The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1897-02-11
A C0LORED MANS IDEA
HAVE CONGRESS TAKE SOUTH CAR
OLINA's VOTE FROM BRYAN.
1t Is Alleged That the Scheme Is to
Pave the Way for Republican
Supremacy.
Chicago. Feb. CA Washington special

Chicago, Feb. Ga Washington special
says:
Complications have arisen which may
furnish a dramatic interruption to count
Ing the electoral votes next Wednesday.
Representative George Washington Muir
ray. the only colored member of the
house, who represents the Charleston
district, has just returned from South
Carolina, where he was In consultation
with leading republicans. He is armed
with a petition signed by thousands of
republicans protesting against counting
the electoral vote, and asking for an in
vestigation of tie election laws and state
constitution.
The claim is made that the election
laws and the state constitution upon
which they are based are not In accord
with the federal constitution. While the
dispute over the vote of South Carolina
can not be ignored and an investigation
had, precedent shows when such protest
Is entered the count must Immediately
stop until the point is settled. Whatever
the immediate result of this attempt to
discredit South Cardinals vote may be,
there is no doubt that the program to be
thus dramatically inaugurated Is part of
far-reaching scheme on the part of
several southern republicans to overthrow
the registration and election laws in var
ious southern states. where negroes pre-
dominate, but his vote is not a factor,
the purpose being to secure either re-
publican domination in those southern
states or reduce the democratic represen-
tation in congress.
Representative Murray of South Caro-
lima has been appealed to by his asso-
ciates in the house not to execute his
program OF protesting South Carolina S
electoral vote, and 1t is likely that he
will abide by their advice.
TiIIman lis OutspOken.
Washington, Feb. Ex-senator Tillman
said today with considerable emphasis
that If Mckinley is going to be inaugu-
rated March 4, the vote of South Carolina
would have to be counted next week. He
asserted that opposition to counting the
vote had behind 1t scheme to reduce
southern representation In congress and
In the electoral college, and declared
that If the republicans intended to make
an attack upon South Cardinals state
constitution, 1t must be done in some
OthCA iieiilicl lllun ny CuucdNOIlIS 10
prevent the counting of her vote for
Bryan.
Senator Hoar Talks.
Washington Feb Ex-senator Hoar,
chairman Of the senate committee on ju-
dietary, was asked today to express an
opinion upon the question of the effect
of the objection to counting the cleo
toral vote of South Carolina. such as is
threatened by Representative Murray,
who has charge of the petition alleging
frauds In the South Carolina political
election In the joint assembly of the two
houses of congress next Wednesday. He
said:
THE whole matter is covered by the
act of February 8, 1887, which prescribed
very clearly the method of proceeding in
case objection is made to counting
the vote of any particular statS The
law provides for objections, but 1t re-
quires that all objections be in writing,
clearly setting forth the object without
argument, and that they be signed by
at least one senator, as well as at least
one representative. This further provid-
ed that no returns shall be rejected from
any state, unless there is more than one
return, and when there are more than
one, 1t Is directed that those only shall
be counted which shall have been regu-
larly given to electors who shall be
chosen according to law. Each state pro-
vides Its own tribunal for determining
the results of Its election for preslden-
tial electors, and when this tribunal has
made Its return the governor is required
to certify the result of this election. In
case any objection Is made which rem
ders 1t necessary for the houses separ-
ately to pass upon the question involved,
determination of the matter must rest
upon the judgment Of the returning
board of the state. We could not go into
the legality of one returning board. or
any of Them
The senator expressed the opinion that
II put to test the law would be found
adequate, and all would work out right
He declined to express in more direct
terms his opinion as to the policy of
making such objection as Murray Is said
to contemplate.