The Saint Paul globe., 1904-10-24

posed.
It seems to us that this reference of
the Pioneer Press to the possible atti-
tude Of Judge Parker and the Demo-
cratic party is unfortunate for its case.
The section of the constitution referred
to. which would cut down the repre-
sentation in congress and in the cleo
toral college of all the Southern states
that have restricted the ballot, like all
other sections of that document, has
to be enforced by appropriate legisla-
ton. What has the Republican party
been about? This amendment has
been part of the constitution for
many year. For eight years past the
Republican party has been in COM
plete control of all dep@tments of our
government. 1t has held the presi-
dency and majority of both houses of
congress. 1t has had possession of the
department of justice. Will the Pio-
L
ing those eight years, it has enacted
no legislation to carry this section of
the constitution into effect? Why has
it not proceeded, as it undoubtedly had
the power, to reduce representation in
the several states according to the
Limitations upon their celebrates?
The reason is simply this: That the
about the rights and the wrongs of the
negro, but does nothing for him prac-
tically Since the great Civil war, in
which Democrats and Republicans
united for the preservation of the
Union, we may safely challenge the
record of the Republican party and de-
nand what it has done for the negro.
1t has used him wherever possible 1t
has plead for his vote on all occasions,
but as a party it has done nothing to
ameliorate his condition. and he owes
it no debt. 1t took him, an inexpe-
rienced and untried factor when first
the franchise was given to him, and so
abused that right that it was turned
into veritable curse. Claiming to
stand as his special friend and repre-
sentative, it committed the colossal
crime of binding him to support in the
Southern states the most infamous
system of misgovernment that any
country ever saw. 1t used him to fill
the pockets Of the carpet-baggers and
thieves whom it sent down there to
plunder the people. 1t thus closed the
door to his gradual and rightful as
sumption of political powers, and pro-
duced the long train Of ills that forty
years have not served to dissipate.
This is all that the negro has re-
ceived at the hands of the Republican
party. It is the same story North and
South. 1t demands his vote because
the black race was freed by the great
emancipation, whose work is the herit
age of no political party, but of the whole
nation. In return it gives him nothing.
It would not dream or dare to put into
practical effect the fourteenth amend
ment to the constitution. 1t knows
that this is of doubtful practicability,
since the enforcement of the law must
be uniform, and nearly all the states
have limitations on the suffrage. in the
nature of educational or other qualifi
cations that must be taken into ac-
count. 1t knows that the first move
in that direction would cost it several
Northern states that now are depended
upon for Republican majorities. At
the first whisper of an intention on the
Republican side to introduce a bill to
enforce the fourteenth amendment Re
publicans fly to arms and compel the
indiscreet gentlemen to Withdraw it or
else bury it under theirNown votes.
Fer eight years the Republican par
ty, with full power at any moment to
| make this amendment actually opera
tive, has done nothing. And this is
! the party that assumes to question the
integrity of Judge Parker, or to ask
what Democrats viii do under circum-
stances that have kept the Repub-
licans submissive and inactive ever
since negro suffrage and its conditions
and limitations became a practical
question. It seems to us that this is a
subject upon which prudence would
/ require that every Republican keep
| silence.
Occasionally a Missouri detective de-