Evening star., 1899-02-04
Democratic Legislators in North
Carolina Under Suspicion.
MAY NOT IHD0RSE DISFRAHCHISEHENf
Views of a Leader Who Denounces
E
Them3as Traitors.
REDUCED REPRESENTATION
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star

Special Dispatch TO The Evening Star
RALEIGH, N. c., February 4+-There is
much alarm among the democratic man
ayers regarding the prospective passage py
the legislature of certain bills which they
consider as absolutely essential to secure
their retention in power for all time 10
come, and that this is the object of the
party in power not one of the leaders Will
deny.
Concerning this subject one who is thor
Oughly posted said:
If rumors in the air are to be credited
there is danger in the Legislature. There
are reports of disloyalty on the part OF
many members who will not stand with
their party if any disfranchising any one is
introduced-that they will never support
such a law.
IF by their recalcitrancy and disloyalty
they can stop the plans of the white mans
party, then the election of 1893 was fail
ure and great calamity. If there be MEM
bers who are resolved to defeat their party
In this fundamental measure of relief and
security for the future, they are reereant
not only to party pledges and demands,
but they are practically enemies to their
own race. The democrat who would will
lngly perpetrate any semblance of negro
domination and negro legislation in North
Carolina is not to be trusted by the true
white men. He is practically a traitor to
his party, to his race and to his state.
Hope of Wiser CounseIs.
TT is to be hoped that wiser counsels
will prevail in the legislature; that all true
white men who believe in Anglo-Saxon
laws, institutions and civilz cation will stand
shoulder to shoulder and help to fully re-
deem and bless North Carolina. If there be
traitors to race and party let the brand of
ignomlhy and scorn be placed upon them.
Ihe democratic party, by the aid of in
tel1gent, self-respecting, patriotic republ
cans and populists, secured, last year, a
magnificent victory. II was indeed an epoch
making day, that Sth of November 1893.
II was the final declaration, it was hoped,
OF the Whlte race that henceforth, in the
ancient and goodly commonwealth of North
Carolina, the Anglo-Saxon race should be
supreme and its wonderful institutions, its
laws, its civilization, should be in full force
for all time in this state
The caucus is now discussing the bill
embodying the constitutional provisions
which are TO be submitted to the people.
That is by all odds the most important
matter that will come before the legisla-
ture. The time already taken by the COM
mittee in perfecting the measure that is
before the caucus has been well employed
The measure, as It stands, with an amend
ment as suggested by "a member of the
lower mouse, to extend the time of com
piet1ng the registration till 1902, is about
as perfect measure restricting suffrage
as could be framed.
Three Things to Commend II.
There are three things about it that
commend 1t: First. II is honest There
Is no loop hole in it for fraud or the sup
preston of qualified voters. No sugges-
ton that made 1t possible for the election
officers 20 have the power to prevent a
legal voter from exercising the franchise
has been Incorporated into the amendment
Under its operation the poll-holder will be
a machine. He cannot deprive any voter
OF his right, If he complies with the reau-
lations required by law. 1t leaves no door
for fraud. Second. 1t is constitutional.
There need be no doubt on this score The
exceptions are in line with judicial decis-
ions, and founded upon sound reasoning
Third. 1t is simple and plain The hum
blest citizen can understand its provisions
1t guarantees to every citizen, now and for
the future, the right to vote If he was a
Voter IN 1867, or If his father or grand
rather had the right to vote at that date,
All others can vote If they can read and
write. While radical politicians NAV de-
sire to mislead the voter, this provision
IS SO pam that the most illterate voter
can understand it as perfectly as the hest
educated Those politicians who hone 70
deceive the illiterate voters will not have
an argument upon which to make a CAM
palen of deception. 1t is within the bounds
OF an almost certainty that this hin win
be ratified within ten days
Inc election law is virtually completed
and Will be offered and enacted as soon az
the caucus has agreed upon the constitu-
tional amendment. 1t has been nreDared
with great care and its provisions are
along lines that will be approved. The
committee has examined the laws of other
states, sought the advice of party leaders
lhciudlnG the chairman of the state demo-
cratic executive committee and has in
corporated the best features Of the bast
election laws in the several states If is
moreover, simple and free from complica
uons, and under it elections will be con-
Quoted fairly and honestly"
Reduction In Representation.
Considerable attention is being given
throughout the state to the proposition ad-
vanced in some of the papers of the north
that those states which have restricted suf-
1rage should submit to a proportionate re-
duction of their representation in Congress
and in the electoral college One of the
most intense democratic partisans in the
state said of this:
This is fair statement of the case and
we cannot deny the justice of the conten-
ton. However, representation in Congress
is based not upon voting strength, but upon
population, and 1t Is not quite clear how
under the Constitution the south is to be
deprived of any part of its present repre-
sentation, even if it does deprive a certain
class of its citizens of the right of the bal
lot
But be that as it may any southern
state could afford to relinquish a part
say one-half-of Its representation in Con-
gress and the electoral college rather than
surrender its local government INTO the
hands of the element which it disfranchises
1t is very pleasing to North Carolina. for
instance. to send nine gentlemen to the
House of Representatives, but they cannot
do the state as much good In Washington
ignorant and corrupt government can
do it harm at home. The threat to reduce
the number of the states members in the
lower house of Congress, If it is a threat
has, therefore, no. .terrors for us There is
nothing that we have that we could not ar-
ford to exchange for the boon of home
rule by the ate'siintegrity and intelligence
rather than by its corruption and igno-
rance. id 81
If ever the alternative should be forced on
the southern states, 1t can hardly be doubt
ed that most of them, If not all of them
would accept reduced representation as the
less of the two evils. 20
"It is not easy to understand what right
the federal government has to change the
basis of representation. When the Consti-
tuition was adopted a compromise was eff
fected. The slave7hold3ng states desired to
eliminate the whole Of the slave-hohifng
population. The controversy was settled
by counting thr9e-ffths of the slaves,
though none of them opossessed the right