The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-04
SOUTHERN CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTA-
TION.

Southern States. A copy of the bill has been
received. 1t is entitled ga bill making reg
ulations, prescribing the times, places and
manner of holding elections for Representa-
tives in the Congress of the United States
within certain States" The States proposed
to be embraced within the provisions of the
bill are South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi
and Louisiana. The object of the bill is to
secure fair elections and an honest count in
the States named. 1t is quite lengthy, and
prescribes numerous details looking to the
control of congressional elections. Among
other provisions it authorizes the President
and Senate to appoint four supervisors OF
election in each congressional district in the
States named said supervisors to be residents
of the district and selected equally from the
Republican and Democratic parties Each
district shall be divided into precincts con-
tanning as nearly as possible 400 voters;
careful system of registration is provided for;
uniformity in ballots is required; each po-
litical party may have challengers and watch
ers present, the details regarding polling
places, methods of counting, verifying, ETC.,
are carefully prescribed. The supervisors
made the canvassing board for the district,
and their certificate of the result is trans
mitted directly to the House of Representa-
tives. Fraudulent voting, or fraud by any
supervisor or officer of the election is made
felony, punishable with imprisonment of from
one to five years. From this brief outline of
the bill it will be seen that it covers the en-
tire ground of regulating and controlling the
election for the prevention of fraud.
In considering such measure two ques-
lions arise at the threshold-frst, as to the
power of Congress to pass such law, and
second, as to the necessity for it. AS to the
first there can be no question. It has been
held by the courts, and is well settled, that
Congress has supreme authority over elections
for Representatives and may exercise such
control and prescribe such regulations in this
behalf as it may deem necessary or advisable.
This question admits of no argument. The
other relates to the necessity for such legisla-
ton. If the elections in these States are
characterized by fraud and oppression, and if
the State laws do not provide for honest cleo
lions, the case certainly calls for the in ter
ference of Congress and the application of
remedy. This is exactly the situation. Such
a thing as a fair election and an no nest count
is unknown in the States named. The entire
negro vote is practically suppressed. Repub-
lican government does not exist in those
States. The political methods practiced
there are not merely in violation of the Con-
stitution and laws of the land but are scan
DIAL and disgrace to the American name.
Every election that occurs there is political
burglary, fragrant violation of law, and an
insult to every American citizen who believes
in honest elections. General Grant, in his
speech at Warren, o., in 1880, said: There
is not q precinct in this Nation
where a Democrat cannot cast his
ballot and have it counted as cast, no
matter what the predominance of the opposite
party. He can claim his political opinions,
even if he is the only one among thousand,
with out fear and without prescription
count of his opinions. There are fourteen
Republicans have not this privilege" This
state of things calls for remedy. What
shall it bef One proposition, and very good
one, is to reduce the basis of representation
in the States referred to. If negroes are not
allowed to vote they should not be included
in the basis of representation, thus increasing
the power of the whites. AS Mr.. Lynch put
it in his New York speech, 'If we cannot vote
for members of Congress we do not care to be
represented there" A reduction of the basis
of representation in such case is
clearly provided for by the Constitution,
and would fit the case exactly. We are not
prepared to say which would be the more
effective remedy, reduction of the basis of
representation or the enactment Of law
regulating elections. The latter would be
more in the direction of establishing repub-
lican government and insuring equal rights
to all, and for this reason preferable to the
other but either could be made effective. AS
to Senator Chambers bill, we have no hesita-
ton in declaring it right in principle, care
fully guarded in its provisions, and fully
justified by the existing condition of affairs
in the four States named. There may be
diff erence of opinion as to the best remedy
for the monstrous evil referred to, but certainly
some remedy is needed for situation which
the moral sense of the people will not tolerate
much longer OF course, Senator Chambers
bill cannot pass the present Congress, but it
should be discussed, and if possible pressed
to vote. Let the Democrats be compelled
to show their hands and put themselves on
record in favor of maintaining the present
oligarchy in the South. and in opposition to
fair elections. We have no doubt they will
maintain the position, just as they did the