The Bemidji pioneer., 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-
ton in Our Colonies.
(From the New York Times.)

(From the New York Times,)
Fouf years ago, in the so-called Demo
cratic Goa IGNITION at Chicago, Senator
Benjamin Il. Tillman Of South Carolina,
in offering a resolution co denounce the
administration Of President Cleveland,
made an attempt to convert the eonyen-
ton to his view that the campaign about
to begin was a sectional one, in when
the South and West We're to be combined
by q 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
tions. Z
Tillman has learned something since
that dag when he was deseryedly Kissed
and booted in convention otherwise
none 700 sane or sensible, and the merit
ed rebuke administered BY Senator j. IS.
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 a civilizing
ordeal OF -four years Of service in the
Senate, he helped to prepare q platform
exposing his party to the charge Of gross
Inconsistency or insincerity.
10 Tillman was assigned the task of
reading the platform. He does not lack
dramatic sense, and he has a large voice.
Vita prodigious volume and yehemence
he rolled forth the references, in the
opening phrases to .sthe 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
meIts must derive their just powers
! from the consent Of the governed. ;" Any
other government" he shouted with So
norous intensity, lis tyranny. and to inn
pose upon any people d government Of
force Is to sustain the methods OF impe-
ralism.' The case Of the Porto Ricans
was described MS appealing with pecu-
liar force to our justice aud 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-
deayoring to deal with the new problems
that vex the country. But they seem TO
have more interesting meaning, as APP
piled to Southern States, than they would
as interpreted only to deno,nee and em-
barrass the administration in its effort To-
establish free governments in the Phil
ippines, Cuba and Porto Rico.
Alahama's population IN 1890 was l.
513,017. There were upon the common
calculation Of one voter in five, 302, BOB
voters in that State in 1896. Alabama
a al Ie,tn %, Iant 100
653 votes, Bryan receiving 130,3O1. Lou
isiana' population in 1890 was 1,11S,59T.
The State was entitled In 1896 to at least
223OO0 votes. It cast To-, DAG, and Bry-
an hnd III, 900 Of these. Mississippi had
/ ,2S9,G0O population in 1890, md pre-
sumabiy 257 800 males OF voting age. In
1896 there were cast for President in
Mississippi 70,545 votes, Bryan getting
53, $50 North Carolina was reported in
1890, in the census OF that year, as hay-
ing 1,617 ,947 population. The State cast
331 ,210 votes in the presidential contest
OF 1906, or little more than the reason
able ratio for 1890. South Carolina,
with a reported population in 1890 Of
1,151, 14D, and with not less than $780,
voters, cast for all candidates in 1886
GS,907 votes, and 5S, 79S of them went to
Mr.. Tillmans man Bryan.
What became Of the 100000 votes that
appear to have been missing from the
election returns OF Alabama, Louisiana,
Mississippi and South Carolina? 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
nj 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 inn
perialism for those of republicf
How have Alabama, Louisiana, Missis-
sippi North Carolina and South Carolina
qualified themselves to reproach the adj
ministration for Imperialism? Have not
three of those States formally and COM
pletely and the two others by progressive
steps undertaken to deprive some co.,
900 OF "the governed" OF the opportunity
to give or withhold that consent guaran-
tced as a right according to the Demo-
cratic application OF the Declaration Of
Independence, and secured by the Con-
stitution2
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 100000 voters in four
States, all Democratic States, are depriv-
ed Of the right to consent and about
100000 altogether, If we consider Nir-
GINA. Georgia, Florida and Tennessee,
are In like manner subjected to "tyran-
n.y." Mr.. Tilman's platform also de.
clafes its opposition to "militafism" for
the reason that ut 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
TilIman offer to the standing army OF
100000 voters disfranchised in South
ern States? Were intimidation and OPP
preston at home" practiced 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
magnanimity!