The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-06-27
FEDERAL, SUPERVISION.
Speaker Reed On Congressional ElectIou
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Speaker Reed On Congressional Elections
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There are some charges so plainly
true that clever lawyer abstains from
entering plea Of denial; he meets
them by what is called confession and
avoidance. That is to say, he confesses
the commission of the act set forth In
the complaint but seeks to avoid its
legal consequence by proof that neces-
sity drove his client to its commission,
Or that though perhaps technically un-
lawful, it was in accord with public
policy or public morals Upon these
grounds he pleads either for the acquit-
tai of the accused or for mitigation Of
his punishment The charge of sup
preston of the cJlored vote in the
Southern tier is of this kind. The act
is not denied. 1t was admitted as to
Louisiana by its Governor, who boosted
of Democratic success ''by violation of
the constitution of this State and by
violation of the constitution of the
United States" In some form or other
1t has oeen admitted-confessed Is the
better worldly some unimpeachable
wherein the negro vote either forms a
majority by itself or in alliance with
the vote of the white Republicans.
The plea of confession universally is
entered by counsel for the Southern
tier. and just as universally is it fol-
lowed by the plea of avoidance. BY
way of avoidance of the disgrace or pun
ishment due the offense of disfranchise-
ment by States of those who are enfran-
chised by the Nation, it is said that ne
gro supremacy, which means govern
ment by the depraved, the poor, the ig-
norant, must be averted." Before this
plea can be considered it is necessary
for the pleader to aver and prove that
the negro alone is poor, ignorant or de-
PRAYED, and we doubt much whether he
can do this. The Democratic Secretary
Of State for Louisiana reported illiteracy
to be increasing more rapidly among
the white than among the colored people
of that State. 1t also must be averred
and proven that chances are given to
the more progressive negroes to raise
themselves above the level of poverty,
ignorance and depravity, and we doubt
if any pleader for the South will dare
risk proof of such an averment
Mr.. Speaker Reed, however, in the
North American Review, generously ad-
mits all these pleas by way Of avoid
ance as though they were good, and
having admitted them, replies that if
good as to any one OF the South
ern States, or as to all of them,
they yet are bad as to the Ma
ton. Granted. he says, that we allow
you TO break the National law in South
Carolina, or in Texas, or in Louisiana,
or Mississippi that you may have a
white mans government" for your
States, there is no reason why we
should allow you to break it in the cleo
ton of Congressman, for if every dis
trict in which the colored vote consti-
tutes the majority were to elect a negro
there yet would be no negro suprem-
acy' in Congress. Nor even any ap-
proach to it. The twenty districts of
the Southern tier. which, upon a fair
count and free vote are Republican, but
in which a Democratic majority falsely
is counted, would be likely to send
fourteen white and six colored Repub-
licans to Congress under the operation
of a National election law. And six
Congressman. surely, is none too great
q representation of more than 5000, 900
of people. Negro supremacy in Ma
tionsl affairs is utterly impossible.
Democratic supremacy an evil. possibly,
as great as any that can be imagined.
has been secured by suppression and
intimidation of the colored vote, which.
as the Democratic Governor Of Louisi-
ana truthfully said, is ''in violation Of
the constitution of the United States"
1t is to prevent this habitusl violation
of the constitution of the Nation that a
National election law is needed-Chi-
capo inter Ocean