The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-05-11
A Proposed Southern Gerrymander.
Baltimore Sun.

Dispatches from the South to sew
eral Northern newspapers assert that
Colonel Dudley, of Indiana, has Sc
cured documentary evidence that
Tennessee is Republican State.
1t is stated from Chattanooga that
for the late November election the
Republican National Committee sent
out coupon ballots which were dis
tributed to trusted workers. that
at one poll in Tennessee 500 of these
coupon ballots were cast and only
200 were counted, and that enough
of these ballots alone were cast in
the State and not counted to have
carried it by good majority on a
fair count for the Republican candi-
dates. These alleged facts, it is
further stated, have been placed in
the hands of Col. Dudley in docu-
mentary shape and they will be
transferred to the National Republi-
can Committee for use in securing
Congressional action. A dispatch
from Chattanooga to the Philadel-
phia Press says that Col. Dudley
ard other lawyers are already at
work on the draft of bill to be in
troduced in Congress which will
have the effect of largely increasing
the Republican representation in the
South. The plan, according to this
statement, is for Congress to over
ride local authority and divide the
States into Congressional districts
and to provide that all elections for
federal offices shall be under the con
troll Of the federal courts and in
charge of the United States mar
shals. Where the Congressional dis
tricts are satisfactory to the Repub-
licans, or where nothing could be
hoped to be gained, it is not propos-
ed to NEEDLE with existing arrange
ments, but it is believed possible by
the Republicans to secure twenty
five additional Congressman by the
federal gerrymander of the South.
These gains, it is calculated, may be
secured in Southern States as fol-
lows Tennessee, 2; Kentucky, 2;
West Virginia, 2; Virginia, 3; North
Carolina, 3; South Carolina, 2; Ala
bama, 2;Georgia, 3; Mississippi, 3;
Florida, l Arkansas, |; Louisiana,
l; Texas, |. To what extent it is
proposed to apply the wholesale
gerrymander to the rest Of the Union
is not stated, but we should think
that the prudence which stays the
hand Of the partisan from trenching
upon the rights of the States in 9TH
er sections of the Union would cause
some hesitation before the plunge is
made in the South. Congress, in
providing supervisors and deputy
marshals and other federal machin-
cry for Congressional elections in
the States, has already gone to the
verge Of authority, and it would be
strain upon, if not violation of,
the rights Of the States to proceed
further in the direction proposed
Any additional assertion of authori-
ty by Congress to regulate national
elections within the States would be
a very unfortunate exercise of power,
and most especially so when based
upon partisan reports and for parti-
san purposes. Col. VIM, w. Dudley,
Of blocks of five" notoriety, who is
wanted in Indiana to answer charges
of corrupting the elective franchise,
is not an agent whose reports will
be satisfactory to the people of the
United States, but it seems to be
upon his investigation alone that the
present agitation of Southern ger
rymander is based.