Fergus County argus., 1889-11-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.
lfrom our Regular Correspondent
W Wx.fIIN.sInN ll.t - SSt

WASHINGTON, Oct. %, lSSc.
Congressman Brownr of Indiana. who is
in Washington so much of the vacation.
has considerable to say of congressional
interference with elections. lie says that
the congress of the United States has IN
doubted power to supervise congressional
elections. They are Thoroughly national.
aud perhaps the only really national el-c-
tinn- We have. The question as to what
shall bc done in this connection * full of
difficulties. The law, whatever il may be,
has ,o be enforced 10y state tribunals, and
the witnesses and everybody else connected
with the cas-. come from the community
which is oi,entime- in sympathy with the
viulator OF the law. No statute can he en-
forced where the public docs not desire to
enforce it.
Mr.. Browne directs his fire against the
southern dist rict. which have small voting
in their general elections the back dis
trict-. There are. of course two sides to
the case. Congressman Catchngs Of Mis-
,i-sippi says the idea that the negroes Of
the south are sitting mp nights waiting i"r
a chance to deposit an honcst ballot is "A
mistake. lie does not think that 80 per
cr1t 81 those ia the districts that are over
whclminsly one way ar tho other haveguuc
,o the polls in the last ten years. Negroes
will pick cotton within one hundred yard.
of the polls and never quit to east their
votes. except such as are paid for going di-
rectly. and such bribery is seldom neces-
-ary. majoriiics being -. large. The iroubl-
is that the r"lnred people oi the south de-
not read the current literature oi the day
aud have M conception of economic pues-
tions. For thcmselve, they see no dirrc,
benefit H. hc rcapei from political life. aud
they know that it now means simply who
shall hold .i,ire. There was time, in the
sixties, when they wrrr first freed. when 4,
heir minds their salvaiiun depended upon
voting the Republican ticket. They were
packed about the polls waiting eagerly Ia
exercise their prerpgaiiNes. The lapse oi
time, peace, security has brought u feeling
..f Indifference. Thus. aud much mere, Mr..
tatching~, aud thus you see your iallaey of
putting your trust in princes, especially if
The priurrs lr McssrS. Ernwnc and Catch
| ings. II j. - long Way irnm Indiana Z" Mrs
si-S'pli.
ih"is'i ~ r'in"i "nd hir" a"d sh""-d
here day before yesterday, the meeting oi
the national board oi prom"tion of the
proposed e>p"siti"h ~ Washington ~ i>'2
WIS AN nnl"aiiiie'i s'i"'ess. lh- ns"tins
| was called inr noon. hut long before that
Time and long ah"f"ard, delegates kept
arriving uhtIi the attendance was lar ~
excess al even 'hc most -ansuih. o>le''a-
th"h' There were more IMAM On" huh"fed
men present as delegates representative
men, governors mayors 'ap'""-'> from
every stare ir"n Nalhe '- "h'"rhi"' from
Dakota I" fl'ri'ia. u had been supposed
thnt the spacious mann lafi"rs"i "iiiard
""'e'' "feh'i '"se'her' "o"ih a'c"'h'h"-
""'e me "sse'""'y' "u' :" great was 'he
crowd th'' u was i"uh" ie'cssar! I" h"i'
th" p"sihess meeting III "hi'ra "aii' among
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