The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-12-09
TO Reduce Our Represen-
tatiOn.

The Galveston News. which bolted
Brvan's nomination and supported
Mckinley. has been arguing that be-
cause of the small vote cast in South
Carolina and Mississippi under the
restrictions of their new Constltu
tions. the representation of these
States in congress and the electoral
college be reduced more than one
half: The manner in which the
proposition has been received by So
called Democratic papers at the north
has a meaning too great to be 'g-
nored by the people of the States at
tackled.
When the New York Sun. the pa
ner that invented the "No Force
Bill; No Negro Domination issue
of 1892, lends its aid to this move
ment. not even its apostacy from
Democracy in the late campaign can
detract from the significance of the
change. The Sun speaks Of the
south as s'the eleven old secessionlst
States,'' notorious for fraudulent
election practices" The vote. it
saws, is ishamefaily small" +" .scan.
dalous, injurious and dangerous .
and s-gives. the old Southern Confec-
ercy an unfair advantage, or "by
means of it they take an unfair advan-
taee of the honest States " The
state of things in South Carolina aud
Mississippi. it says, "requlres ade.
ouate remedial measures, and 1t
seems to endorse the Texas papers
plan of reducing their representa-
ton.
The New York World, in COM
menting on the same article, appears
also to endorse it, and demands "a
system of majority representation
that has not so many dangerous lm-
perfections and lapses "
These are but samples of tine argu-
ment of gold papers all over the
north. The Chicago Times-Herald,
whose owner is very close to McK'n-
ley, says:
aMea who hold confidential rela-
tions with the Presideut-elect believe
the coming administration will mark
the enactment of new election law !;
not a. force bill, but comprehensive
statute designed to prevent recur
renee of such election frauds as those
which have cursed number of
southern and border States during
The past national campaigns
We hope that these things will set
our people. and especially the mem
bers of the Legislature, to thinking.
The loss of four congressman and
electors in this State aud FIVE in Mis-.
sissippi would not seriously impair
our essentially local interests, but
when it is remembered that it might
in a close election give the house
and the presidency to the plutocracy
and perpetuate gold standard. high
tariff and trusts, the reasons why we
shonld, if possible, prevent such ac-
ton are as plain as the motives Of
the gold press in suggesting it.
Tue best reply that South Carolina
can make to this importing attack
indeed, the only practical one-ls to
noss sncb registration aud election
laws as will assure the country OF the
good faith and integrity of our peo-
ple in carrying out the provisions OF
the Constitution Against an educa
tional aud property qualification such
as the Constitution prescribes for yot-
ing in elections hepceforth, there Will
be little ou,cry. No successful at
tack can b. made upon the State BY
reason of such limitations. But
what the country needs to be assured
of il that the registrations and cleo
tions are faig and in consonance With
the spirit of the basic law.
South Carolina could poll 100 0oo
votes without jeopardsing the rule
of the whites If the general assem-
bly, at it's app oaching session will
enact All Australian ballet law and
place safeguards about the registra-
tion Offices and the polls. ''r move
ment to reduce the States represen
tation will have 40 excuse aud Will
fail Again we urge the Importance
of such action The State.