The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-07-11
hArlonAt con rRoL.
spsaker needs Abs Arsument In Sup
port Of Honest Elections.

Maine, has found time in the midst of
his arduous duties to draw on his ample
fund of experience and knowledge and
present to the people of this country,
through the columns of the North Amer
lean Review, his opinions regarding
Federal control Of Congressional cleo
tons
He starts out with the assumption
that no form Sf government can be based
on systematic injustice. The steady
growth of our Government has been to-
ward democracy Of manhood; and
what democracy, has gained it has al
ways kept. He does not find that in the
North, even, we have reached the per-
lection of self-government; and he in
stances the State Of Indiana, where 1000
majority gives to Republicans but three
cut of 1S Congressman. But because
justice may not be done at the North in
every instance he is not willing that
Wholesale injustice should be perpet-
mated in the South, and he asks: s1s
robbery by violence to be tolerated and
approved until we have utterly abolished
petit larceny?" -. ~ NTs
Differences in civilization are differ
ences only in degree. Conceding to the
Southern people the privilege of man.
aging their own problems alone, Mr..
Reed declares that in Federal elections
this will not apply, for, when he goes
to elect a member of Congress the man
from Mississippi or the man from Maine
votes not as citizen of Mississippi or
of Maine, but as citizen of the United
States. The mem Der from Mississippi
and the member from Maine must unite
at Washington in making laws which
affect every portion OF the United
States.
THE object of assem- bling Congress is
to declare the will of the whole people.
How can that will be declared if score
OF men are returned to the House who
never were elected and whose presence
there is violation of the constitution
Of the United States? And still less
will the will Of the people be declared
IL these twenty men shift the control of
the House from one party to the other"
The Southern whites want no domino
ton by the ignorant blacks; and they
know there is no possibility of negro
domination In the United States. But
the Southern white man with all his
remedies has never proposed to sur
render the representation which he
owes to the very negro whose vote he
refuses. 1.-THE negro is human enough
to be represented. but not human
enough to have his vote counted"
Speaker Reed argues to show the bale
full influence upon the sense of justice
of Southern men caused by systems of
false counting INDUCED in with impuni-
ty, and quotes the contradictory state
ments Of the Governor of South Caro-
lima, where in one instance he declared
there is not only perfect freedom in
voting, but the amplest protection af-
forded the voter, and on another occa-
sion and in another place says:
We have now the rule of minority of 400, 900
over q majority Of 100000. No army at Auster-
litz or Waterloo or Gettysburg could ever be
welded Like that mass Of 6O0OO people. The
only thing which stands to-day between US and
which depends for its effectiveness upon the
unity Of the white people.
The eight-box law is State proyis-
ion which DEGREES that there shall be
eight different ballot boxes so that
those who can read can know whore to
put their tickets and those who can not
read can exercise their ingenuity. But
in order that the negroes shall have no
advantage from the position of the box
es being known these boxes are shifted
from time to time, and If the ballot
gets into the wrong box IL can not be
counted.
The South has largely given up the
idea of intimidating the negro at the
polls. 1t is SO much easier to manipu-
ulate the vote after it has beer counted.
This state Of things can not be good
for this Nation nor for the South. The
Republican party alleges that it is de.
prived by all manner of devices of votes
which under the constitution of the land
it is entitled to.
If the South has the right of local
self-goyernment, has not the entire
people the right of National self-gov-
eminent? And If the South is willing
to take hazards to save itself from igno-
rant domination, are the people of the
United States to be blamed because
they refuse to submit to fraudulent
domination? But there is no ground
for quarrel; the rights OF each may, be
respected within their sphere, but so far
as election of members Of Congress is
concerned the constitution providessfor
this very condition. - SEt.fy
The Legislature of State, says Mr..
Reed, may make the regulations for
the election of members, but Congress
may make or alter them in accordance
with its own will, and it may alter them
by providing for Federal supervision or
it may make such new regulations as
will assume the entire election from
registration to certification.
In some States . Supervisory law
would be helpful; and in some States
and communities it would be assuming
a terrible responsibility to enact it In
New York City great results have been
accomplished by this law Butwhether
in other regions, among different peo-
pie, in sparsely-settied places, it could
be so well enforced is thepoint at issue.
In theory no valid objection can be
urged against Federal supervision, for
an honest count can hurt no one. In
New York the system moves so free
from friction that it is doubtful-if
tenth Of the readers Of this article even
remembers that the system is fully es-
tablished. ~ ~
These, in outline, are the arguments
urged; they are calm. dispassionate, and
they give the South all they can in fair
ness ask, while they call for more true
representation in all National matters
Albany IN. Y journal
RELIEF FOR VETERANS.