The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-02-21
FEDERAL ELECTIONS.
Remedies which Congress Can Apply n
the Southern States.

FEDERAL ELECTIONS.
Remedies which Congress Can Apply in
the Southern states.
In the debate in the Senate on the
resolution calling upon the Attorney
General for the report Of the United
States Marshal for the Northern district
Of Mississippi concerning the maltreat-
ment of Henry j. Faunce, a mechanic,
at Aberdeen, Miss, Senator Walthall,
Of Mississippi, gave q general range to
the discussion and took up the question
of Federal interference in State cleo
lions. He could see no remedy which
Congress could apply that would bring
about any practical result In his opin-
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 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-
Mics 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 Presidentin 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:
II Mr.. Fortune, as q negro Democrat will con.
cede the full extent Of the Democratic demands
there will be an end Of their persecution in the
South. All that is necessary for them TO do is
TO vote for the Democratic Gckst at erery election
and all their rights, except social equality and
the holding Of ONCE, will be promptly conceded
to them. The Democrats will cease shooting.
hanging fogging. lynching and cheating them
when they attempt to vote IL they will only
agree to vote the ticket Of the party to which
Mr.. Fortune now belongs. The whole problem
they votet and for whom shall they vote. II
they will agree to vote for white Democrats in
every Democratic State the whole Democratic
party OF the South will be friendly to them, ana
the six shooter the Winchester and the lash
will be put away. The regulators, the swamp
angels, the Kuklux and the niggerchasers will
hunt their holes and stay there. The votes will
not be challenged and will be counted to the
last man. and even more IL 1t be necessary. Only
let the blacks agree to vote for white Demo
Gratis In 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 insurrection 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 wholly different
matter. affecting the rights of the people
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
million of people, while 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 |
of forcing Southern whites |
to submit to negro domination in local |
what has that to do with Ma
tional issues and National elections? |
The South elects Congressman and |
takes part in Presidential elections, not |
for a single State but for the whole Ma
ton, and the Nation has the right to |
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
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 their
local concerns. If the Government were
to do its duty in the premises its first
step would be to throw out the twenty
seven Democrats from the cotton States
who are occupying seats stolen from
,olored Republicans.-Chicago Tribune.
PARLIAMENTARY REFORM.
Al Action That VIII he Approved by the
Voters of the Country.
The contest now in progress in the