Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1890-06-27
Federal EIectlens.

'N"' v" the feueral con-
troll of elections. To put this whole
matter in a nutshell (he saysl the Re-
publican party alleges that it is deprived
by all manner Of devices -diF.r;no in
different States, but having one common
purpOse-Of votes. which. under tho
Constitution Of the land, that marty i
entitled to. To this the offending mar.
ties reply that the suppression of votes
and voters is necessary to prevent the
threatened destruction Of local self-eov-
eminent by the numerical superiority of
race ignorance in very many States. -
We have a right, they say. to pre-
vent, by fraud or force, if need be- The
control Of the ignorant in our own
States.
Suppose all that TO be so: suppose
that all you are doing is needful for
your preservation, and that you must
keep on at all costs--how does this give
you the right to govern us by your
methods?
"If you have the right Of local self
government, have we not the right Of
na,inpsl self government
IF you Of the States are willing TO
take all hazards 10 save yourselves from
ignorant negro domination, are you GO
ing TO blame us of the United States If
we refuse to submit to fraud ilent dom-
nation? You think negro domination
unbearable We think fraudulent
domination a crime.
"B1t we need not quarrel There
must be some remedy consistent with
the Constitution, which was intended to
provide for this very local government
and for this very Federal Government
Each was to be respected within its
sphere, and each was to subsist side by
side, with the other. SO far as the
election Of members of Congress was con
cerned, the Constitution provides for the
very condition in which we find our
selves
The Speaker reviews the various
remedies proposed for the cure of the
bourbon ulcer. and proceeds: I'm this
case the middle course is apparently
but only apparently-the most radical.
Let the country at once assume at least
the count and return of its own elections
1t may be that this could be done in a
way that would leave the States which
would objcct to supervision free from all
interference from their neighbors, as i
would certainly leave us free from false
counting and false returns. They could
then govern their own people in their
own way, from Federal supervision in
congressional elections, and the United
States could govern itself free from all
practi,es deemed indispensable to local
government. They could, if they
pleased. try the experiment of keeping
ont - sf aaverv~.-,a.,i-i ,--sxw'
: OF men almost as large as those VIII
govern, aud in three States larger.
e CAN we ask is that in national ma
{ ters the majority OF the voters in th
. country may rule.
"Why should any Southern man OF
r ject to this? Under what possible pre-
r lenses can it be claimed that certai
Stltes should send representatives t
5 Washington on the basis of vote whic
r is not allowed to be cast?
Suppose your claim to govern your
selves under any violation of w b
: sound; ON what do YOU ground you
claim 20 govern us IN the same factlong
This sledge-hammer argument, beini
unanswerable, is on that account all tn
} more exaspcrating to The bourbon mind
The argument of Dir. Reed makes tn
siiaaS Ia.la..s as day T''g s-.:s.s.
ern people may continue to control thei
internal affairs by suppressing AM
counting for themselves large opposi
ton vote, but they will not be permit
ted to control The entire country b,
such means. In national affairs tn,
majority of the legal voters of the coun
try must rule. And why should the,
not?-Bel Air Times.