Evening star., 1901-03-21
Interest of Republican Party Mar
ayers in the Result.
IMPORTANCE IN FUTURE ELECTIONS
Chairman Babcock on Limiting
Representation in Congress.
THE OLMSTED RESOLUTION

Considerable interest is being manifested
py the republican party managers in the
pending proceedings before the Maryland
legislature to the end of disfranchising a
large portion Of the republican vote In that
state. The managers are not only con-
cerned about the certain result I'm Mary
land, but also for the possible future .f-
feet upon the politics Of the country at
| large.
The republican congressional committee
mas all along taken a lively interest in the
progress of disfranchisement legislation In
the southern states. and views with undis-
guised alarm this extension into the border
states 1t is apprehended that as soon as
the democrats obtain control in West Vtr-
ginia they will put into operation a similar
system. and that in the near future Mary
land, Kentucky and West Virginia Will he
taken from the republican and doubtful
columns and put into the safely democratic
list.
Importance i'm the Future
Ihis is considered of great importance 10
the party organization in future elections
where the control of the House may he at
stake upon narrow margin The subject
has been discussed between Mr. Chairman
Babcock, Representative Hull, Representa-
tive Loudenslager and Representative Over
street of the republican congressional COM
mittee within the past few days, while
those officers Of the committee have re-
mained in Washington.
1t is thought in some quarters that one
result of the Maryland disfranchisement
will be to reopen the agitation in the next
Congress in favor of congressional action to
limit the representation of those states that
oisfranchise the negro vote. 1t is certain
that Mr.. Crumpacker and Mr.. Olmsted. who
brought the subject before the House at the
last session, but failed to secure action will
renew their efforts next December. If the
party leaders decide that the situation is
so menacng as to demand action, IL may
be necessary to have a republican caucus.
to take up the Crumpacker and Olmsted
resolutions for consideration, in which
event there will certainly be found a large
and Influential membership Of the House
favorable to the undertaking proposed by
Mr.. Crumpacker
Chairman Babcock's Views.
Chairman Babcock of the republican con-
gressional committee said today i'm an in
terview with a Star reporter that the re-
publicans could no longer view with COM
placency this increasing disfranchisement
of portion of the vote in this country.
West Virginia would follow at the first
opportunity the example set by Louisiana
and Mississippi, taken up by North Caro-
lima, South Carolina and Maryland, and it
would turn out that the will Of the ma
jority would be frustrated in all the border
states.
With the solid south at their back
said Mr.. Babcock, reinforced by Ken
lucky, Maryland and possibly West Vir-
ginia, the democrats would go into every
congressional election with an overwhelm-
ing advantage. They would have
sured portion of the whole number of rep
resentatives practically elected, and would
then only have to go into the doubtful dis
tricts, where the vote was close, concen-
trate their energies and carry the House
every time.
1T seems to me that the effect of the
Maryland legislation will be to hasten the
proposed legislation in Congress looking to
a limitation of the representation. as pro-
vided by the Constitution, of those states
that disfranchise the negro"
The OImsted Resolution.
The method proposed at the last session
to begin this movement was congress
sional investigation of the extent of the
disfranchsement Of legal voters. Mr.. Ohm
sted's resolution was follows:
THAT the committee on census shall be,
and is, authorized and directed, either by
full committee or by such subcommittee
or subcommittees as may be appointed by
the chairman thereof to inquire. examine
and report in what states the right to vote
at any election for the choice of electors
for President and Vice President of the
United States, representatives in Congress.
the executive and judicial officers Of a
state, or the members of the Legislature
thereof is denied to any of the male In
habitants of such states twenty-one years
of age and citizens of the United States,
or in any way abridged, except for par
ticipation in rebellion or other crimes and
the proportion which the number of such
male citizens shall bear to the whole num-
Der of male citizens twenty-one years Of
age in such state.
Why 1t Failed.
This resolution was referred to the COM
mittee on census, where it languished. The
ostensible reason for failure to act upon It
was the statement of the director of the
census that the census office had not COM
piled the data called for by the resolution,
and would not have it ready before the ad-
journment of Congress. With this state
ment at hand, the committee reported the
resolution adversely.
The information will be available by next
December, however, and an effort will be
made to obtain 1t. The next step to take
up the investigation will be the one over
which the battle will occur. 1t is known
that there is strong opposition in high re-
publican quarters to going into this ques-
tion, and the proposition will be fought. 1t
cannot be foretold, however that there
will not be a change of sentiment In the
meantime, brought about by the alleged
party necessity of some remedial action. TO
offset the partisan legislation Of the states
in question.