Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-04
PROTECTION OF negro
Considerable Interest in Pro.
posed Legislation Relative
to Southern Election.
Where Colored Men Are Not All.
lowed to Vote Representa-.
ton May Be Reduced.
Bartholdt's Measure for the Pro-
lection OF the Ballot Box
Discussed.


tiyes had caucus in the hall of the
house last night to consider line OF
rolicy TO be adopted concerning the al
LEGGED disfranchisement of voters in the
until shortly after II, and then it was
determined to adjourn for one week to
consider more fully the different propo-
sitions brought forward.
| The main discussion of the meeting
turned on a resolution offered by Rep
Preventative Crumpacker. of Indiana,
providing for the appointment of a spe-
cial committee of the house to investi-
gate questions of Acknowledgement and
to report remedies to the house.
| This brought out several other prop
ositions, mainly from southern repub-
leans who favored strong federal
election law. including one from Rep
Preventative Bartholdt, of Missouri, on
these lines.
| About 125 republican members were
in attendance out of full membership
of 200. Speaker Henderson, Represent
ative Payne of New York. the floor
leader, and most of the leaders of the
house, including about all the south
ern republicans, were present. The
gathering was not as numerous as had
been desired, however. owing to the
bad weather and private engagements
and this was one of the main reasons
for deferring action until next week
The caucus had been called at
the instance of Mr.. Crumpacker, of
Indiana, for consideration of his bill
which provides for a reduction of rep
resentation from the states in which
any considerable number of voters are
disfranchised by reason of race, color
or previous condition of servitude
His remedy for this, as provided in his
bill. is to reduce the representation in
congress in the ration which the num-
Der of disfranchised voters bears to
the total voting population.
The contest in the caucus, and 1t
promises to be spirited, will come over
the offer as q substitute for the
Crumpacker bill the measure offered
by Mr.. Bartholdt and approved by the
southern representatives in congress,
providing for the punishment of frauds
In federal elections. The presentation
of this substitute will open the debate
and the indications are now favorable
for the adoption of the Bartholdt bill
There are a number of potent in
huences at work against the Crum-
packer bill. The strongest of these
is perhaps the position taken by SEN
ator Pritchard. of North Carolina, and
the scattering membership in the
house from the southern states. This
sentiment is radically opposed to any
action that Will reopen the race Ques-
ton and make 1t a political issue. Sen
ator Pritchard argues that the adop-
ton of the Crumpacker bill would
simply result in solidifying the demo-
Gratis of the southern states and drive
back into that party, on race issues,
thousands of former democrats who
have of late years been acting with the
republicans. Senator Pritchard holds
that the enforcement of an election
law which woul,' punish men who, in
armed mobs, terrify colored and other
voters. would be approved in the south
by both republicans and democrats, and
would accomplish the results desired by
southern republicans. who only seek
an honest election and an honest count
Of the ballots. Senator Pritchard has
fully Endorsed the position taken by
y
err of the Bartholdt bill.
Another obstacle in the way OF the
adoption of the Crumpacker measure
is the apparent utter Indifference OF
the house republicans from the north
ern and western states to the question
of representation and franchise prob
lens in the south. Most of these
members make no pretense of under
cit
them exhibit any interest in it. They
look upon 1t as matter that should
be settled in the states and that does
not demand their interference.
The Barthold measure, on the other
hand, appeals to the representatives
from many of the states. Abuses of
the election law are not confined to
! the southern states While in Iowa,
| Kansas. the Dakotas. Nebraska and
other western states in which there
are no large cities, elections are usu-
ally conducted in an orderly manner,
the representatives from Illinois, Mis-
souri,, New York. Pennsylvania, Ohio
and states in which the great cities
are located. fully appreciate the need
| of some provision for the proper pro-
lection of the ballot. In New York,
Chicago, Cincinnati and some of the
other large cities of the country the
abuses of the local election law have
resulted frequently in uotrages SINH
lar to those perpetrated under the
Goebel law in Kentucky and the Mes
bit law in Missouri. congressman
representing these cities, both demo-
Gratis and republicans, appreciate the
urgent need of federal supervision of
ELECTIONS, and are favorably disposed
toward the Bartholdt bill. San Fran
cisco has had Il sample of crooked
work under the state election law, and
the inability under that law to punish
fraud in elections The California dele
cation has, in caucus, decided to
support the Bartholdt measure in
the general caucus next week.
While every Indication is that
the house republicans will rec
ommend the adoption of some meas
ure dealing with congressional cleo
tions and the protection of voters,
there has been no intimation of the
sentiment of President Roosevelt and
republican leaders in the senate as to
the wisdom of legislation in this di-
rection. The president has refrained
from committing himself when APP
preached on the subject stating that
1t was a question for the legislative
branch of the government to consider.
Senator Pritchard has discussed the
question with some of the republican
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