The morning news., 1897-02-19
A KNOCKOUT FOR MURRAY.
SOUTH CAROLINA's RIGHTS DE-
TENDED IN A SPEECH.

rhe ArgumentMadc before the House
Committee on the Election of Press
ident and vice President-Mr. Me-
Lnurin Contends That the Issue In
vOIvcd in the Petition of Repre-
sentative Murrny's Constituents IL
One For the Courts to Decide.
Washington. Feb. 1S.--Representative
Murray went before the House commits
tee on the election OF President and Vice
President this morning. Representative
Curtis, the chairman, was absent, and
Representative Baker of New Hampshire
acted in his stead There was no quorum,
and It was agreed that the COMMITTEES
should investigate the matter for ITSELF
The acting chairman, Mr.. Baker, gave
Representative McLaurin a hearing this
morning and he discussed the matter ex~
haustlvely.
II took the position" said Mr.. McLaurin
tonight, that so far as the merits wera
concerned, we had no objection whatever
to the fullest investigation, but that we
resented the fact that our state was con-
tinually being hauled up by the federal
authorities like a school master does al
refractory pupil. South Carolina has done
nothing IN a dark corner, nothing that She
wants to hide. She has exercised her
privileges as a sovereign state by holding
a convention and regulating the right oE
suffrage to suit herself, just as she had a
right to do and the only question that
congress could ask is: Does that consti-
tuition discriminate against any. one, ON
account of race, color or previous condi~
tion of servitude? So far as restriction o1
suffrage was concerned, II appears that
up to 1877 the constitution Of Mr.. Bakers
own state Disseminated against Catholics
and until recent period Massachusetts
restricted suffrage to white persons, ex-
cluding negroes"
MIR. Baker talked very freely, and laid
especial stress on the fact that the consti-
tuition was not submitted to the people
for ratification, In fact, this Is the point
that the republicans lay most stress upon.
Mr.. Baker was under the impression
which seems TO be general here, and which
Representative Murray persistently statess
that the constitution of 1868 provided that
to change the constitution the new onta
must be submitted TO the people for ratt-
ficatlon. MIR. McLaurln showed that this
applied to amendments and nothing else.
Mr.. McLaurin discussed at some length
the criticisms of the South Carolina con-
sttution, and then told Mr. Baker that
IN making these legal and technical objec-
lions, he wanted ii distinctly understood
thai he did not care a snap of his finger
how much they investigated, that II re-
such q precedent and incur such ex-
reDse. to go ahead and Investigate. But
he desired to call attention to the fact
that there were some important questions
involved. The three branches of our gov
ernmeEt were the legislative executive
and judicial and they should be kept dis
OF the United States would hesitate and
weigh well a decision which would null
lify tho organic law Of a sovereign state,
a decision which would In effect create
chaos in South Carolina. He told Mr.
Baker that the courts we're open to Rep-
resentative Murray's petitioners, and IL
was question for the courts, and not
for congress.
Congressman Stokes was present during
Mr.. McLaurin's talk, and gave him this
use Of a very able brief, prepared by MIR,
Moss for the contested election case or
Johnson VS.. Stokes. Mr. Baker asked
to read this over, and carried II away
VITA him.