The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1891-03-07
sTAIk rOwEK 10 nIsFR,NrnlsE.

Washington, FEB. s6.-The minoriiy
members Of the committee on the
ITiitiary have prepared two vigorous
IMPORTS in opposition 10 the HOuk
resolution, which was ordered favor-
ably reported to the House. directing
the Judiciary committee to inquire in-
to and report TO the House whether or
not any State has, by any constitu-
tional or statutory provision, violated
the second section Of the fourteenth
amendment of the Constitution, so that
a proper apportiOnment of representa-
tion may be made by Congress.
One minority report, prepared by
Mr.. Oates, of Alabama, is sigued by
Messrs. Oates. Culberson of Texas,
Henderson of North Carolina. aud
Wilson of West Virginia, aud by
Stewart OF Vermont, with a quslitiea-
tion. This.report says that the States
are not cansJitutionally prohibited
IRON DISTINGUISHING any of their male
citizens; it is only prescribed as a
penalty for such disfranchisement, for
any other course than that of par
tieipstion in rebellion or other crime,
that the representation in Congress
from such State shall be reduced in the
proportion which the persons disfran-
chised bear to the whole number of
adult male citizens in such State. The
question is asked il the resolution re-
ported be adopted now can the COM
mittee make inquiry directed in the
absence of any legislation by Congress
providing the means of securing evil
dence TO enable the committee to pro-
cure the necessary proofs to warrant
Congress in reducing the representa-
tion of any State.
The committee assumes that some
citizens in Mississippi and Massachu-
sets are denied the right to vote by
the State constitutions for some other
reason than crime. This may be true,
but the minority can not shut their
eyes to the fact that the Constitution
of Mississippi has not gone into opera
ton and that there is no law applicable
to that State, Massachusetts, or any
other State, by which the committee
can legally and certainly ascertain the
number of disfranchised, for Congress
has never provided the means by
which this may be done. Pre-
sumptions are worthless in 50 grave
matter.
Legal proofs must be had to rea-
sonable certainty, and until such lcgis-
lation is enacted il is utterly futile to
adopt such resolution, for il cannot
be complied with. Until Congress
enacts law providing for an enumer-
alton of the number OF persons dis
franchised for crime and for the mum.
ber disfranchised for other causes, II
is impossible to comply with the reso-
luton. If the resolution were literally
construed the report says the rcquir-
ing of twelve months residence in
State and registration as prerequisite
to voting would be good cause for
reducing its representation.
"But,' the report concludes, a cardl-
nal principle in our systems of govern
mcnt is that the States shall each pre-
scribe the qualifications of its electors.
When they ratified this article of the
Constitution 1t cannot be assumed
with any show of reason that they in
tended to surrender this right, or to
restrict their powers TO the extent
that such construction would main
tain.
Representative RogerS, in his indi-
vidual minority report, says:
The resolution proceeds on two
false sssumptions-drst, that II State
restricts suffrage for cause other than
rebellion or crime II violates the
second section of the fourteenth
amendment; and, second, that it is
necessary for some State TO violate
this section in order that proper ap
portionment Of Representatives may
be made.
In Connecticut, Mr.. Rogers says,
voters must be "of good moral charac-
ter" 1t may be that In Connecticut
all persons who have not been in re-
belion or been guilty of "other crime
have good moral character, and hence
"good moral character" would not, In
that State, operate as restriction on
suffrage.
The report continues: "Of all the
States the one whose Constitution, ac-
cording TO the logic of the majority,
is most flagrantly offensive to the
section OF the Constitution cited Is our
sweet little sister Idaho, who was
brought into Statehood by this Con-
gress after long labor and the success
ful performance of the Cesarian
operation by the Speaker now know
in general parliamentary law as count
ing constitutional quorum"
Attention is then drawn to the
Idaho provision forbidding polygam-
lists or Mormons from voting. Other
States, Mr.. Rogers says, might be cited,
but the list Is already so long as to
suggest the inquiry whether the
whole country is not rapidly growing
weary of the fourteenth amendment
altogether and becoming imbued with
the idea that the people of the State
are capable of self-government, and
should be left to IL without oticions
outside interference.
Very evidently the sectional party
has not made much out of the Houk
resolution. II Is now with the force
bill, of which 1t is shoot, in the waste
basket aud "it never will be missed"