protect all per
sons or communities guilty Of violating
Federal law, against the authority of the
National Government created under the
Constitution. Substantially. they take
their stand upon the same definition OF
the reserved rights of the States a. wa.
adopted by South Carolina in 1882
when she attempted to prevent the col
lection of Federal duties upon imports
The Qualification ordinance" declared
the Tariff Act of 1928 and 1882 to be null
and void, and that no appeal should be
made to the Supreme Court of the Uni
ted States against the validity of State
law multiplying the tariff. This is pre-
cisely the spirit of the resolutions pro
posed in the Senate as a substitute fol
those of Mr.. Edm unds. and thus We are
again brought face to face with the old
question which has so long vexed oul
craftsmanship and disturbed our politics
Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper.