The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1890-06-19
FEDERAL SUPERVISION.
Speaker Reed on Congressional Election
fin the South.

speaker Nccu on COngresstohN fAtcUtiohs
I'm the South,
There are some charges so plainly
true that a clever lawyer abstains from
entering q plea of denial, he meets
them by what is called confession and
avoidance. That is to say, he confcsses
the commission of the net set forth in
the complaint, but seeks to avoid it's
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 other 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 rs 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
it has been admittcd-confcssod Is the
better word by some unimpoachable
authority resident in every district
wherein the negro vote either forms q
majority by itself or in alliance with
the vote of the white Republicans.
The plca 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 ofTensc of disfranchise-
ment by States of hose who are enfran-
chised by the Nation, it is said that ne.
gro supremacy, which means govern
mont by the %depraved, the poor, the ig-
-norant, must be avertcd." Before this
Plea can be considered it Is necessary
for the pleadcr to avcr 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 illitcracy
to be increasing more rapidly among
the white than among the culored people
of that State. 1t also must be avcrred
and proven that chances are given to
the more progressive negroes to raise
themselves above the level of poverty,
ignorance and d%epravity, and We doubt
if any plcader for the South will dare
risk proof Of such an averment.
Mr., Speaker Reed, however, in the
North American Review, generously adj
mits all these pleas by way of avoid
ancc as though they were good, and
having admitted them, replies that if
good rs to any one Of the South
crn States, or as to all of them,
they yet are bad as to the Ma
ton. Granted, he says, that we allow
T 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 tho clcc-
ton Of congressman, for if every dis.
trict in which the colorcd vote consti.
tutes the majority were to elect a negro
there yet would be no negro suprcm-
acy" in Congress. Nor even APP.
rroach TO 1t. The twenty districts oil
the Southern tier, which, upon a faiI
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
Leans TO Congress under the operation
of a National election law. And 81,
congressman, surely, is one toe grea
n representation of more than 5000, co
of people. Negro supremacy in Ma
tiOnal affairs is utterly impossible
Democratic supremacy an evil, possibly
as great as any that can he imagined
has been secured by suppression an,
intimidation of the colored vote, which
as the Democratic Governor of Louisi
ana truthfully said, is 'in violation o
the constitution of the United States.
1t is to prevent this habitual violatio,
OF the constitution of the Nation that
National election law is needed. Chi
cago Inter Ocean.