The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-02-01

Mr. Pritchard Mr.. Plesiden-.
have carefully cOnside.el the speech
Of the honorable Senator from Ala.
eima on the pending resnlu;i y. JC
mas discussed the questions at .s5ue
with greet adroitness. ard has dis
played that splendid ability which lie
brings 10 bear upon all the important
questions that come before this BODY
tor consideration.
The distinguished Senator under.
takes to show that this body does not
have jurisdiction of the question; in
volvIl in the resolution. end in the
next breath he insists that it relates
to question which in his Judgment
is now before the country for solution
by popular suffrage. He says that IL
is question which can not ba Tepress.
ed or evaGei in the coming election. In
dealing with this particular phase 0!
the question, he says:
To refuse now to consider this aues.
tiOn s to draw the country into VORTEX
of angry and dangerous excitement
such rs seriously endangered the Re
public in 1876 and 1871"
| heartily concur in the opinion that
the question does involve the peece and
welfare CT the nation and the stability
% OF cur institutions. 1t does seem tC
ME that no more important question
will be presented for our consideration
during the present session of Congress
Article 4, section 4. OF the Constitu.
tion OF the United States provides Il
follows:
THE UnitedStates shall guarantee {
every State in the Union a Republic.
an form of government. and shall pre-.
tect each OF them from invasion. ant
on appeal C., the legislature or o. the
executive (when the legislature car
not be conveneD against domestic vio
lence."
In reading the foregoing provision Of
the Constitution it will be observe
that 1t Is the duty of the United States
to guarantee to each State a Republican
form of government. The language o
the Constitution is mandatory. plain
and unequivCcal. When the member:
of this body took the cath of Office
among other things, they agreed tl
maintain the Cons stitution OF the
United States. However. the honor
able Senator does not entertain thi:
view as to the amendments in ques
ton. He says:
The question of the protection of tdt
suffrage of the negro against discrimi
nation under the laws IS the only ont
in reference to which the ConStiti
tion gives specific plonary and discre'
tlonary power to Congress, to be exer
cised by appropriate legislation or t.
be declined i; Congress refuses r
exercise the power. 1t is not man
bound to exercise the power if hc
feels that it would imperil the country
In the fourteenth amendment the pow
er to reject the negro vote is admittet
in favor o. the States, and this righ
is nowhere taken away.
IF the right thus given to the States
is taken away by the fifteenth amend
ment, as | do not believe that it is, tn,
power OF Congress over the subject il
again repeated separately in tina
amendment, and it stands as the sol
authority to deal with the subject, t
be exercised at the discretion of Con
gress. IL may De that power is givel
to Congress TO deprive the State OF th
right reserved in the fourteenth
amendment, but /; so, Il is only pow
er and Congress is not bound to use il
"Unquestionably this legislative pow
er is political and is not judicial, am
1t conveys no vested right in the negri
race to vote that can stand against tn
power Of Congress to permit a State t
disqualify them by refusing to procee
to enforce their demand for the ballot.
This is a startling declaration il
view of the plain language contaire,
in the amendments. According to tn
Senator's contention we can violate tn
fourteenth and fifteenth amendment
with impunity. N'ovided 1t become;
necessary to do so in order to perpetu
ate Democratic rule in the South. Thi
sounds very much like the doctrine ad
vocated by Calhoun in his time. /,
other words, it is nulliication pure an
simple. That section Of the four
teenth amendment which relates to tn
representation of States in the EleC
toral College and in the House O
Representatives relates solely to tn
instances wherein the States, actin
within the scope of their authority, sc
fit to deny the right of suffrage to an
citizens residing therein in a manne
SO as to not discriminate against othe
citizens similarly situated on accoun
OF race, color, or previous condition g
seryitude. In discussing this phase {
the question, Mr.. Blaine, in his Twent
Years OF Congress, says:
THE adoption of the fifteenth amen
ment seriously modified the effect an
potency OF the second section of tn
fourteenth amendment. Under tha
O section S1lts could exclude the negr
from the right of suffrage II willing /
accept the penalty of the proportions
loss OF representation In Coagres