The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-15

gresham Lever to the Seat from
the Seventh south CarOIinn Dis
trict-QuestiOn of the Southern
States Election Laws Involved.
BY r. M. Larner.
Washington Dec. 14.-It is evidently
the intention of the Republican lead
ers in the House to force the fighting
against the Acknowledgement of the ne
gro voters in the Southern states
The fact was made apparent to-day
during the hearing of the contested
election case from the Seventh Con-
gressional district of South Carolina.
The sitting member is Asbury F. Lever,
one of the baby" members of the
House, who has just been reelected
to second term. His seat is contest
ed by a venerable negro, Alexander
Dantzler, an old-time plantation dar-
KY, black as a COAL with a crop of
white hair, a typical Uncle Tom" as
portrayed on the stage. On the face
of the returns Dantzler received only
l67 votes, while Lever polled 1920 votes.
The Republicans contend 1000 negroes
were illegally prevented from voting,
and the unconstitutionality of the
South Carolina election laws are as
sailed by Dantzler's attorney, w. w.
Dudley, former commissioner of PEN
sions, and one of the political managers
OF the late President Harrison.
Devoted to Race Problem.
The argument before the Committee
on Elections No. 1, of which Represen-
tative Mann of Illinois is chairman,
| was devoted almost entirely to the
race problem in the South and the
! constitutionality of the election laws
of those states, which, the Republicans
alleged, are framed to disfranchise the
| negro voters Mr.. Lever was repre-
scented by e. M. Efrd of Lexington.
| who is the father of the present cleo
| ton law in South Carolina, and B.
! Hart Moss of Orangeburg, son-in-law
| of former Representative Samuel DID
| BILE of the Charleston district, whose
seat was contested by a negro while
| in Congress.
Mr.. Levers attorneys contended that
South Carolina had a constitutional
right to change her election laws, pro-
| Vided It was done within the lines of
| the constitution of the United States
| The decision of the Supreme Court of
the United States was cited in sup
| port Of that claim.
I
| merous questions, which clearly indi-
| Gated an intention of making a test
of the first contested case considered
at the present session of Congress.
Many are Involved
1t was argued that if the contention
made in this issue is sustained by the
committee nearly every represent Live
| from the Southern States may be UNI
| seated.
Gen. Dudley stated that the Republi-
can party had heretofore refrained from
forcing the issue on this question, be-
cause of a lack of desire to deal harsh
| ly with the Southern people on this
question. The time has now arrival,
he said, when the question must be
settled, and he appealed to the COM
mittee to secure to the negro voters
of the South the right to vote and have
their votes counted In replying to a
question from Chairman Mann as to
the small number of votes cast for Mr..
Lever, Mr. Moss said that there was no
intimidation or discrimination against
, Dantzler. There was no opposition to
Mr.. Lever because he was popular in
his district, besides the Republicans es-
pecially the white federal officehold-
ers, did not vote for Dantzler.
Why" continued Mr.. Moss, play
| fully, even the Republican postmaster
at Columbia did not vote for the con-
| testant."
Don't you think it would be we'll
| to know about that postmaster" in
quired Chairman Mann, causing a gen.
eral laugh at this indirect allusion to
| the Crum case.
Mr. Efird. in closing, was closely
! questioned by various members of the
committee about the Southern election
laws, and his replies were to the eff
feet that the Supreme Court had de-
| cided this case against Mr.. Lever, the
| latter would be the scapegoat for all
the Democratic representatives from
| the Southern states, whose seats are
not contested.
Augusta Wants a Depot.
Representative Hardwick to-day call
ed at the War Department and present.
ed resolutions from the Chamber of
| Commerce, of Augusta, urging the es-
Establishment of a military supply de-
! pot in that city. In the absence of
| Secretary Root, MIR. Hardwick saw
| Maj Gen. Young, chief of the general
staff, to whom the matter will be re-
ferred. Gen. Young recalled with
pleasure the period he was stationed
at Augusta during the Spanish War
and promised to give the subject
friendly consideration.
MIR. Hardwick explained the excel
| lent facilities Augusta offers for a
quartermaster's supply depot, all Of
which Gen. Young fully appreciates.
In view of the fact that Atlanta has
been formally selected as the headquar-
tiers for the new department of the
| South, soon to be established, as ex-
| clusively announced in these dispatches
soon after Secretary Root returned
from abroad, the quartermaster depot
may have to go to headquarters. How
ever, Gen. Young has promised that
Augusta shall receive due consideration
from the general staff before choice
| is made.
Larger Grounds at Macon.
Representative Bartlett was to-day
notified by the treasury officials that
| the government has decided to pur-
chase additional property, to the
amount of $4,000, for the public build
| ing at Macon. The deal has been pend
| ing for some time with the owners of
property adjoining the Mulberry street
site, which includes the Baxter prop
| erty on Third street, and the DinlSler
and Davis property on Mulberry street.
/ The acceptance Of the additional site
now insures a handsome building, for
which $275,000 has been appropriated,
largely through the efforts of Mr.. Bart
/ lett.