The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-10
EDITORIAL 6twill- 1pUed g.. sc
A MARVEL OF MISCONCEPTIONS
AND ERROR.

a purpose and a wicked purpose. He
is the same Henry Cabot Lodge who
wrote the Force bill which passed the
House during Harrisons administra-
ton, but which was defeated in the
Senate by the votes of Senators Teller,
Dubois and other broadgauged Sena-
tors who We're then Republicans.
Most of them have since joined the
Democratic party. That vote showed
they were no longer in sympathy with
the bloody shirt wavers, in control of
the Republican party. 1t was the be-
ginning of 1.-The parting of the ways
The resolution adopted by the Re-
publican National Convention was in
these words:
1--WE favor such Congressional action
as shall determine whether by special
Determinations the elective franchise
in any State has been unconstitutional
ly limited, and, if such is the case, we
demand that representation i'll Con-
gress and in the electoral colleges shall
be proportionally reduced as directed
by the Constitution of the United
States"
This was adopted for two reasons:
/. To Jolly the negro in the
North and keep his vote solid for the
Republicans. Upon the white vote the
Democrats are always in majority in
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York, New
Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware
the doubtful and close States of the
Republic Unless the negroes vote
solidly with the Republicans that par
ty cannot win in either of these States.
To please them the pledge to humiliate
and wrong the South was made.
q To make it easier for Roosevelt
to re-elect himself, if he wins this
year. in 1908, for he will seek to
lengthen his term of service as long as
possible.
The declaration with regard to rep
resentation in Congress-aimed at the
South-has been criticized by others,
hut in an interview of the Wilmington
Star, Ex-Governor Russell thus dis
sects it:
1.-THE declaration of the RepubhC.ol
Convention on the reduction OF repre-
sentation under the 18th amendment
is marvel of misconception and err
ror. That any competent Constitutions
al lawyer should be guilty OF Such an
Ctterance is surprising.
1.-THE 18th amendment leaves the
matter of suffrage with the states.
Under it the States are free to fix the
qualifications of voters just as they al
ways did from 1888 to the Civil War
When the North came to reconstruct
the government after the war it said
! n lNlo Y a
representation not only on all of your
free population. but also on three-f1fths
Of your slaves Your free whites got
representative power on themselves
and then added three-fifths of the
blacks. This was one of the compro-
misses of the Constitution in 1897. Rep
resentation was based on population
and not on voters A district in the
South containing 100000 whites and
165000 blacks three-fifthS is about
one hundred thousand) had the same
vote in the Congressional House as
district in the North containing two
hundred thousand whites. That is, in
this given case, one hundred thousand
whites in the South equalled two hun
dred thousand whites in the North; SO
that assuming the voters to be one
fifth of all, twenty thousand whites in
the South equalled to forty thousand
whites in the Northern district; that is,
the Northern voter had half the power
OF the Southern voter. Now since your
slaves are free your whites of the
South want to come back into the On-
ion and get representation not on
three-fifths but on five-tifths of your
negro population. To this the North
objects If you, or any State or the
Union. shall restrict suffrage below the
manhood basis your representation
shall be reduced in the proportion that
such number so DISTINGUISHED snail
bear to the whole number of men be-
ing citizens of the United states ana
domiciled in the State.
Now, that is the substance of the
14th amendment so far as it relates to
this subject. Some of us urged that it
ought to have been accepted; but the
seeding States refused to accept 1T
and as a result the 18th amendment
was forced on them, prohibiting suf-
frage discrimination on account of
race. The 18th amendment has moth
ing to do with representation. That
question can arise only under the 14th
amendment. Now what says the Re-
publican platform? 1t declares that
enquiry should. be made to ascertain
il suffrage has been restricted by un-
CO.'S titutional laws, and if so. that rep
resentation shall be reduced as direct
ed by the Constitution of the United
States. Now the Constitution directs
that representation shall be reduced
Hhen a State shall restrict suffrage by
d constitutional law. That is by a law
which the State has a right to make
which right is expressly recognized by
the Constitution, that is the 14th
amendment. An unconstitutional law
is no law. 1t is void in law. The Re-
publican party has insisted that dis
ordinations in the amended ConSti-
buttons of certain States do violate the
18th amendment. Does it now pro-
pose to treat these amended and UNI
constitutional Constitutions as valid
and proceed to apportion representa-
ton upon them? Does it propose to
treat laws multiplying the 18th amend
ment as valid? And all the time say
ing that they are unconstitutional?
Certain Northern States, notably
Massachusetts and Rhole Island, have
abridged the suffrage to such an extent
that they are enjoying representation
to which they are not entitled under
the 14th amendment Their suffrage
laws do not discriminate against any
man on account of race; they are such
laws as the States are competent to
make and such as are within the in
| tendment of the 4th amendment 1t
| is said that the Republican platform