New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-09
SOUTHERN NULLIFTCATIO.,.
JUDGE D. L. RUSSELL SUGGESTS A REMEDY.

THE CURES FOR THE EVIL WHICH MAY BE Ar.
FLIED BY CONGRESS TO THE REAcTIoNARY
COTTON STATES.
To tAe Edttor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Now that the North has turned over thu
National power to the party OF the Constitution and
of the country the question uppeImos IN the minds
of those political thinker, who have given auchtlon
to the Southern question is How can The National
Constitution be enforced in the southern sts:e''
The time is past for debate with those who assert
that the XVIII and XVIII Amendments, the Federal
election laws, and the conditions Imposed by tha
Rccons rucon Acts OF 1868 and 1869, have any ap"
probable vitality the cotton states or are enforced
even In the more Nothern and liberal tier OF mo
once insurrectlonary States Now and then com-
uluniies-even Congressional dstricts-There mo
whites largely predOminate, may be insanced 10 show
that the vote Is as free and fair IN the North bus
II is known Of all men that in the black belt' from
the James River to the Rio Grand,. the popular
election, National and local, IS a GIN COMEDY save
only when 1t becomes monster tragedy sometimes
By accident the candidate Of the popular choice gets
mas in tn, recent of the lid CONFESSIONAL
District of North Carolina where the returning officers
utted out a majority of many thousands and yes
failed by about six hundred votes 10 throw Qua
enough.
Some OF these Southern me hods of DISTINGUISHING
ne groes are curious novel and amusing Inc odibay
and most effective, Is inc pidh VI iS5S"s~
whole precincts by order Of the county boards, wao
are invested BIZ the state laws with judicial powers.
who belong exclusively to the dominant party anu
whose mission is to select for OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 50
many precincts a. necessary to reverse inc acnas
vote cast Another plan, not novel; ou' oiu -
Reconstruction, 10 tO throw large hunters OK
voters voting precinct, have the whites iotco
their way 10 the pod early and vote, consume inc
rest of the day by fiv0.ous Challenges and al sun
down close the poll with hundreds Ci Awici 'oters
standing in line with The phc..e,s" oatot IN meg
q v
recurring not less than eI4ni ballot boxes. each
labeled TO indcare the ofice-say box for woes
for Governor, another for Congress- anu anoher lor
resident and SO on then to nave the . ohiyaIous,
election judges receive the votes Oh tHe ha ud -,
refuse TO perform this oLce for the llteiate negro.
thereby compelling him TO guess a to aeho'ns S
removing and mixing the boxes 10 make L rtason-
ably cean ma ne w % fo so I hey eSc to count
In one district in South Carolina ne clloied Hen
voted Only for Congressman and put thi' ticket mo
showed a large majority for Their man. therety com
uut process ~ to prevent his eIecIon. unaSr
this south Carona plan Tue eee''n bs nres.nted
by The person rendering his vote. The poor negro.
before be gut trying TO vote wG ry to Si' him 70
VOTE would carefully deposit II N one OF me co. no
with his tickets Then he would 20 ana VOC, s,,, re-
cate are practically a denial of It. But IN some
places in certain precincts in North Sarohs .nS
best Of the slave States proper, except N.tsnIS .
plan They do not label the boxes but csIoiuny
deposit the Democratic tickets in the proper DoAess
Which known only to the pollhoLers ana ,eas
Republicans, both Intelligent and ilerate 70 oepoI
| their own ballots and thus compel them 10 '~Aa
their chances in This lottery OF eec'e iav.s h.rs
the recent election In south carolina ,ti az -,
an Improvement In their methods so decipsu Is )"
produce strong hopes of ultimate reiOIn IN p.hiie,
darlington and other places over~h'm hsos,s Election
tha has occurred since they seized te d nnrhans
iany other places they did not open the poiis hue
have any form OF election 49,. .v,d.r AZ ths
fearful danger from which free Institutions na.e y
been rescued by narrow margin IN The pop "t would
have been the irevocable decree whereby the .to1s
Republic would have been doomed 10 f1ow , ,rs
throughout considerable fraction OF the kepuOio
being governed by fragrant fraud a1S ITa'e By SUCH
methods obtain permanent control OF the ~ IN.
capture the supreme Court, reverse serw IN ther own
sectional interest then indeed. must It DO written
that this last and best altemp, at sen ,Sa nss 81
Mexico, of Hayu and Of the riodden seg aOass -
south america Now ma tns IS i hereafter to bs
avoided! By the Constitution represent stlon IN Nol-
gress and the Electoral ., 0 yaIers IN each state BY
the terms OF reconstruction as emoori III IT ary
Sa@s xsre reamied into linton the basis
of universal manhood suffrage wa a one should never
be changed so to take the gh, 10 vOe i, Se Laws
class Of persons who were enur" cot,oU states Sy
fraudulent laws and feonous methods have vIo,s or,
this Fundamental condition. nave ulsHsncn'seu n nis
than half their male aiult cltAei'' anu !e' "''
represen tation upon all OF theh' .. .,,.axc
The remedies are various, Inc eNtreho rv.,.,v-
Ia for Congress 10 declare by law that these staes
have violated tho fundamental conditions unasr ,hs,
they We're readmed into The u1on as rrnrssntston
I'm Congress and that they be remadcd 10 ,hc le't,
toral status which existed from ,net Iva ssa
They would then stand any oher .onlmpn T rerr
tov Of the Nation and be ONerfeu Jus. - he 49,.
tories OF the West by laws made oH u" 80 80 then
power at Washington. Congress couhi e.vc 10 Iie.
The same local self government a gives 10 uo
people OF the other Territories Ihy souM snoy Wv"
habeas corpus. jury ri ais aia riSbt he bssed an
educ,ton And % some extent on property 50 as 20
exclude tho possibility OF negro WI ~ 80
is reasonably ceraiu that until all oher ~meocS Sfe
e>haustcd fhis VIII not be attempted.
Annther nian Is FOR Congress 10 aiont NaionAt
election law Whereby Congressional VIII Dc dVorcsu
from state elec tons Lot the precinct omcsrs oe
ahnritv every prccaution be provided against fraud
ana force and election. oe conanetrn SO As w n.
serve both the secrecy OF the ballot when east ana we
evidence TO prove IN every legal controversy Just nv"
Another remedy is for Congress BY law, law
to cut down the representation OF Gese
s srse entitled BY the Xivh Amendment regulate
Congressional elections by laying on The d,sJs,s N
those states fairly and eauitaby without any escmens
Of gerymanaer ana 10 give ,ns ~ ~ ,,ouire
the returns 10 be made To these t1buhHs .,.x..
Under this plan, the country would DC rc' es,s
OF the menace of National domination p y, Inf, nde
pendent In all their local affairs anu i've 10 usi'~
chse their negro population and maihsm 'hn su,
prcmacy Of the few over the many ns
right the right OF flight, the right 70 seen reusc y
states where his citizenship would be rctosniseo'
: There would be no Fugitive slave law prssrII.
Wilmington n c. Dec 90 leoa