The record-union., 1898-12-09

the people returns in interest. Also, Its
circulation would aid in keeping down
the rates of interest which the people
now have to pay.
Experience in other States has proven
that public funds are safer when kept
in circulation through approved depos-
itaries than when held in large amounts
by public officials There is no reason
for the plan that works well in other
States failing to give equally good re-
suits here. But the bill for this pur-
pose should be drawn with great care,
and it's provisions, be fully considered
by the people and press of tie State.
as Well as by the members Of the Legis-
lature.
IS IT so?
Woodland Democrat: The Republican
managers have already announced that
they will unseat every Democratic Rep
resentative from North Carolina with
as little ceremony as possible. 1t is
expected that at least three Democrats
from Kentucky will be ousted, and
probably the same number from Vir-
ginia. 1t is confidently predicted by
the party leaders that there will be a
Republican majority of more than
twenty-five in the next House within
sixty days after it is organized.
THE REFERENDUM.
Tulare Register: The referendum has
not scored much Of a success this year.
either. Of all the voters who went to
the polls not half voted on the amend
ments at all, and those who voted voted
mo" for the reason that they did not
understand the propositions and
thought it safer to vote against than
for them. This is and, by the very
nature Of things, must be a representa-
tive Government. We must elect Iegis-
lators whom we can trust and then
trust them On great questions of
public policy and principle upon which
the people are interested (and there
fore informeD a plebiscite may well be
taken, but such occasions do not arise
oftener than once in decade.
THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT.
Fresno Republican,: The Atlanta
Constitution" objects to the proposal
to enforce the Fourteenth Amendment
on the States of North Carolina and
South Carolina and Mississippi, by de-
priying them of share of their rep
resentation in Congress equal to the
proportion of citizens in these States
disfranchised by their recent Consti-
tutions, on the ground that the States
of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Cali
fornia and Wyoming also disfranchise
citizens by an educational qualifica-
ton, and several other States disfran-
chise paupers.
The objection is no objection at all.
If the rule is adopted it will have to
be applied to all States alike. But in
the one case it will essentially alter
the standing Of the State in the Union,
in the other it will make almost no diff
ference. Massachusetts might lose
one of it's twelve Congressman, while
South Carolina would lose three of it's
seven Representatives. No one in
Massachusetts, would object to the loss,
while in South Carolina it would meet
with vigorous protest There will un
doubtedly be strong movement dur
ing the next Congress to provide by
law for the enforcement of the plain
provisions Of the amendment, which
was passed to meet just such condi-
tions. The animus Of the movement
will be partly a desire to decrease the
vote of a strongly Democratic State
So far it is illegitimate. 1t will also
be a feeling of condemnation for the
subterfuge adopted in the Constitution
of the three States in question, where
by ignorant negroes are disfranchised,
while ignorant whites are permitted to
vote. But chiefly it is a growing senti
ment that a citizen who is not a po-
litical unit in a State Is not political
unit in the United States, and that
the power of the State in national af-
fairs should be proportioned, as the
Constitutions requires. to the number
of its population recognized as pos
sessing political rights. A State has
the right to protect itself against ig-
norance, but it has no right to voice
in national affairs based on the portion
of it's population to which it denies a
voice in selecting national representa-
tives. And as an ehbnest educational
qualification serves as a stimulus to the
illiterate to acquire education, so the
same qualification applied to a State
may serve it as a stimulus to educate
it's illiterates and grant them political
rights when they earn them.