Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1904-12-15
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1904,
THE sOUTH'S MISTAKES.


much anxiety expressed by Southern
politicians over and about the probable re-
duction of Congressional and electoral
representation from this section of the
Union. Mr.. John Sharp Williams, of
Mississippi, was the first to give public ex-
preston to any ultra views about the mat
ter. Speaking about this the Richmond
Dispatch said;
Several days ago MIR. John Sharp
Williams, leader of the Democratic minor
ity in the House Of Representatives, made
speech at Spartansburg, S. o., in which
be said that if the South's representation
in Congress should be reduced, as threat
by some of the Republicans, the South
should pursue policy Of pacific resistance;
that 1t should continue electing the same
number of representatives as before, and
sending them to Washington; if they
should be refused admission case should
be made up and carried to the Supreme
Court; if Congress should undertake in
consequence of this action by the South to
direct the election of representatives with
out the authority of the several Statee;
MIR. Williams would have the Southern
representatives elected under pledge not
to take their seats in the House or draw
their salaries until the question should be
determined by the Supreme Court"
MIR. Williams further remarked: "The
result would be that the several States
affected would not be represented at all in
the House of Representatives or in the
electoral college as long as Republican
political supremacy continued"
The Richmond News Leader did not
approve of the suggestions Of Mr.. Williams
and said so in some very plain words.
And the Times Dispatch, while express
ing no dsapproval of the views of Mr.
Williams, offered another suggestion to
meet the difficulty. 1t said:
"Ifa Republican Congress should I'M
dertake to enforce the penalties OF the
fourteenth amendment, it would be an
admission that any Southern State has the
right to disregard the fifteenth amend
ment and to disfrauchise the negro in
spite Of it. That being the case, why not
do the sensible thing-repeal the fifteenth
amendment and enforce the fourteenth ="
If other Democratic newspapers at the
South have said ought in condemnation of
the deliverance of their leader, Mr.. Will
Jams, we fail to recall it, or it has been 90
undecided as to pass unnoticed. So, we
find the Democratic leader in the House
Of Representatives, and the man who
presided as chairman at the last national
Democratic convention at st. Louis, sug-
costing another notification or secession
movement under certain contingencies.
II The reasoning of the Times-DEpstch
il correct in that, elf Republican Con-
gress should undertake to enforce the
penalties IF the fourteenth amendment, it
would be an admission that any Southern
State has the right to disregard the
fifteenth amendment" what sense is there
in asking a repeal of the fifteenth amend.
mentP Is not the force Of this question
enlsrked by the declaration of the Times
Dispatch, that "lhe sensible and honest"
thing to do is to 'repeal the fifteenth
amendment and enforce the fourteenth?'
This declaration of our Richmond con-
temporary is virtually an admission that
the sensible and honest thing for the
Southern States to have done thirty-seyen
wears AGO was to have accepted and adopt
ed the fourteenth amendment when it was
rendered to them. Then, the fifteenth
amendment would never have been enac-
ted by Congress and Reconstruction, the
thing SO greatly complained of, would
never have been known by the South.
But men who had persuaded the Southern
States to commit the folly of session still
held control of public sentiment, and each
State. by the voice of its Legislature, ex-
cept Tennessee, scornfully rejected the
Amendment. In the Virginia Legislature
only one member had the courage and
good sense to vote for its adoption. In
the North Carolina Legislature only
eleven out of one hundred and forty eight
members favored it. In the South Caro-
lima Legislature there was only one vote
for r. In Georgia only two out of one
hundred and sixty-Dine voted for the
Amendment. Florida unanimously re-
iected IT.. Out of one hundred and six
votes in the Alabama Legislature only ten
eould be found to support it. Mississippi
and Louisiana both rejected it unanimous
! lv. The Texas Legislature gave only five
votes for it, and the Arkansas Legislature
dave only three in its favor.
/ The fourteenth amendment was intended
toN0ive the Southern States repr esentstion
in Congress without investing the negroes
with the right OF suffrage, leaving with
each state the authority TO regulate for or
extend to the negro the privilege OF vot-