Evening star., 1902-02-18
TO ASCERTAIN FACTS
REPUBLICAN, CAUCUS ACTION on
DIsFRANCHIsENENr.
appointment Of q Select Committee
Favored That an Investiga-
tion Nay Be Made.

The republican members of the House Of
night to consider the question OF southern
elections The attendance was not so nu-
merous rs at former gatherings. Speaker
Henderson not attending ami only eighty
siA republicans out OF total OF 100 being
present. This was short of q quorum. but
the meeting proceeded. with speedy and def
nite results. resolution being adopted ask
ing the House committee on rules to report
resolution for a special investigating COM
mittee OF eleven members to consider ques-
tions relating to the disfrauchisement Of
voters.
Representative Cannon Of Illinois occu-
pied the chair. and in the absence of Mr.
I-oudensiager, Representative Tawney or
Minnesota acted as secretary 1t was
agreed at the outset that the vote should
be taken at O'Clock. Representative Dick
of Ohio then presented the following reso-
luton as substitute for that OF Mr. Crum-
packer. heretofore introduced:
Resolved. That ii Ia the sense of this
caucus that the committee on rules report
resolution. providing i'm substance that n
select committee be appointed by the Speak
er, consisting of eleven members. whose
uuty II shall be and who shalt have COM
piete power and authority to investigate
ami inquire into the validity of election laws
ana the manner Of their Enforcement I'm the
several states. and whether the right to vote
or male inhabitants OF any Of the states,
twenty-one years old, and being citizens OF
the nited States. is denied or In any man.
ner abridged, except for crime. and such
committee shall report the result OF it's In
ssk.*"''oH ssks." at as early " date as prac''-
The debate was brief ami was entirely
favorable to the adoption OF the resolution
Mr.. Dick supported it on the ground that
1t was simply a preliminary step with n
view to ascertainif:g facts. leaving the
question of remedy tn be determined when
the House was in possession of all the
facts.
Mr.. Crumpacker concurred In this view
and readily accepted the resolution i'm lieu
of the one he had first introduced. which
proposed not only an investigation, but alsn
fNed the remedy. namely. reduction OF
representation in Congress proportionate To
the extent of disfranchisement.
Mr.. Grosvenor of Ohio closed the
debate by a speech I'm support OF the
resolution. He pointed out that az
facts, there was no danger of creating th,,
public impression that the republican party
proposed To enact any drastic legislation on
the subject.
dissenting vote. the resolution was agreed
to- The caucus thereupnn adjourned
1T was stated by members of the caucus
that the unanimous action by eighty-six
members would undoubtedly he accepted
by the committee on rules notwithstanding
the absence of a quorum. and 1t was point
Ell out by these members that the eighty
SiT Affirmative votes would have been "A ma
Jority IL q quorum had been present. Il
also was stated by those who had been
most instrumental I'm framing the resolu-
tiOnS that the investigation could he con-
Quoted here In Washington, probably with
{ ut any necessity of making personal in-
vestigatton In the south elsewhere.