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

and control over the county boards as
to the appointment of registrars and
judges of election, with power Of removal
and right to hear complaints of viola
tons Of duty by such officers and to
require cause to be shown, and so forth.
under penalties, but nowhere do l find
any provision for an appeal by the indi-
vidual elector from the ruling Of the
registrar.
A BAD LAW WIPED OUT.
This dragging the judiciary into the
mire Of practical politics and requiring
Judges personally interested i'm the re-
suit of the election tour judiciary being
elective) to pass upon petty disputes as
to appointment of registrars and judges
was one Of the most distasteful and
dangerous features of the bad law
which the Democratic party has wiped
one infinitely fairer and better. Time
would fail me TO advert to all the OBJ
jectionable features, partisan features,
outrageously unfair features of that law
which the gentleman so highly lauds.
Let the mention of one suffice.
Registration of voters in Incorporated
towns and cities was allowed until .
o'clock p. m. of the second Saturday
before the election, while the time for
challenges Except where parties came
of age, and so forth expired at the earl
Ter hour of 4 O'clock p. m. Of the same
day. In the border counties, where
hordes of negro voters could be easily
and cheaply imported, what opportuni-
ties for fraud did this not offer?
But l shall not follow the gentleman
further. Why should l? His evasion
OF the questions as to why he does not
take this law to his own Republican SUI
preme court is so palpable as TO be unde-
serving of serious notice.
Nor shall l dignity the. gentleman $
very original. very unwarranted and
very unnatural way of accounting for the
frequency of lynchings with any extend
ed reply. | would do him no injustice.
but if his language means anything, it
means that the denial Of the right to
vote is the provocative cause of lynch
ing. In reply to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Burke he said:
''The point ] make is this: The sug-
sestion of my friend from Texas is a
good one, and ! thank him for it, He
has not these lynchings in his State,
thank God, and we have not them in
ours. Why: Because in his State they
have a pure ballot. as we did have in
ours up to the vicious election laws OF
1890
Kinney PROVES TOO MUCH.
In the light of what all the world
knows as to the deplorable and detest-
l. Il ! l. q
lynchng, not only in the South. but the
world over, | leave the gentieman's ex-
PLANTATION to his Constituents and 10 his
own conscience. Judging, however. by
the gentleman own standard, this vie
ious election law of 1899" has given
North Carolina a ''purer ballot" than
she had under the fusion election law
of 1867; for whereas in 1898 under
that law there We're four lynchings in
the State. under the present law. which
he so roundly reyiles. | am informed
there was not single lynching in 1899.
The gentleman's argument. over-reaches
itself and proves entirely too much. Mr..
Chairman. this unseemly controversy
was not Of my seeking.
| deprecate alike the reopening of sec
tional debate and the discussion here Of
matters purely internal to the several
States. Let us fight out our questions
of internal State policy at home and
reserve our best thought. and our best
effort for the national veal when we
come here.
Every State in this Union has its own
troublesome internal questions to deal
with, and each State ought to be ready
and willing to concede the patriotism,
the willingness and the wisdom of every
one of her sisters to settle her own prob
lens for herself without the informed
ding of outsiders.
The better thought of this great body
of representatives of all the people
ought to frown upon that son OF any
State who for selfish or partisan gain
would disturb the fast-cemeting ties OF
the reunited sections or. worse. would
here decry and deride the people of his
own State. Let me, by way of warn
ing, say this to my distinguished friend
from North Carolina, for we have long
been personal friends: In this beautiful
capital city of the nation we unveiled
a few days ago a splendid statute of one
of Americas greatest statesmen. Dan
ie Webster. the great eXpounder of the
Constitution.
In the eloquent and scholarly address
delivered on that occasion by the dis
tinguished Senator from Massachusetts
(Mr. Lodge he placed Mr.. Webster's
claims TO enduring greatness not upon
his attainments as a lawyer. not upon
his fame as a politician, not upon his
achievements as q statesman, though III
all these he was truly great but rather
upon his matchless eloquence and ability
as an orator.
With this estimate. sir, Il fully agree,