Birmingham age-herald., 1895-05-20
TN CHRONIC ERUPTION"
Says Ex-Senator Butler of Governor Evans What the Former Adonis of the Upper
 House Says of Coff's Decision.

Washington. May 19.-Ex-senator M. c. Butler of South Carolina is in the city on private business, but will doubtless take an opportunity to drop into the supreme court of the United States as a spectator of the effort of Attorney-Gen- eral Barbour to induce the court to take up the habeas corpus case involving the fate Of the dispensary law in that state. Asked today if there was much excite ment in South Carolina over the decis- ions of United States Judges Golf and Simonton in the registration and dis pensary laws, Ex-Senator Butler re- plied
 "No, not that know of. When I left people generally were in quiescent state. I discovered no signs of revolu- tion or war, except with Governor Evans and few of his coterie, He seems to be in chronic state of eruption.'
 What is the cause of his outburst of excitement?" was asked.
 q cannot understand it. He seems to regard a United States court as foreigrt corporation and a United States circuit court judge as a public enemy. Judge Golf decided a case brought before him in due form, and think decided it cor rectly, and, of course, conscientiously. He passed upon a question, the constitu- tionality of the registration of the cleo ton laws, which was raised in a proper case before the state supreme court last December and which that court has failed to decide up to this time pr. Sampson Pope, the mover in that cause, failing to get a decision in the state court sought redress in the United States court before Judge Golf That's all there is in it."
 "Is it conceded that Judge Golf had juriSdiction?'
 hot fd cd In my opinion he had. If Judge Golf is in error he will be corrected by the supreme court of the United States. If he is right he will be sustained
 ."Will the state authorities appeal in that case?'
 "Ah! As to that do not know. If the state authorities are wise they will let the matter rest where it is, and go ahead and hold the constitutional con vention under Judge Goff's decision"
 But will they undertake to hold 1t in defiance of that opinion?" was asked of MT. Butler.
 @'T do not believe they will" he re- piled. South Carolina has made two at- tempts to go it alone'-once in 1892 and again in 1861. I took part in the last at- tempt and. judging from what know of those who were with me in that experi- ence, South Carolina has had enough along that line"
 In respect to the suggestion that the legislature and state officials, in their construction of the registration laws, had in view the permanent disfranchisement of the negroes in order to prevent me gro supremacy" Senator Butler said there was no danger whatever of that condition arising. "The negroes" he add ed, do not want to control affairs. They are satisfied from their experience in the reconstruction period that they are not yet prepared to take charge of the government. But they want the op- portunity of voting for white men in whom they have confidence. and those men are among the conservatives. It is not negro supremacy that worries these gentlemen half as much as 1t is the pos sible downfall of ring supremacy"