The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-01-30
THE LODGE ELECTIONS BILL
Senator Edmunds Talks Frankly About
the Measure and Its Provisions,
And Tries to Correct Some Popular Errors Con-
corning Misrepresentation by the OPP
~position-What IL Aims to Do.


T.C Crawford. IN New York Tribune.
Senator Edmunds. of Vermont, talked
frankly about the elections bill last even
ing. He presented a clear view Of the
measure and Indicated plainly what he
thought was the duty of every Republican
regarding it. He said that the opposition
to the elections bill could be classed under
the four DIS 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 before.
The Senator was asked: What is the
real reason of the tremendous opposition
the South has made to the elections billfu
He replied: History has a habit of re-
peating itself. We are now enecuntering
the same situation. In some respects. that
We had thirty years ago. We had then in
politics Q small slave-holding oligarchy.
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 regarded slavery as
- aha WIthout ally 1Ouknt vi lOtts
actuated by an adherence to principle,
moved against this great wrong.
Then the Democrat, the Dough-face. the
Demngogue and Dives advanced the same
arguments against any agitation of the sub
ject, against anything which would impair
the peaceful relations OF the North and the
South, that are heard now. To-day the sit
uation is similar, in that this same oil
system of power i'm the South. This system
co~ntemplates placing the absolute control
of it's political affairs in the hands of q few
men,. the descendants of the former sic >
adoption of the Mississippi Constitution.
This Constitution will undoubtedly be
copied by all of the other Southern States.n
THE MISSISSIPPI CONSTITUTION
/ asked the Senator to give some OK
PLANTATION of the workings of the Missis-
sippi Constitution. In reply he said that
the politicians had secured there the adop-
ton of a Constitution which placed prac-
tically the administration of all the affairs
of the State in the hands of one man. the
Governor. These selections are n~ominally
made by the Legislature. hut the Legis-
lature Is absolutely controlled by q 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 in that State who can
not. first. read the Constitution of the
State, and. second, be able to ex-
plain off-hand any of its provisions.
The board OF examiners are always
Democrats. The law provides for no selec-
tions from the opposite party. These in
spectoTs can throw out, by this process, the
vote of any Republican who has not special
knowledge. The Senator said that he had
not read recently the Constitution of that
State. but he is certain that il contains
clauses providing for the issuing of writs
of quo warraDto and of mandamus. He
said that there were few people not skilled
lawyers who could explain off-hand the eX-
act character of such writs and when
it would be proper to issue them.
There were many questions that could be
asked concerning the features Of al
be impossible for even trained
lawyer to answer without time for
deliberation and study. The inspectors
under this new Constitution 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. IL would not be necessary to
refuse to count votes cast, but under this
improved machinery a Democratic result
could be recorded without any apparent
fraud or dishonesty. Such a system left
the power in the State in the hands of q
few people. but the Senator believed that
Though the mills of God grind slowly
they Will grind exceedingly small. and that
the future would see the downfall of this
system without any outside influence being
brought to bear against 1t. The growth of
education and intelligence IN Southern
communities among the whites who now
do not know how to read or write, and
among the colored people, must in the end
pull down this artificial attempt of the de-
scendants of the slave-holding aristocTacy
to build up exclusive power Tor themselves.
rs it true that the elections bill contem-
plated any interference with the local ad-
ministration of the Statesf"
The Senator replied i'm his most emphatic
way: Most decidedly not. The declara-
trying to control the local affairs in the
Southern States is, to use plain language,
q lie. Such misrepresentation is a part
of the hue and cry raised against this
measure. IL is said that we are Offering q
measure which shall give the negro SUI
premacy in the South, and that the white
people are therefore to be sympathized
with because they will not submit TO such
domination. This bill relates strictly to
national affairs. 1t provides simply for an
inspection and supervision of this Southern
Oligarchical machine In the election OF
members to Congress-. On the floor to-day
the South has twice the strength of the
North in proportion to the votes cast"
at is said that this bill was not a prac-
teal measure, and that no good conld be
accomplished by i'll"
The Senator said in his reply to this that
it would throw light upon the Southern
| machine system. and through hat means
the public would be educated up to a full
knowledge of the situation. He was under
an impression that { his situation was
not generally understood. But that
was nothing to him for the moment. The
Republicans in Congress were bound TO act
up TO the light of their present knowledge.
and to that trust the constituencies that
they represent will more than approve
when the explanations are made to them.
The Senator was asked if there was any
thing in the bill which would Justify the
use of the army or the bayonet at the polls.
NO ARMY AND NO ~BAYoNETs.
He replied that this was another of the
lies told concerning the measure. The army
was now so restricted 10 its uses that If q
mob were tomorrow TO attack the treasury
| of the United States to sack it the Presi-
dent would have no real authority TO call
to its protection the troops from Fort Niger.
Undoubtedly the President would exercise
q doubtful authority under such circum-
stances, and be fully justified, but the fact
remains that he would have no real author
ty. The army was thus restricted by the
| Democrats when they came into power fol-
lowing the election of Mr.. Hayes. During
the year 1873 they made just such a fight as
they have made now on the election laws
which were then OF the statute
books. These election laws were repealed
in all of their essential provisions. and, TO
secure the approval of the Republican Pres
ident, were placed in the appropriations
bill. Then Democrats then threatened the
Al. -.