The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-18
THEY WILL INVESTIGATE.
REPUBLICANS TAKE ACTION ON
FRANCHISE NATTER

Substitute for CrumpncI<er ResOIu-
tOn Adopted by House Caucus of
MajOrity-PrOvides for a Select
Committee of Eleven, to be APP
pointed by the Speaker, to Inquire
Into the Election Laws of the
states and Manner of Their En-
fOrcement
Washington, Feb. 1.-THE Republi-
can members of the House Of Repre-
sentatives held third caucus tonight
to consider the question of Southern
elections. The attendance was not as
numerous as at former gatherings,
Speaker Henderson not attending and
only cighty-six Republicans out of a
total of 1893 being present. This was
short of a quorum, but the meeting
proceeded with speedy and definite re-
suits, resolution being adopted ask
ing the House Committee on Rules to
consider a resolution for special In
vestigating committee of eleven mem
bers to consider questions relating 10
the disfranchisement of voters.
Representative Cannon of Illinois oc-
cupied the chair. and in the absence
of Mr. Loudenslager, representative
Tawney of Minnesota, acted as secre-
tary 1t was agreed at the outset that
the vote should be taken at O'Clock
Representative Dick of Ohio, then pre-
sented the following resolution as a
substitute for that of Mr.. Crumpacker,
heretofore introduced:
Resolution. That it is the sense of the
caucus that the Committee on Rules
report a resolution, providing in sub
stance that a select committee be ap-
pointed by the Speaker, consisting of
eleven members. whose duty it shall
be, and who shall have complete power
and authority, to investigate and in
quire into the validity of election laws
and the manner of their enforcement
in the several states, and whether the
right to vote of male inhabitants of
any OF the states, II years old.
and being citizens of the United
States, is denied or in any manner
abridged, except for crime, and such
committee shall report the result Of its
investigation at as early date as
practicable"
CrumpRcIxer Acquiesces.
The debate was brief, and was e.
trely favorable to the adoption of the
resolution. Mr.. Dick supported 1t on
the ground that il was simply a pre-
liminary step, with a view 10 ascer-
taining facts, leaving the question of
remedy TO be determined when the
House was in poss ession of all the
facts. Mr.. Crumpacker acquiesced in
this view, and readily accepted the
resolution in lieu of the one he had
first introduced, which proposed not
only an investigation, but also fixed
the remedy. namely a reduction Of
representation in Congress proportion
ate to the extent of Acknowledgement.
Mr.. Grosvenor of Ohio closed the debate
by a speech in support of the resolution.
He pointed out that as this was a step
merely TO ascertain facts, there was
no danger of creating the public i'm
preston that the Republican party
proposed to enact any drastic legisla-
ton on the subject.
The vote was then taken, and without
a dissenting voice the resolution was
agreed 10. The caucus thereupon ad-
journed
II was stated by members of the
caucus that the unanimous action by
eighty-six members would undoubtedly
be accepted by the Committee on Rules,
. Notwithstanding the absence of a quo
rum. and il was pointed out by these
members that the eighty-six affirmative
votes would have been a majority If a
quorum had been present. 1t also was
stated by those who had been most in
strunental in framing the resolutions
that the Investigation could be conduct
cd here in Washington, probably with
out any necessity of making personal
investigation in the South or else
where.