West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1902-04-03
WASHING TONLETTER.
The Republicans Trying TO Cut
Down The Representation From
The Southern States.
THE DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS- PASS
RESOLUTIONS OF SYMPATHY
FOR THE BOERS.

FOR THE BOERS.
WAsWNCToN, March ~, r0o2.-
The announcement on Monday that
the Committee on Rules of the
House of Representatives had de-
termined TO report favorably upon
Representative Crumpacker's reso-
luton providing for the appointment
by the Speaker of select commit
tee to investigate the question Of
suffrage in its relation TO Congress
ional Representation in the south
ern States, caused great Indignation
among the Democratic Representa-
tives in Congress who see foreshad-
owed by this iniative another force
bill and all the attendant resuscita-
ton of the animosities which once
existed between North and South.
Representative Richardson, Demo
cratic leader of the House, told me
Thursday that the Democrats would
use every legitimate effort to prevent
its undesired end. He said, al re.
gard the whole movement as an at
tempt at the violation of the rights
of the South. 1t is pernicious and
fraught with danger. Any investi-
cation of this nature, if undertaken
at all, should be undertaken on
purely non-partisan grounds and
there is every reason to believe that
the action of the proposed commit
tee would be partisan in the extreme.
That the Republican leaders should
contemplate such a move at this
time is revelation, even to me, of
the weakness they feel in approach
ing the coming elections but they
will defeat their own objects for
such methods will not receive the
support of their own party. There
is no question but that it will prove
boomerang and will result in ma
terial Democratic gains"
/ I I
Senator Bailey of Texas, whom 1
saw in regard to the proposed move,
expressed himself as follows at
is a matter OF grave regret to me
that the leaders of great party in
their desire to serve partisan ends
should permit themselves to take &C
ton which is calculated to disturb
the growing feeling of peace and
good will between the North and
the South and which all patriotic
Americans have striven to promote.
OF course there is no question but
that this action is aimed at certain
Southern States. That is admitted
even by the promoters of the move
ment and the result must be the re-
newal of that sectional strife in pol
itics which we have all tried long
and successfully to obliterate The
Southern people have abandoned
force and every Objectionable meth
cd of preserving their homes and
saving themselves from inevitable
disaster and have relied on purely
constitutional means and am 10th
to believe that the better element of
the Republican party in the North
will approve of this political move.
1t is Ill-advised and narrow in con-
ception and naturally every Demo
crat will resist it to the utmost.
tt /
Representative Sulzcr, speaking
for the Democracy Of New York,
said, "This attempt by the Repub-
licans of the House is not fraught
with danger. 1t will be condemned
not only by the Northern Demo
Gratis but by Northern Republicans.
1t will make hundreds Of votes for
the Democratic party and would
unite the party as would nothing
else could think of. As legisla-
tive action it viii be a failure, as a
political move it will be disastrous
to the party which gave it birth"
III
Were the investigation to be car
ried on impartially in the Northern
as well as in the Southern States and
| by a non-partisan committee, were
the legislative frauds Of Pennsylva-
MIA, Ohio, and other Northern
States to be thoroughly investigated
as the suffrage question in the South,
the Democrats would not object 10
the proposition, but they realize
that such is not the case and they
can only regard it as an attempt to
| limit the voice Of the Southern
States in the affairs of the nation.