The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-05-03

electors Tor President and Vice President
OF the United States, Representatives in
Congress, the executive and judicial
officers OF State, or the members Of the
Legislature thereof, is denied to any Of
the male inhabitants OF such State, be.
ing twenty-one years ola and citizen oil
the United States, or in amy way
abridged, except for participation in re-
bellion or other crime, the basis Of repre-
sentation therein shall be reduced in
the proportion which the number OF
male citizens shall bear to the whole
number Of male citizens twenty.one years
OF age in such State.
This provision of the constitution was
not, perhaps, framed to meet such state
Of things us obtains in Louisiana, but
rather to meet the case where the laws
of any State discriminate against citizens
OF the United States, US shown in the
Fifteenth and later amendments to the
Federal Constitution prohibiting any
such enactments in any State. The
effect, however, of the custom OF the
country is the same as if there was law
on the Louisiana statute book disfran-
chising half the voters in the State. To
give a man the right to vote and to de-
bar or cheat him out OF it by force or
fraud is the same, only worse, as to de-
prive him by law.
The great wrong that results from this
debarment is not local in its character.
II 1t was, the fact might be passed over
with more indifference on the part OF
the people of the North. But the wrong
is national and is liable this very year
to become tremendously important to
the country. Suppose the result OF the
Presidential election to turn this year
on the eight electoral votes OF Louisiana,
or the nine votes of Mississippi, and the
vote of either OF those States to be deter
mined as it was on the 18th Of April in
Louisiana by fraud (by such instructions
as Governor McEnery issued), who will
say that the North would or should
quietly submit to such a result? AS
well might the Republican States ofthe
North not vote at all. In effect, the
vote of Ohio, Pennsylvania and all the
other Republican States is completely
nulliGed. Voting at all in those States
becomes mere farce. 1t counts fol-
nothing whatever. As well let the
Presidential election go by defaults as to
go through such a mockery.
Now state Of things like this can
never be submitted to by the people OF
this country and never will be, be the
views of the people Of Louisiana what
they may on the question OF white SUI
premacy.
As to their local elections, and the
means by which they conduct them,
that is one thing, but it is quite another
thing as to tho means bywhich the whole
vote of this country is to be controlled
and determined by any one State, To
subvert and pervert the vote OF the
whole country thus is an act OF rebellion
and revolution which can never be sub
mitted to.
The remedy, as far as there is rem
edy, will possibly come to this, ii the
result this year turns upon the question
OF force or fraud in the result in Louisi,
ana or any other Southern State, for the
Government to take charge of the polls
at Presidential elections, by the appoint,
mcnt OF Government. Supervisors, sup.
ported by such force US may be necessary
to assure a fair election.
This is u deplorable remedy and n re-
proach, in one sense, to the whole coun'
try. But it is either some such step rs
this or complete surrender OF the Pres
idency in perpetuity to the bulldozing
power of the South. It's either this, or
some such equivalent step, or a disfran-
chisement Of the people OF the North.
OF course there remains the hope that
the people of the North will see this
danger ahead this year and act upon it
by voting solidly in every Northern
State for the Republican Presidential
candidate. This is the only perfectly
peaceful remedy, and therefore the one
altogether preferable. Let the people
in the South see that the situation is ap-
preciated, and that as long as they pro-
pose to control the Presidency or the
Legislative department OF the Govern
ment in this way just SO long will they
be met by solid self-protective vote at
the North,