The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-12-05
GEN. KE|FER WILL ENTER THE LISTS
Thinks Duty is to Prevent Southern0 0iSfranChisement
SETS FORTH HIS IDEAS
Southern States by DlsfranchisIng Ne groes Assume Greater Rights Than Citizens of States Are Given
 by the Constitution.

Columbus, O., December 4-General ]. Warren Keller, former speaker of the national house of representatives who has been reelected to congress from the seventh Ohio district, has issued a state ment in which he announces that his mis- sion Is to secure legislation to prevent the disfranchisement of voters in the south.
 General Keller has made an exhaustive study of the subject and in his statement he gives an outline of what he expects to accomplish He says:
 "All contend for Is equal voting power in all the states in electing members of the house of representatives, and in electing a president of the United States. This equality of right should be con ceded, and no principle of generosity to the south requires any such surrender of fundamental principle of our form of | government. With election laws in sub stsntial accord in all states, and with the natural tendency to prevent restric- ton of the elective franchise, population, without regard to race, is a fair rule for determining equal representation. 
 Just Rule Should be Found. "A just rule of representation should be found, and great care should be taken to avoid the possibility of doing injustice to any state and whatever rule Is adopt ed must be applied north, as well as south.
 Tt Is said the people south do not vote because there are no contests in many places. The lack of fair contest in elect ing members must be charged to dis franchisement by law, or other methods. It was not formerly so, as we have seen. The natural desire of every | citizen Is to exercise the high privilege of voting, and there is always some grave reason for his not doing so.
 The constitution and laws of disfran- chising states are widely different, though in general adopted in each state to accomplish the same end. This makes the question sof fixing congressional rep resentation very difficult, but being dffi- | cult is no reason why it should not be done at all.
 Congress Should Do Duty. 'It being clear that the right of many has been denied or abridged, 1t remains for congress to do its duty by enforcing the fourteenth amendment, as well as the other provisions of the constitution, es its enforcement will result in the equality of voters and only that in elect ing a president of the United States. If the states in the south insist on disfranchising the colored race, and cer- tain of the white race, the few who gather to themselves the right to vote for themselves, and for all officers, should not assume that by their acts of disfranchisement, they have been cast ing upon themselves the rights and pow CTS taken, rightfully or wrongfuly, from other citizens of their states, as their do- ing so gives them a greater voice in the government of the United States than their fellow citizens of other states of the union possess
 ''The time is past for claiming that to insist on a voter north having an equal voting power with a voter south, Is an attempt to raise the race question. and to thereby incite the colored people south to commit violence or that a de- man for such equal power Is an attempt to bring about social equality between the white and coored races "If violence is melted, 1t is by reason of the disfranchisement. not because the north demands equality, voter for voter with the south.
 | Social equality never belonged to the exercise of political rights and it never will