Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-07
North Carolina to Take the First
Step in the Matter.
A new ELECTION Law TO Be PASSED
One That Shall Prevent the Per-
version of the Negro Vote.
THE TWO SEN MAJORS HIP s

News has been received here that the re-
publicans of North Carolina have decided
to make the initial move in the program for
ballot reform In the south. The newly
elected legislature in that state Will meet
IN January, and one Of the first questions
taken up win be the necessity for a new
election law. No measure has as yet been
agreed upon. but the republican leaders
have been in correspondence with Senator
saxton Of New York, the author of the bal
lot law In that state, and 1t is thought to be
altogether likely that the new measure will
be drafted on the lines Of the Saxton law.
Aim for u Model Bill.
Those republican leaders who are advo-
eating the policy insist that i1 Is of the
highest Importance and that the work must
be thoroughly done. Their aim is not only
to affect the suffrage in that state, but to
complete and pass a bill which may serve
as a model for a new order Of things in the
other southern states. They firmly believe
that a reconstruction on suffrage lines Is
certain to come at an early day and that
the next Congress-, indeed, will propose CO.
operative legislation which the whole coun-
try will be likely to approve.
This policy was referred to several weeks
ago In The star. on the authority of a
republican of national reputation, and dis
cussion of 1t has since become general
The chief complaint Is In the south, where.
which they claim would be thrown Tor
them solidly II undeterred, is either fright
ened away from the polls or changed after
the ballots have been put into the boxes
The democratic supremacy in several
southern states Is now maintained, the
republicans assert. by this perversion or
the negro vote. Alabama. Georgia, Louisi-
ana, South Carolina and Virginia are specf-
fed, and the charge Is made that but for
the fact that the result was so overwhelm-
Ing, North Carolina would this year, by a
fraudulent counting, have again been
placed In the democratic column. The re-
publicans declare their ability to show that
IN the white portion Of the state they had
10000 majority. while In that portion OF
the state where the colored vote is largest
the returns were made highly favorable
to the democrats.
The Two SenatOrshlps.
A second point of interest from North
Carolina just developed relates to the two
senatorships, both Of which will be filed
by the new legislature. Mr.. Jarvis Is serv-
Ing by appointment in the term of the late
Mr.. Vance, and Mr.. Ransom's term expires
on March 4 next. Senator to fill the
Vance term. which will expire March 4.
1891, and a successor to Mr.. Ransom, for
full term. beginning In March. VIII
therefore be chosen In January. The legis-
lature is overwhelmingly in the control of
the republicans and the populists. 1t was
a fusion ticket that swept the state. The
democrats have hardly q corporaPs guard
of members In either the senate or house.
The two senatorships, II Is said. was the
subject of an agreement between the fu-
sionists before the race was won, the un-
derstanding being that the republicans
should have the short term and the popu-
lists the full term
An Improbable Suggestion.
But within the past few weeks sugges-
tions have been thrown out that 1t might
be possible to recast this program. by
throwing over the populists and taking
the democrats into account, so that the
republicans shall take the full term and
give the democrats the short term. The
purpose of this would seem to be to keep
Mr.. Ransom In the Senate for a full quar-
ter of q century.
1t II not thought to be at all probable,
however. that any such thing will take
place. The republicans are expecting help
from the populists on the election law line,
and this they consider of more Importance
even than both the senatorships.