The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1895-01-12
BALLOT REFORM IN TIE
81 SOUTH.
Ric1imc,G Times DEM.


elections arc concerned, now exist |
ing in South Carolina, is most start !
ling, but no one need to be surpris-
ed at it, Senator Butler tells us
that the Tilma mites use.the machin-
cry for fraudulent elections, not
only to disfranchise all the negroes, |
but to disfranchise also 10000 of
South Cardinals best white citizens.
and that it is by the use of this
fraudulent election machinery that
Tillman's party has taken possession
of the State and sent Tillman to the
United States Senate. We hope
most sincerely that the Senate viii!
adopt the resolution offered by MIR.
Allen [Pop., Neb. ], providing for
a committee to investigate the last
election Of a Legislature in Ala
bama. These cases illustrate the vi
tai Importance Of the fight the Tunes
is making for honest elections, in
Virginia. We have often pointed
out, what every mans common
sense tells him is true, that if we
tolerate frauds in elections to beat
the negro, just as soon as the negro
is no longer a menace one part OF
white population will begin to cheat
the other part to appropriate to it
self all the honors and enloluments
Of government. When, nearly
twelve months ago, the Tries dis
covered that our elections had be-
come rotten, the State was at once
furnished with a tremendous illus
tratiOn Of how we should wind up If
cheating in elections were tolerated
at all. Many men are still apathet-
ic when they are at the verge Of
system that will insalvc them, cor
rupt them and degrade them. We
want every stimulus applied to these
men that is possible, and therefore
we want all the facts in the South
Carolina and the Alabama cases
brought out into the broad light Of
day.
Florida Times Uulou Dem. J.:
The public conscience of the whole
country was never SO thoroughly
aroused as now on the subject of
honest elections, There is notice.
able divergence Of opinion. All
men Of all parties and all factions
are united in favoring the adoption
of such measures as Will insure a
free ballot and fair count.
Changes IN election laws in the di-
rection Of superior assurances OF
fairness will be made in many
needed than in Florida. Our pres
cnt law could not be worse. Any
election law administered by honest
, men would be fair. Under our law
we have not i real republican gov
eminent. The county commissions
ers and the inspectors Of elections
constitute an aligarchy that can and
too often does rule the people.
The State convention demanded
change in our election laws. This
is the one good thing that this con-
vention did. The people demand
such change as will give each ticket
representation among the inspectors.
The legislator who opposes this de-
| mand will not only make a grave
mistake, but will also commit a
grievous offcnse against the people
he represents.
Nczr orleans -Dcmocs-nf
(Dem.): We quite agree with
, correspondent of the ZfmesDenso-
r,-ot in what he says about the bug
aboo of "ncgro supremacy being
used as an excuse for ballot-boN
stutfing, fraudulent counting, ETC.,
to perpctuate Democratic ring in
{ power; and we believe the people
are beginning to understand this
trick. At the same time, we do not
| agree with our correspondent that
'.the movement for bollot rerorm is
nothing more or less than an effort
to postpone honest elections" We
need both ballot reform, including
the1cin Qualification or Limitation
of the negro suffrage which will get
rid of the negro bugaboo, and hon
| I 49,,