The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-03-27

HENRY CABoDLoDCE WOULD OVER
THROW STATE AUTHORITY.

Tho Proposed Usurputiou % the aIntca'
Functions by Tho Federal & vcrn-
ment.
Representative Henry Cabot Lodge,
Of Massachusetts,, as the chairman
OF the House Committee on
election of President and vice Pres
'!"nt and Representatives in Con-
e.. |"S introduced Il bill to regu-
late the C.>'.'Ons of representatives.
i'll Congress.
1t is Il voluminous blH Of twenty
one sections. The bill is Il cumbina-
ton of the Australian system with
Federal control of elections. The
Australian system rs in force in Mas
#achusctts, is adapted and applied to
the whole country in al CongrcssiOn-
al and Presidential elections.
Each polling place is put in charge
OF SIX Judges or supervisors, three
representing each political party.
Voters who cannot read and write,
and consequently cannot mark their
own tickets, may. have tickets marked
for them by one of the supervisors III
presence of another representing the
opposite party.
i IIIltRl ~ NltNbIoIlS at q III llli' tOll
troll Of the States wherein they are
held, but on Il petition Of 800 voters
III any district the Federal govern
mcnt will assume all the functions Of
the State and take absolute control
OF the polls under The same rcgula-
tionS which apply to State control.
OPINIONS OF CONGRESSMEN.
fIhn Nn,1,i,,,.I,>,, l., e
the Atlanta Constitution says:
Ii is the unanimous opinion of the
Southern men that, while die bill on
It's face appears to apply to the whole
country, it was only intended for the
South, and can only affect the South.
In no Northern State, they say,
would either party dare to impugn
the honesty Of the State officers by
pctitiOnmg the Federal government
TO take charge of their elections. In
the South, however, it is different.
No trouble will be cxpmi"nced in
getting up such Il petition as the bill
they say it will be only applicable to
tn" South. Here arc the opinions of
some leading Southern Democrats
gathered TO night:
MIR. GAMBLER.
II regard it is an extremely parti-
san measure, said Mr.. Gambler of
Georgia, who was chairman of the
educational committee i'll the last
Congress. THE bill is plainly III
tended for the South alone. Federal
supervisors and managers will only be
III the South. One will be
Republican,; another
Il Democrat. but both will
be ScOundrclS who will swear any
thing to set the two dollars day.
No decent Democrat will be appoint
ed. The effect will be that it will
create Il condition in thcSouth similar
to that Of the Reconstruction period,
and will only result in alternating the
races, and will perfect The supremacy
of the white race. If the idea of SUI
rounding the polls Will. Federal mar
ShalS Of the type we usually have in
the South. is carried into effect, there
is great danger of riot and bloodshcd
at the polls.
The white people OF the EGuth,
whether they number more than the
Blacks or not, will CONTROL
GENERAL CATCHINGs.
''Thc bill, said General Catchings
Of mississippi, lis designed to pre-
vent negroes from voting the Demo
cratic ticket. The Federal supclvi-
sors will simply be Republican spies
upon the negroes. The bill is de-
signed to force the negro back to the
Old state OF antagOniSm 10 the white
people prevailing in the Reconstruct
ton days. 1t seems the Republicans
are determined to supervise the con
duct Of the negroes aS though they
were children. The bill is purely
sectional; it will never be applied to
the North; but it will raise the big
gcst crop Of he'll throughout the
South that has ever been heard Of
1t will, however, not result in chang
ing single Southern district.
"Thcy cannot pass the Australian
feature, for it is not applicable to n
country where many Of the voters
can neither read nor write
JUDGE CRISP.
"Such legislation" said Judge
Crisp, OF Georgia, 'is vicious, be
cause, if not unconstitutional, it
tends to ccntralizatiOn of power in
the Federal government The bill
proceeds ON the idea that tho people
and officers OF the States are not to
be trusted; that all purity, patriotism
and loyalty is here i'll Congress and
not IN the States. Practically the
law cannot be operative except in the
South. IL vests i'll the judiciary such
powers affecting the legislative de
partmcnt rs is SubverSiyc of the dis
tincIiom that ought to exist between
the various departments of the gov.
cImmcnt. II necessarily brings
Judges into politics, and is designed,
III my opinion, to defeat and not tC
further an honest expression of the
popular will in the South, under The
prctcnsc of adopting the Austria
liam system. which is designed to pro
tCct the voter from OGtSidc influence
This bill, as to illitcratrs, absolutely
| destroys the secrecy of thC ballot