New-York tribune., 1890-05-01
SpU<EFR FEED AND LITTLE ROCK

sneaker Reeds declaration that the Nation
will not be satisfied until Federal elections
have becn taken into Federal hands has startled
many conservative Republicans. 1t seems at
,bo first glance an extreme statement, yet 1t
Is made bv "A political leader who has not been
in the habit of denouncing election outraSeS
in the South nor OF discussing the race queS-
tion in or out of season. Even while ln-
eauivocally committing himself to the poIcS
of separating Federal from State elections
10 n system by which the Nation VIII 40 ltS
own registration, counting and certllca'ioh-
no disclaims any purpose of interfering with
State rights or of raising any sectional or race
question He would make his system OF uhiVer-
sal appcatOn-North and South. ii inc
Southern States are afraid of negro DONNA
tion. he would leave them at liberty to carry
ont their own ideas in managing state elec-
:; ms. There can be no danger OF such DONNA
,;on he maintains in Federal elections, since
thc white population greatly outnumberS the
blacI, population in the United states red
cral elections can have nothing to do with
questions of race supremacy or of the political
control of State government. There must pc
an honest and impartial application OF the
principle Of free and unrestricted sufira3e'
I'm order to secure this result Federal elcctlohs
must be taken into Federal hands.
Republicans who question the eXpcdlehc!
of the adoption Of Il Federal Election law on
the lines indicated by Speaker Reed VIII 40
well to follow closely the disclosures made IN
THE TRIBuNE'S special dispatches from Little
Rock. The investigation Of the circumstances
under which J. VI. Clayton was cheated OUT
of his seat in Congress and foully murdered
while he was collecting testimony IN relation
70 nagrant frauds is an Objcct-lcsSon on TINS
whole question Of Federal elections under state
and local supervision. On Tuesday the precious
mir of election cheat, who were responsible
for the theft of the ballot-boXeS at Plummer-
vile and who are suspected of having inSti-
GATED the murder of the Republican candidate,
were examined by the committee rate was
a disrcputabc Saloonkccper without oiiclal re-
sponSibilitio>. brt Bentley was Deputy -Sher-
in. whose duty il was 10 prevent election ou'-
racc, and breaches of the peace. Seven WIT
nc>,c, have identified Bentley rs the leader OF
the mob which sent deputatlon OF four
masked men to intimdate Il negro election
indre and 10 seizc Lallot-boX at the point OF
fhc ri.tol II was Bentley also who conduct
cd farcical investigation OF the circumstances
uudcr which Clayton was murdered ana sum
moucd a Democratic coroncr'S jury TO hold an
inconcusivc inquest. Pate and Bentley be-
,v,aon them secured the election of Brcckin-
,idce and thcv were the direct bcnciciaricS OF
Cl,,tou's death. since the murder occurred
when the gang Of hallot-boX thieves had been
informed that criminal prosecutions against
,vnuII Is NIrpTDtl~I Il I
pressed.
pummcryllc where this raid upon the bal
lot -hoNc, was made. was a Repubhcan town
shin which was converted by crime and out
lage into A Democratic stronghold. Inc the-
ory upon which Brcckinridges friends, rate
and Bentley. acted was that negro domination
va, intolcrllle. They organized the rlid ana
threw ont enough Republican votes to secure
Mn Erc.kiuridgcS election on the assumption
that white men alone should bc allowed to rue
I'm Arkansas. bentley, the Deputy Sheriff, IN
stead of protecting the blacks in their rghi oi
suffrage. bed the midnight raiders IN their
v,uton robbery of the ballot-boNcs, and sub
..,,ii.ftly converted the investigation oi the
murder into a flrCc-a murder hy which he
himself prohtcd. BY virtue of the crimes OF
p,,..,ud BENTLEY. Mr. Brcchinridgc was count
.d into hi, seat and armed by them with power
10 lcgl.latc upon all questions relating to the
National welfare. BY virtue OF the same
camo, Clayton was counted ont. and when he
r>ro,,d the fraud, wa, murdered. The queN-
t.on rccm, ON Speaker Reeds motion whether
Federal election, ought not to br cut loose from
these i,-uc, of state government and race
don,ina,ion-vhcthcr the Nation in such clcc-
ton, should not take care Of Us own rcgN'ra-
| ,.nn ,nnnilng and ccrtIlicatiOn.