The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-12-13
He QUOTES Mr.. BLAINE
Fifteenth Amendment Kills Second
Section Fourteenth.
THE BILL OF INDICTMENT AGAINST KNOX
The Anti Trust League Charges it True Show
That Mr. Knox Ought Not to be
Confirmed as Attorney
General.
Especial to News and Observer

IL
Washington, D. c., Dec. 12.-It is not at
all probable that the Crumpacker bill will |
become law, as l stated in this corre-
spondence yesterday. In todays Post, |
there is an interview with Senator Pritch-
ard in which the North Carolina Senator
gives reasons why he will not support
the measure. Senator Pritchard thus de-
fines his position
In the first place there has never been
a denial of the right to vote to a suffi-
clent number of voters in the State of
North Carolina TO warrant Mr. Crumpack-
er in reducing our representation to the
extent proposed in his bill If Congress
has any power under the fourteenth
amendment to reduce the representation
OF any State, it cannot be exercised until |
there has been a denial of the right to
vote to number of citizens thereof and
the basis of representation therein can
only be reduced according 10 the proper
tlon which the number of citizens thus |
deprived Of the right to vote bears to
the voting population of the State. There
has been no denial of the right to vote
to any great extent in the State of North
teenth amendment but there have been
corrupt election practices in many of the
counties of that State, by which the mi !
nority has been able to count the votes
oe the majority and thus secure, by ballot
box stuffng and other manipulation con-
troll OF our governmental affairs.
NOT AN ADEQUATE REMEDY.
rs the remedy proposed by Mr. Crum-
packer adequate TO meet the situation
in your State?" Senator Pritchard was
asked
1T is certainly inadequate to remedy
/ the evils which have confronted us in
North Carolina in the past" was the
( reply His proposition is in the nature
of an admission that the constitutional
amendments recently adopted in North
. Carolina and other States are not in vio-
| lation of any of the provisions of the Con-
stitution of the United States. / assume
that he would not attempt to base repre-
Sentation upon figures that might result
from the enforcement of an unconstitu-
tional clause in State cor stitution No
one would think of going into court
to ask relief unless it could be shown
that he was about to suffer irreparable
injury. and no harm can come to any
from the proposed enforcement of an un-
constitutional act"
WHAT Mr.. BLAINE SAID.
The adoption of the fifteenth amend
ment according to Senator Pritchard was
tantamount to an abandonment of the
penalty clause Of the fourteenth amend
ment. and he calls attention TO the fact
that Blaine in his Twenty Years of
Congress- in discussing this phase of the
question, says:
The adoption of the fifteenth amendment
seriously modified the effect and potency of
the second section of the fourteenth amend
ment. Under that section a State could
exclude the negro from the right of suf
frage, if willing TO accept the penalty OF
the proportional loss OF representation III
Congress which the exclusion of the colored
population from the basis of apportonment
would entail
When, therefore, the nation. by <subse,
Cuent change in its CONSTITUTIONS declared
that the State shall not exclude the negro
from the right OF suffrage, it neutralized 4
and surrendered the contingent right before
held. to exclude him from the basis of APP
portionmcnt. Congress is thus plainly de-
prived by the fifteenth amendment OF GER
tam powers over representation in the
South which it previously possessed under
The provisions OF the fourteenth amendment
when the fourteenth amendment"
continued Mr.. Pritchard "was adopted
T.
clusively within the Jurisdiction of the
States, but the adoption of the fifteenth
amendment conferred upon the colored
man an affirmative right. to-wit, the
right to stand upon an equal footing with
all other citizens in the exercise of the
elective franchise, and it was provided
that no one should be Disseminated
against on account of race, color or pre-
vious condition of servitude The abandon
ment Of the State governments in LouiS-
lana and other Southern States in 1876
was in the nature of notice to the peo-
pie Of the United States that the ff-
teenth amendment was not to be en-
forced, and everything that has happened
since that time has been in harmony with
the policy outlined by those who were
intrusted with the administration of gov
ernmental affairs on that occasion
NORTH CAROLINA INTERESTS.
Any attempt to reduce representation
in SO far as North Carolina Is concerned
at this time would be detrimental TO the
best interests of the people of that sec
ion, and the colored man would in the end
be the chief sufferer. There are at present
no racial disturbances in North Carolina.
and | am satisfied that tbs friendly rela-
tions which now exist bslweer the two
/. races in that State will grow stronger in
the future if nothing is done to reopen
E