Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-02-20
FEDERAL ELECTIONS.
Remedies which Congress Can Apply
the Southern States.


Of Mississippi concerning the maltreat-
ment of Henry J. Faunce, mechanic,
at Aberdeen, Miss, Senator Walthall,
Of Mississippi, gave a general range TO
the discussion and took up the question
of Federal interference in State cleo
tons. He could see no remedy which
Congress could apply that would bring
about any practical result In his opln-
ion the result of no Congressional cleo
ton in any Southern State would be
controlled by any Federal law that Con-
gress could enact 1.-THE white people
would be driven into closer cooperation
than ever before for their own protec-
ton, because the election OF negro
judges and officers in a State meant
negro domination and meant death to
every interest and hope and aspiration
of the people"
So far as the remarks of Senator Walt
hall apply to local elections, or what is
called ''home rule" the Tribune recog-
niEes the difficulty of solving the race
problem. Senator Ingalls, himself, who
is just now coming in for generous and
indiscriminate abuse by the Southern
papers, pointed out the impossibility of
the domination in the South OF the
proud Caucasian by the African race.
The President in his message recognized
the same difficulty. In discussing the
proceedings of the recent Afro-American
convention in this city the Tribune
clearly pointed out the only remedy,
and now repeats it:
nMr Fortune, as a negro Democrat will oon-
cede the full extent of the Democratic demands
there will DO an end Of their persecution in the
South. Ali that is necessary for them to do IS
10 cote for the Democratic ticket at eUeIy eltctio,
and all their rights, except social equality and
| the holding OF once. will be promptly conceded
10 them. The Democrats will cease shooting,
hanging, 1ogging, lynching and cheating them
when they attempt to vote II they will only
| agree to vote the ticket Of the party to which
! Mr. Fortune now belongs. The whole problem
! hinges upon these two questions: How shall
they votes and for whom shall they vote: II
/ thoy will agree to vote for white Democrats in
every Democratic State the whole Democratic
party Of the South will be friendly to them, and
| the six-shooter, the Winchester and the lash
will be put away. The regulators the swamp
angels the Ku-Klux and the nigger-chasers will
| hunt their holes and stay there. The votes will
! not be challenged and will be counted to the
| last man, and even more II it be necessary. Only
| let the blacks agree to vote for white Demo
Gratis il the South and ask for no offices for
themselves and the lion and the lamb will lie
down quietly together-with the lamb inside
the lion.
The Tribune fails to see, however,
how this remedy should apply in Fed
eral elections, or what applicability the
sentiments of Senator Walthall have to
them. The local elections and local
government of Mississippi concern that
State and are outside the Jurisdiction of
Federal control except to put down
riots and instruction therein. But the
Congressional elections of that State
affect every Congressional district, and
every State in the Union, and the whole
National Republican party, and the
making of laws in Congress, and if the
same policy of Acknowledgement of
political opponents were pursued by
Republicans in any Northern State and
corresponding seats in the House were
seized by them the whole South would
roar in resentment. The North does
not seek to interfere with the election
of local candidates in the South, with
the administration of justice, or public
education, or with the collection OF
taxes. But the election of Presidents
and of congressman is a wholly different
matter, affecting the rights of the people
at the North as we'll as of the South. In
those elections the people of all the
States are interested because they relate
to the National Government. This
point of distinction Senator Walthall
failed to grasp or deal with. He tried
to blend local home rule with
Federal elections-two things wide
apart in their effects. A local act for
Mississippi affects single State of a
million of people, while a Federal law
affects the people of forty-two States
and sixty-five millions of people, many
of them several thousand miles away
from Walthalrs State.
Conceding all that Senator Walthall
has to say as to local elections and the
impossibility of forcing Southern whites
to submit to negro domination in local
matters, what has that to do with Ma
tional issues and National elections:
The South elects Congressman and
takes part in Presidential elections, not
for single State but for the whole Ma
, | JlOu, anu JIG NAHUM has UAO i1S III "
protect itself in this matter and to make
laws so that colored Republicans in the
South can vote for President and Con
gressmen and have their votes honestly
counted. 1t has no desire to NEEDLE
with city, county or State elections, and
it does not concede that National cleo
tons have any thing tc do with theil
local concerns. If the Government were
to do Its duty in the premises its frs
step would be to throw out the twenty
seven Democrats from the cotton State:
who are occupying seats stolen from
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