The daily state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 188?-1891, 1890-06-20
HARRISON AFRAID
THAT REED Is WORKING FOR
THE NOMINATION In 1892.

THAT REED Is WORKING FOR
THE NOMINATION IN 1892.
Reeds Platform will Be the Lodge
Federal Election Bill..C0ngressman
Ewart Expresses Himself Strongly
Againt the Bill..The Opposition
which is Slowly Growing Up.
(Atlanta Constitution)
WASHINGTON, June 1.-THE Lodge
Rowell national election law bill will be
taken up in the House on Friday, and
will pass on next Wednesday.
However, it will not be by solid Re-
publican vote. There is opposition in
Republican ranks, and it is led by a
Southern man, one who has sufficient
nerve not to be bulldozed by Tom Reed.
That man is II. G.. Ewart, of Asheville,
N. @.
He spoke his mind in the republican
caucus last night, and will repeat It
when the bill comes before the house.
In the caucus Mr.. Ewart made ring
ing speech in opposition to any ''force
measure" He said that as measure of
relief to the republicans of the south it
was not worth the paper it was written
upon. It would only intensity race
prejudices and engender sectional hos
tility. Mr.. Ewart stated that in North
Carolina, except in what is known as the
black district, the elections were as fair
as in any state in the Union; and no
election law like the Lodge bill was
needed there. The law would only be
applied in the black district, where the
inevitable result would be riots and blood
shed. If the gentlemen of the north
desired to show their sympathy for the
unfortunate negro, and so called down.
trodden republicans of the south, let
them exhibit that sympathy in q prac-
tical manner, by running their hands
down in their pockets and passing an
educational bill, which would fit the ne
gro for citizenship and enable him to
protect his rights at the ballot-box. He
predicted that the passage of the bill,
instead of increasing, would decrease
the Republican majority in the fifty
second Congress. Indeed, he said, if
the bill passed the Republicans would
have less representation in the next
Congress from the south than they had
ever had. With all the talk of frauds in
eastern North Carolina, and especially
in the black district of that State, not q
single indictment has yet been found,
though both the Judge and district at
torney were Republicans. The negro
question would settle itself after while.
He said force bills and election bills,
modelled on the Lodge plan, would prove
abortive and make Republican success
in that section absolutely impossible.
Mr.. Reeds Suggestion.
Mr.. Rcod susgested that he need mot
apply the law to his district, but nwurs
replied that he would have to defend it,
and that it would not only defeat his re-
election, but would defeat the election
of any Republican in the South.
In speaking of the bill to-day Mr..
Ewart said that fourteen Republicans
voted against it in the caucus last MIG ht,
| and that in the the other house there
would be at least a half dozen votes re-
corded against it. He said, while il
might pass the House, it could nevel
go through the Senate, and he. there
fore, had no fears that it would become
a law.
It is given out to-day that the Presi
dent has weakened on this bill, and that
he now thinks it would be best not te
pass it. A Republican member, who
has the ear of the President, said to day
that Mr.. Harrison sent for Reed yester
day, and told him he was going too tas
in rushing through legislation without
due consideration and debate He alst
told Reed it would not be advisable tt
pass such q rabid law as the Fedora
election bill now pending.
! Reed, however, replied in his usua
sarcastic vein, and retired in a rage
The Republican member who gave GU
this information, said that Harrison an,
other party leaders who are aspirants TO
the '92 Presidential nomination, were Q
the opinion that Reed was working TO
perpetuation of the power of the RI
publican party simply to have himsel
, reelected Speaker, and in the hopes {
, making himself so popular with th
masses of the Republican party as I
secure the Presidential nomination j
'92.