Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-03-20
Tho Republicans Would Reduce the
South to q Condition of Political
Yassalage.


On last Saturday Congressman
Lodge, of Massachusetts, Chairman
Of the House Committee on the cleo
ton of President and icc-Prcsi-
dent, and Representatives in Con-
gress, introduced his long-talkcd-of
bill to regulate the elections of Rep
rcscntatives in Congress- 1t is Il
carefully prepared and shrewdly
drawn bill Of twenty-ono sections,
being a combination Of the Austria
liam system, (but cmasculated of its
chief virtucs,) with Federal control
of elections. The Australian system,
lis in force in Massachusetts, is pre-
tended to be adapted and applied to
all Congressional and Presidential
elections in all the States. Such is
the avowcd purpose of the bill, but
on close examination, it is seen that
the cxcclcncy of the Australian sys-
tenn is completely annihilatcd. This
system, as now i'm force in Massachu-
sets, maintains inviolatc the secrecy
of the ballot, and each voter has to
read and write his own ticket, thus
practically enforcing an educational
qualification, for no one can vote
correctly and inteligcntly without
being able to read and write. But
this excellent system is cmasculatcd
of this, its chief virtue, by providing
write, and consequently cannot mark
their own tickets, may have tickets
marked for them by one of the
supervisors of election.
Each polling place is put in charge
of six supervisors, three from each
political party. SO far the election
is in control of the States, but the
bill provides that upon the petition
81 five hundred voters in any district,
the Federal Government will take
absolute control of the election, by
appointing the managers and super
visors Of elections, and place all the
Deputy Marshala around the polls
that may be deemed necessary.
And Just here is where the sec
tionnl string comes in, and secures
its practical application to the South
only. 1t proceeds on the idea that,
the people and officers of the States
are not to be trusted, and that
purity, patriotism and loyalty to the
government is vested in Congress,
and not in the States. In the North
and Northwest, if either party should
get up such a petition as this bill
requires, showing a want of conf
dcncc, or suspicion of dishonesty
on the part of the State officers, it
would be justly rcpudiatcd by the
people at the polls. Here, however,
it will be easy to get five hundred
negroes to sign such Il petition; and
thus the effect will be that in the
North the elections will be held by
the State officers, while in the South
they will be held by Federal officers
appointed by the Republican admimis-
tration. One will be nomnally a Re.
publican another nominally Demo-
crat, but no decent democrat need ever
expect tobe appointed. The result will
inevitably be the precipitation Of a
condition of things in the South
similar to the reconstruction period,
followed in its wake by a bitter con-
tlict Of races, inSuring at last the more
perfect supremacy Of the white race.
There is no use in Disgusting the
fact, that the white people OF the
South will preserve themselves and
their government free from negro
domination, and no force bill which
II Republican Congress can pass, can
ever impose upon the Southern pco-
pie again the horrors and humilia-
tion of the reconstruction period.
But every power which the bitter
and partisan Republicans can bring
to bear will be used by them to per
pctuatc their supremacy, even though
it involves the kindling anew OF all
the strife and consufion of the recon
struction period, and the suppression,
Of the material prosperity which is
now being achieved by the new
| South.
The Northern capitalists, regard
less of party afliliation, who hav,
invested their money here and be
come identified with our matcria
development, will dcplorc with II
the inevitable result that will follow
the new political crusade against th'
South.
Congressman Crisp, OF Georgia
one of the ablcst Southern Repre-
scntativcs, speaking Of the politica
situation, to the Washington CORES