The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-02-14

convention will be chosen. Why is he
forum crowded? What means this Stir
in Rome?
THE SCRAMBLE FOR PIE.
'Tn the lower South--n States thus
activity is but a prelude to a scramble
for Federal office. Il can accomplish
nothing in the way of eectiny any local
ticket put up. The Republican party
there is but a name; ana not name 10
conjure with. 1t contains some able ard
excellent men, but they have not dem
onstrated the qualities Of political leader
shin. Between Presidential elections
nothing is done. The opposition is left
in undisputed possession of he iicij,
and fills every local office from governor
to constable. But when Presidential
year dawns, the great drums are beaten
and the horns are sounded, the stand
ards are unfnrled, and a most solemn
dress parade is enacted. There is a
marching up the hill and a marching
down the hill, but nothing elsa takes
place"
1t may he for the reasons suggested
in this article that this discordant note
is struck at this time | ask my col
of the country to believe that the people
OF North Carolina. as shown by her
history in the past, are as honest. a,
patriotic. as God-fearing, as law abiding
as the people Of any other section of this
great country. whatever her ungrateful
sons may say of her on this floor. (Ap-
rlause on the Democratic side.l
The gentleman has devoted his atten-
- ~, 1la 1a,x- 81
lima With Republican, Supreme
Court in his own State, I challenge him.
if he believes this law to be unconsti-
tutional if he desires to put it to the
test. to bring it, not into this jurisdiction
less forum, for political purposes, but to
take it before his own Republican Su-
preme Court in his own State and let
that court say whether or not it is con-
stitutional.
The gentleman dwelt upon the word
discreet" used in that statute. and he
gave a definition of the word discreet"
which he intended to be witty. Now.
let me read what Webster says of the
word discreet"
Discreet: Possessed of discernment.
| especially in avoiding error or evil, and
| in the adaptation of means to ends; pru-
| dent; Sagaeious: circumspect. not rash.
| headlong, or needless; cautious, wary"
So that if a lawyer, choosing language
| which was intended to exactly express
| his meaning, were to search through all
| the dictionaries for a word which in its
| meaning would crystalline and most apt
! ly express the qualifications which ought
! to be required of every election officer,
| he could not choose a better word than
discreet" And yet, forsooth. because
| this law absolutely requires the selec-
| ton of persons possessing such charac-
| teristcs as officers and managers Of cleo
| ton, the gentleman in his desperation
undertakes to hold it up to the scorn
and derision of this House
To such sophistry is he reduced in
this appeal to the prejudices of the ma
! iority.
TO PROTECT THE BALLOT.
Equally disingenuous is his attempted
characterization of section IL of this
act. The gentleman goes into affected
jeremiads over the terrible proposition
| that the registrar may require the APP
plicant to prove his identity or age and
residence by the testimony of at least
two electors under OATH To the heated
imagination of the gentleman this is a
horrible requirement, while in the judg-
| ment Of fair minded men of all parties
who are cogniZant of the cases which it
it intended TO meet it is not only IA wise
and sanitary provision, but one which
Is absolutely necessary to protect the
purity Of the ballot. With migratory
colored population, each of whom more
or less nearly resembles the other. rem
dering Identification almost impossible,
fraudulent registration of minors, con-
victs, non-residents, non -naturalized
foreigners, ETC., is preventable only by
| requiring satisfactory identification and
proof of age, and this is all that this
provision does
The gentleman's labored argument that
gray hairs and wrinkles, the sure evil
dences of age are not to be and will
not he taken into consideration by the
registrars is to assume and to assert
that every registrar will deliberately dis
credit the evidence of his own senses
and perjure himself for party advantage
"a charge SO unwarranted, so sweeping
in its denunciation of large and re-
spectacle body OF his fellow citizens, that
| am astonished that the gentleman
should make it.
The gentleman complains that all the
registrars will be Democrats. True,
there will be but one registrar for each
precinct. and where capable Democrats
can be found he will doubtless in most
cases be of that faith; but how is this
worse than the election law of the gen.
tleman's own party. that Of 1885, which
he 50 extravagantly lauds, as we'll ~
that of 1897, under which there were
three registrars. one of whom was re-
quired to be a Democrat, one Popu-
list and one Republican, giving to the
corrupt and unnatural fusion between
the Republicans two registrars at every
precinct to one Democrat, thus putting
the election machinery absolutely under
the control Of the fusionists as effectual-
~ as if the Democrats had had no rep
resentation at all. That was all right
in the eyes Of my distinguished friend,
hut it makes a wonderful difference with
him whose OK is gored
REPUBLICAN INCONSISTENCY.
But. further, not only did this extend
to the registrars, but the three judges
OF election for each precinct were SINH
larly appointed, so that the Democratic
marty was absolutely DOWerieSS through