Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-08-30
ASSENT OF GOVERNED
ARMY OF A MILLION VOTERS
DISFRANCHiSED IN SOUTH.
Government by Force Imposed by
the Democrats at Home, While They
Denounce Republican Administra-
tion i'm Our Colonies.
(From the New York Times

VI Ioul tue new 1oEk lltues.l
-Four years ago, in the so-called Demo
cratic convention at Chicago, Senator
Benjamin X. Tillman of South Carolina,
in Offering resolution TO denounce the
administration of President Cleveland,
made an attempt to convert the conven-
ton TO his view that the campaign about
to begin was a sectional one, in which
the South and West were to be combined
by common sentiment against the North
and East, to overthrow those sections and
make their financial opinions odious, and
to destroy their domination in future
national financial legislation and opera
tons.
Tilman has learned something since
that day, when he was deservedly Kissed
and booted in convention otherwise
none too sane or sensible, and the merit
ed rebuke administered by Senator j. *.
Jones possibly convinced him that sec
tionalism is as hopeless an issue as Sc
cession to divide the country. But he
was still a man of impulse at Kansas
City. Restored to favor after civilizing
ordeal OF four years OF service in the
Senate, he helped to prepare Il platform
exposing his party to the charge OF gross
Inconsistency or insincerity.
To Tillman was assigned the task OF
reading the platform. He docs not lack
dramatic sense, and he has a large voice.
With prodigious volume and vehemence
he rolled forth the references, in the
opening phrases to the inalienable
rights OF men guaranteed by the Declar-
alton of Independence and the Constitu-
ton. As sweet morsel he mouthed the
language OF the declaration that govern
ments must derive their just powers
from the consent OF the governed. Amy
other government" he shouted with So
norous intensity. 'is tyranny. and to i'm
pose upon any people government Of
force Is to sustain the methods OF impe-
rialism." The case Of the Porto Ricans
was described as appealing with pecu-
liar force 20 our justice and magnanim
ity."
These sentiments were prepared and
emitted by Mr.. Tillman for application
solely to the question of imperialism and
the conduct Of the administration In en-
deavoring to deal with the new problems
that vex the country. But they seem to
have a more interesting meaning. as ap-
piled to Southern States, than they would
as interpreted only to denounce and en-
barrass the administration In Its effort to
establish free governments In the Phil
ippines, Cuba and Porto Rico.
Alabama's population in 1890 was l.
513,O17. There were upon the common
calculation Of one voter In FIVE, 302 ,203
voters in that State in 1896. Alabama
gave to all candidates for President 1884,
653 votes, Bryan receiving 0,307. Lou
isiana's population In 1890 was 1,11S,597.
The State was entitled in 1896 to at least
$4,000 votes. 1t cast 102 GAG. and Bry-
an had 1000 OF these. Mississippi had
1,289, 900 population in 1890, and pre-
sumably 257 800 males Of voting age. In
1896 there were cast for President In
Mississippi 70,545 votes, Bryan getting
50, $50. North Carolina was reported in
1890, in the census OF that year, as hav-
ing 1915 population. The State cast
331, 21O votes In the presidential contest
OF 1896, or little more than the reason
able ratio for 1890. South Carolina,
with a reported population in 1890 OF
1,151, lad, and with not less than 230, 900
voters, east for all candidates In 1896
6S,907 votes, and SO, 798 OF them went to
Mr.. Tillman's man Bryan.
What became Of the 6O0,0 votes that
appear to have been missing from the
election returns of Alabama, Louisiana,
Mississippi and South Carolina2 Were
these 100000 voters to be governed, in
case Mr.. Bryan was chosen or defeated,
without their consent. thus subiecting
them to the tyranny" referred to by the
Democratic platform? Have those miss
ing voters been since found and required
to give their consent to the election Of
Representatives in Congress In order that
they should not be taxed without nation
al representation fairly secured? Or has
their consent been obtained to new re-
strictions of the suffrage? Has there been
shown any tendency in any Of those
States to exchange "the methods Of i'm
perialism for those Of a republicW
How have Alabama. Louisiana, Missis-
sippi, North Carolina and South Carolina
qualified themselves to reproach the ad-
mnistration for Imperialism? Have not
three OF those States formally and COM
pletely and the two others by progressive
steps undertaken to deprive some 600,
900 Of 'the governed" Of the opportunity
to give or withhold that consent guaran-
teed as right according to the Demo
cratic application Of the Declaration OF
Independence, and secured by the Con-
stitutiOn!
Why waste hypocritical platform senti-
ment on the people Of Porto Rico be-
cause they have "a government without
their consent and taxation without rep
resentation." when 600, 900 voters in four
States, all Democratic States, are depriv-
ed OF the right to consent, and about
100000 altogether, il we consider Vir-
ginia, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee,
are in like manner subjected to "tyran-
n.y." Mr.. Tillman's platform also de-
clares its opposition to "militarism" for
the reason that lit means conquest
abroad and intimidation and oppression
at home. 1t means the standing army
that has always been fatal to free insti-
tutions." What apology does Senator
Tillman offer to the standing army Of
|, 100000 voters DISTINGUISHED in South
ern States? Were intimidation and op-
preston at home" practiccd TO bring
about that result. peculiar only to one
section Of the country Does not the con
ditiOn Of these silenced voters appeal
with peculiar force to our justice and
magnanimtyT
Labor Prosperous In New York.
In New York State the Bureau Of La
Dor Statistics shows that the number OF
am nioyes in z M OF the largest factories