The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-18

 AN INQUIRY Question of Abridgcmcnt
 of Suffrage.
 REPUBLICAN CAUCUS ACTS
Quorum Not Present, but BuSi-
 ness is Transacted.
Congressman Dicks Substitute Tor crumpacker Resolution Adopted
 Unanimously-speaker Tender
 son Conspicuous by his Absence


 members of the House held third cau- GUS tonight to consider the question or Southern, representation. fhe attendance was not as numerous as at former gath erings, Speaker Henderson not attending, and only eighty six Republicans out of a total of 1s9 being present. This was snort of a quorum, but the meeting proceeded with speedy and definite results. resoiu- ton being adopted asking the House Com mittee on Rules to report resolution for a special Investigating committee or eleven to consider questions relating to the disfranchisement of voters.
 Representative Dick of Ohio presented the following resolution as a substitute for that of Mir. Crumpacker heretofore introduced:
 Resolved, That 1t is the sense of this caucus that the Committee on Rules re- port a resolution as a substitute for those now pending in said committee, providing in substance that a select committee be appointed by the Speaker. consisting of eleven members whose duty 1t shall be! and who shall have complete power and authority to investigate and inquire into the validityaof election laws and the man ner of their enforcement in the several States, and whether the right to vote of male inhabitants of any of the States, N years of age. and being citizens of the United States, is denied or in any man. ner abridged, except for crime, and such committee shall report the result of its investigation at as early date as prac- ticable.'
 The debate was brief and was entirely favorable to the adoption of the resolu- ton. Mir. Dick supported it on the ground that it was simply a preliminary step with a view to ascertaining facts, leaving the question of remedy to be determined when the House was in possession of all the facts.
 Mir. Crumpacker concurred 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 reduc- ton of representation in Congress pro- portionate to the extent of disfranchise- ment.
 Mir. 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 impression that the Republican party proposed to enact any drastic legislation on the sub ject.
 Without dissenting voice, the resolu- ton was agreed to. The caucus thereup, on adjourned.
 It was stated by members of the eau. GUS that the action by eighty-six mem bers would undoubtedly be accepted by the Committee on Rules, notwithstand ing the absence of quorum, and it was pointed out by these members that the eighty-six affirmative votes would have been a majority if a quorum had been present. It was also stated by those who had been instrumental in framing the resolutions that the investigation could be conducted In Washington, probably without any necessity of making personal investigation in the South or elsewhere.