The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-02-05

EDMUNDs EXPLAINS THE SECRET OF
DEMOCRATIC OPPOSITION TO ELEC.
TIONs BILL.
A Washington despatch to the New
York Tribune says:
Senator Edmunds Of Vermont talked
frankly about the elections bill last even
ing. He presented clear view of the
measure and indicated plainly what he
thought was the duty of every Repubi
can regarding it. He said that the oppo-
sition to the Elections bill could be
classed under the four Ds. First, the
Democrat pure and simple; second, the
dough-face of. the North who always
sides with the Southern wing of his
party; third, the demagogue who, in the
form of the mugwump, always seeks to
have peace at any price, and fourth,
Dives, the rich New York grocer, who
thinks that if the Elections bill were
passed he might not be able to sell as
much tea and sugar in the South as be-
fore.
The Senator was asked: what's the
real reason of the tremendous opposition
the South has made to the Election
bill?"
He replied: "IIistory has Il habit Of
repeating itself. We are now encounter
ing the same situation, in some respects,
that we had 30 years ago. We had then
in politics q small slave-holding oligar-
chy, whose power in politics depended
entirely upon the existence of slavery.
Their power was threatened through the
attempt to abolish slavery. There were
people in the country, however, who re-
garded slavery as a crime and, without
any thought of loss, actuatcd by an adj
herence to principle, moved against the
great wrong. Then the Democrat, the
dough. face, the demagogue and Dives
advanced the same argument against any
agitation of the subject, against anything
which woul impair the peaceful rela-
tions of the North and the South, that
are heard now. To-day the situation is
similar, in that this same oligarchy has
now begun to build up a similar system
of power in the South. This system
contemplates placing the absolute control
of its political affairs in the hands of a
few men, the descendants of the former
slave-holding aristocracy. This is shown
in the adoption of the Mississippi con-
stitution. This constitution will un-
doubtedly be copied by all the other
Southern States"
asked the Senator to give some ex-
PLANTATION of the workings of the Missis-
sippi constitution. In reply he said that
the politicians had secured there the
adoption of constitution which
placed practically the administration of
all the affairs OF the State in the hands
of one man, the Governor. These selec-
ttons are nominally made by the Legis-
ture, but the Legislature is absolutely
controlled by set of managers whose
head is the Governor. This constitution
regulates suffrage in that State upon the
alleged basis of intelligence. No man
can vote i'll that State who cannot, first,
read the constitution of the State, and
second, be able to explain off-hand any
of its provisions. The Board of Examin-
ers are always Democrats. The law pro-
vides for no selections from the opposite
lparty. These inspectors can throw out
by this process the vote of any Republi-
can who has not special knowledge. The
Senator said that he had not read re-
Gently the constitution of that State, but
he is certain that it contains clauses pro-
viding for the issuing of writs, of quo
lcdTrdnto and of mdRddmuS. He said that
there were few peOplenot skilled lawyers
who could explain Off-hand the exact
vi euln Wits anu NHtU III
would be proper to issue them. There
were many questions that could be asked
cOnceming the features of almost any
for even trained lawyer to answer with
out time for delibleration and study.
The inspectors under this new constitu.
ton can be careful to ask easy questions
of Democrats and to PROFOUND questions
to Republicans which would give them
absolute control of the ballot-bOxes. II
would not be necessary TO refuse to
count votes cast, but under this i'm
proved machinery Democratic result
could be recorded without any apparent
fraud or his honesty. Such n system left
the power in the State in the hands of a
few people, but the Senator believed that
although the mills of the gods grind
slowly they will grind exceedingly small
and that the future would see the down.
fall of this system without any outside
influences being brought to bear against
it. The growth of education and intelli
gence in Southern communities among
the whites who now do not know how Ia
read or write and among the colOred peO.
pie must in the end pull down this arti.
fetal attempt Of the descendants Of the
slave-hOlding aristocracy TO build up ex.
elusive power for themselves.
SIS it true that the Elections bill con
templated any interference with the local
administration Of the States?'
The Senator replied in his most en-
phatic way: "Mostdecidedly not. The
! declaration that we have for n moment
| thought to control the local affairs of the
, Southern States is, TO use plain language,
, lie. Such Misrepresentation is a part
of the hue and cry raised against this
measure Il is said that we are offering
measure which will give the negro
supremacy in the South, and that the
white people are therefore to be sympa-
thized with because they will not submit
to such domination. This bin relates
strictly TO National affairs. Il provides
simply for an inspection and supervision
Of this Southern oligarchical machine in
the election of members TO Congress. On
p the floor to-day the South has twice the
/ strength of the North in proportion tC
, the vote cast"
at is said that this bill was not prac
teal measure. and that no good could be
! accomplished by it?''
The Senator said in reply TO this that
It would throw light upon the Southern