Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-03-25
1H[ BAGLY FORGE BILL
Democrats Considerably Wrought
Up by the Proposed Election
Investigation.
Persistent Effort of Minority to
Raise False Issue on Crum.
packer Resolution.
Nothing in the Nature OF a Force
Bill Contemplated in the
Proposition.

house investigator in the election con-
ditions in the southern states. The pro-
posed investigation, provided for il
what is known as the Crumpacker res
olution, is scheduled for early consid-
Grafton by the house, and the minority
1 is more nearly united in opposition to
i this proposition than it has been upor
any question that has been before the
present congress. The position taker
by the democrats is entirely erroneous
but they have been so energetically ac-
tive that they have succeeded in rails
ing the shadow of false ISSUE. and are
now trying to magnify it into para
en- resolutions and bills, dealing with
election conditions in the south. have
been introduced, none of them con-
| tanned any element of the force bill
| feature. SO feared by the minority. The
original Crumpacker resolution called
| for a reduction of the representation In
the southern states, in the ratio which
the disfranchised vote bears to the to-
tai voting population. This, Mr.. Crum-
packer held, was in harmony with the
constitution of the United States and
was only matter of justice.
Mr.. Bartholdt's bill provided for con-
gressional supervision of federal cleo
tons, for the punishment in the federal
courts of violators of the election law
and for general safeguarding of cleo
| lions against such frauds as We're prac-
ticed in the Horton Butler election in
st. Louis.
The most radical democrats on the
floor of the house, in frank discussion
of the Bartiloldt bill. admitted that 1t
contained nothing to which any honest
man of any party should object.
The Dick bill provided for an investi-
cation of the franchise conditions in
the south.
These measures were considered at
great length by the republican repre-
sentatives from the southern states,
and finally by a republican party eau
Gus. After full consideration and
discussion of the features of the differ
emit measures the party caucus COM
promised on the Crumpacker resolu-
ton, which is now scheduled for con-
sideration in the house. This resolu-
ton provides for the appointment by
the house Of a select committee of thir-
teen members, whose duty it shall be-
Il and who shall have full and ample
power-to investigate and inquire into
the validity of the election laws of the
several states and the manner of their
enforcement and whether the. right to
vote at any election for the choice of
electors for president and vice presi-
dent of the United States, representa-
tiveS in congress, the executive and
judicial officers of any of the states or
the members of the legislature thereof,
is denied to any of the male inhabi-
tants of any of the states being 81
years of age and citizens of the United
States, or in way abridged except for
crime. The committee is empowered to
call witnesses and for records, and is
instructed to make full report of its
finding to the house, without recon-
mendations or suggestions.
That is all there is to 1t. The COM
n1ittee has no power to even recon-
mend method for correcting any evils
1t may find to exist in the suffrage
laws of any of the states. It's only au-
thority is report conditions and facts.
The result of the work of the commit
tee would simply be public document,
containing the election laws of the
different states, and evidence concern
ing their manner of enforcement, all
taken from the records. Yet against
this proposition the democrats, of all
factions and subfactions, have united in
a howl of protest. Hill of New York,
German of Maryland, Bailey of Texas
and Dockery of Missouri have joined in
u chorus of denunciation. and are cry
ing force BILL" bloody shirt" and
race prejudice
The southern democrats are in arms
against another imaginary attack upon
their beloved doctrine OF states rights.
Under these different cloaks the minor
ity is ringing the changes upon any
and all shiboleths that might result In
preventing congressional spreading of
facts upon the records. The democrats
of the south do not want it to become
generally circulated that seven of the
congressman from Georgia are holding
their seats in congress by virtue of a
total number of votes which is smaller
by 1000 than the number cast in the
congressional district in Indiana which
sent Mr.. Crumpacker to the house.
They do not care to have it known Off
oially that seven democratic members
of the house from Mississippi represent
a state which cast total of 51,600
votes, while 54.7S2 We're cast in the
Missouri district which sent Charles f.
Joy to congress. They hesitate to adj
vertise the fact that Alabama has nine
democratic members of the house, rep
resentins, a total vote of 10000 or
about the same number that was cast
in the districts which sent "Uncle Joe"
Cannon and James r. Mann to con-
gress from the Illinois districts. Nor
do the democrats desire the report of
an investigation into election condi-
lions in Missouri. Tennessee, North
Carolina and Kentucky and other
states in which the negro vote does not
cut SO much of a figure, but in which
the election laws have been framed to
give the democrats ample facilities for
disfranciising white voters. These are
the real sources of democratic worry
and the causes of their opposition to
the resolution.
Iowa at Washington.
Washington. March 25.-Postmasters