Birmingham state herald., 1897-02-27
FURTHER ARGUMENT HEARD. In Alleged Frauds In South Car
 oIina Elections.
 - JOINT INVESTIGATION qasIa .t Suggested, But Owing to Nearness of ihe Close of the Session Further Hearing
 Was Postponed.

Washington. Feb 26.-The committee on election of the president, vice-presi- dent and members of congress today heard further argument in the alleged South Carolina election frauds.
 pr Sampson Pope, Independent candi. date for governor, took the stand. Dr. Pope characterized as a great fraud the constitutional convention and reviewed at length the circumstances attending it. Uneasy for fear that the conserva- tive element of the state would join the republicans and form a just eonstitu- tion, he said the democratic leaders, Senator Tillman and others, entered into a most damnable agreement The scheme to which they bound themselves and their followers provided among other things, that no white man should be dis franchised except for crime, that the whites should be insured supremacy, and the constitution, when adopted should not again be submitted to the people. He had gone into the courts and endeay- ored to stop the election of delegates to the convention, but had been unsuecess- full uisut5
 South Carolina he held, was out in the cold as far as representation in con- gress was concerned. It was admitted to the union "prOVided that 1t did not change the constitution of 1S6S,' which was approved by congress. The legis- lature of the state had broken faith long ago and as a matter of fact no senator or sentative--democrat or republi- can-had a right to sit in the national legislature.
 Further, when the present constitution was adopted, 1t was never submitted to the people for ratification, those framing it never took the oath, and a number of them held other offices under the state fTOxyieinpc of thea stitution. were violated in each instance. The result was that thousands were de- barred from suffrage.
 These were facts and if the committee would go to South Carolina and take tes- timony or send for persons and papers, it could easily get at the facts. It was an important matter and one which con- gress should look into.
 Mir. Corliss, republican, of Michigan, said that the memorials presented by MT Murray, and which were the subject of the hearing, were addressed to "the cong ress of the United States" and asked MT Pope if he thought under these cir cumstances the inquiry should not be joint, the senate participating.
 MT. Pope replied that he thought a joint inquiry would have been better.
 MT. Curtis, republican, of New York, chairman of the committee, said that this was an important question, and he would like. Mir Pope to submit his views on it fully. sNsi7 -'sest,ss
 Replying, Mr Pope said that each house was the judge of the election of it's own members The constitution guar anteed a republican form of government to each state. If South Carolina did not have such a form of government it had no right to representation. The house committee, he thought, could act inde- pendently. but individually he favored a joint investigations The question, as far as he knew, had never been advanced hfNff raxt.. tAa,N N-l for precedents, but should blaze the way for itself. f.-iz-
 Reference was made to the fact that Massa chusetts had an educat tional pro- vision regarding the right of suffrage in its constitution tsi.
 MT Pope said that this was SO, but it applied to those coming of age and those entering the state, and not those entitled to vote when it was enacted.
 The right of suffrage, once given, be- came vested right, and citizen could not be divested of such right except for crime. This, in itself, was an important matter to be considered in connection with the new constitution of South Car olina.
 Replying to question by MT. Talbert. democrat, of South Carolina, as to the part he took in certain legislation in the state, he said that it was enacted before he became member of the legislature He added that the scales had fallen from
 
 and an outspoken republican and he only regretted that he had not joined this par ty twelve years ago. He was in it now to stay and would work to convert the people of his state. He even hoped to convert his friend MT. Talbert. MT Smalls said that the democrat tic governor and not the legislature had de- cided that the constitution should not be submitted to the people.
 MT. Wilson replied that the old law did not declare that new constitution shor,ld be submitted to the people. It only D O. vided that amendments should be sub mitted. -e tfsJt o4 aT5 s5
 pr Pope, in the course of the hearing. secured from MT. Wilson an admission that he (Pope) had a right to contest the election and then declared that he had been unable to prevail upon any member of the legislature to present his contest and when the speaker had been induced to submit it, the assembly had voted it down. rt .ab ii ff's1a
 The committee then went into executive session and decided to- submit the facts gathered by them to the, house with the recommendation that the whole matter be referred to the next congress. In view of its importance it was deemed unwise at this late day session to undertake the inquiry. .ss.k