The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1904-10-13
SectiOnalism Redivlvus.

adopted by the national convention
which nominated Theodore Roosevelt
for president contains the following:
"We favor such congressional action
as shall determine whether, by special
discrimination, the elective franchise
in any state has been unconstitutlon-
ally limited, and il such is the case we
demand that representatives in con-
gress and in the electoral college shall
be proportionately reduced, as directed
by the constitution of the United
States"
This means ripping open of the sec
tional controversy. 1t drives at the
autonomy of the southern states. 1t
involves not merely an overhauling of
the social, political and economic con-
ditions of the south, but an arraign-
ment of the civilization of the people Of
the south.
Under the specious plea OF constitu-
tional warrant, the scheme is to erect
a dissecting table In congress, to strip
and strap the south upon this dissect-
ing table, and, thus nude and bound, to
subject the victim not to the scientific
treatment of skilled surgeons, but to
the butcher knives, yea, the bludgcons,
of embittered partisans.
Is there thoughtful, patriotic man,
north or sonth, who believes that good
can come Of such renewal Of sectional
friction, or that, from such revival of
sectional passion any of the ends for
which government was established
among us can be so achieved?
The restriction of the franchise in
certain states Of the south was the re-
suit Of conditions brought upon those
states by no wrong doing OF their own,
but by the ill-doing, if not the wrong
doing, Of the republican policy. Negro
suffrage was forced upon the south. 1t
was designed to perpetuate the repub-
lican party in power. 1t proved q
CHASTITY failure. 1t stood only whilst it
was held up by "orders from Washing
ton" and supported by martial law. OF
its own weight and rottenness it fell
with dull thud, leaving behind it a
trail of disaster and ruin, of blood and
rapine, Of ignorance and venom.
The effort, illogical and wicked, to
place the bottom OF the social order
upon the top of the political fabric, re-
coiled upon its authors. The people
rose against it as far back as 1876. The
republican leaders struggled to main
tain it long after the collapse of the
reconstruction machinery. What they
had failed to do by martial laws and
military appliance, they hoped to do by
special acts of congress. Foreseeing
what was coming, they tried to pass
the force bill. 1t was killed, not be-
cause it was bad measure, but be-
cause Mr.. Blaine did not intend that
Gen. Grant should have any such pow
er to help him to third term. There
publicans did not recover their power
in the house until 1888; but then, they
did not feel themselves strong enough,
AS soon thereafter as they could, they
brought forward the Lodge bill. This
passed the house and was only beaten
in the senate by very equivocal dick
er. Then came the Crumpacker inquiry
to clear up the way and SOW the seed for
an issue they dare not wholly unmasA
in the teeth of presidential election
t But they have never abandoned the
idea. If they carry the country thu
coming Sth of November, having KEEP
it in the background during the cam
paign, they will plant themselves OF
the clause of their platform printed
above and will claim, not without rea
: son, that it gives them a commission
to go ahead and do their worst
The argument is very simple. In eff
feet, it freely admits the failure of ne
o gro suffrage. But" it says, ''if th
negro is not allowed to vote he ough
not to be counted in the Representative
basis" This seems reasonable. l
would be if suffrage everywhere coul
l. be equalized. But there is no though
:; OF looking. into other for ms of the re
) striction of suffrage. State constitu
tions, and legislative enactments, ma
abridge, or regulate the franchise i
any one, or all of the states of tn
north; election laws may be arrange
so as to favor one party at the expens
of another, as they have been and wi
continue to be whilst party spirit pr,
walls over fair play and patriotism
men may be driven by class in terel
} and organized power to the polls
y droyes and voted like sheep; and a
will be we'll with the republicans, WI
get the usufruct. 1t is only the negl
\ at the south who must be considere,
- and, having been voter, he mu
either continue to vote or else be dro
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