The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-09-19
SHALL THE PEOPLE RULE
AS IT APPLIES TO The SOUTH

lhe Democratic party comes d. fore IN.
people this year with This vital question.
shall the people ruiz which mas be. n
variously answered by the national can
diihtes Oi the two great political parties
OF the country. But there Is one pha-a
oi the qut stion which they seem To have
overlooked. namely. it- bearing ON the
political Iuture of the south. and Il IL to
thi- asp ct OF the suri go thnt wish 70
'au Tie attention. uf every Southern
voter Shall th- pes p'e { The south rule
Ia regard % their uWn S.afpS rights. or
shall they be ruled Toy u Rspull.can Con
gress hostile 10 ali their best interests
Some years ago the State Of Virginia. a.
well as other southern states. adopted "A
uew constitution designed To protect its
90 fle from the abuse Of the elective
ma -chise, aud which did hot conflict
with the provisions of the federal con-
-utuiiou- Tne Republican party. how
ever, strongly iutim6tee Ia lts national
pia iorm aid in the sherman notfica-
Il n ~. ech delivered by senator Bur
ro~-- az Michigan, VII, Isl "A we'll known
htpuhncau leader, that those Southern
constitutions do not conform To the r..
quirements oi that % the United States
Plank : Of the Republican platform asks
ipr the 'eniOf e. meut a. the l3fh.Itth and
10Th amendments IN letter auu iusprit ''
senator Burrows SAYS "it rs true that
the Republican committee of the House
ui Representatives, reported the measure
providing TOR the publication az all cam
paisn expenses incurred in The course of
nn election and such measure was con
sidered 10y the Eouse. In the course of
It's consideration an amendment was
added which required "a member of Con
Rres- 10 Me statement showing TO what
extent the lawful voters OF his district
were restricted In the exercise of their
franchise and the methods employed To
accomplish such results. Ana thus
amended the measure PASSED the House.
aud thia measure would have become a
law, but for the opposition Of the Demo-
cratic members of the SENATE. eommitte,
on privileges ana elections" Senator
burrows further says 1t Was believed
then and IL believed now that the pre-
vention of lawful voters from exercising
the right oi suffrage l. quite az pernicious
and ~ destructive OF irec government as
the Use OF money Ia elections"
lhe foregoing utterAncps OF the SEN
ator from Michigan are but thinly veiled
attacks upon the registration and el.c-
ton laws oi tho South, which. when
coupled with the threatening seventh
plank OF the Republican platform. be
come very significant plAUk seventh 81
The Republican platform saws. bv infer.
ference, that the 18th, l4th and 10Th
amendments are now uneLiorced. Does
senator Burrows believe that in IN,
South mon have been deprived OF their
suffrage without due process of law Does
he believe that lawful voters are prevent.
ed from exercising their iranchise2 Were
his remarks made in good faith? The
ldth amendment Is prohibition OF
slAvery, and no discussion ~ il i neces.
sary. The 10Th. ia substance. declares
that race, color or previous condition OF
servitude shall not disqualily "A voter.
This Is, oi course, provided for In the
virginia Constitution. Non-complianee
with the requirements oi the 14th
amendment however will be the basis o,
Republican attacks ON the Southern
Constitutions. The second section of the
lfth amendment says when the right 10
vote in any election Il denied to nny
male citizen-o of legal age or in any way
abridged, except Tor crime, the basis All
approximation shall be reduced In Dro.
portion, etc. The seventh plank ot
the Republican platform is, there.
therefore, threat to reduce Southern
approximation IN event Oi "a national
etory iOr that party in the forthcoming
election, and such reduction when made
a. II certainly will be il a Republican
president and Congress are elected this
autumn, would reduce the Democratic
membership Of the House sufficiently to
give the Republicans absolute aud per
petual control of that body A rednc.
ton OF Southern representation in Con.
gress also means IA prOportionate re.
duotiOn in the college of electors. for The
Federal Constitution provides that the
number OF electors from any State ehRl
be the same as the total number OF Repre
tatives and Senators of such State.
Thus ii reduction Ia southern represen.
tatiOn would cause "a CORES pOndinR re-.
ductiOn in the number OF electors from
the Southern States. Aud such reduc.
ton Of electors would necessarily entail
the absolute loss OF political prestige IN
the South. Therefore, a Republican na-
tionel victory at this time, when their
Influence, In the North aud West. seems
To be on the wane. would forever elimi-
nate the South rs "a political factor ia
future presidential elections. faRepub.
lican Congress should reduce the number
Of electors from the south sufficiently
they would be able, 10 spite Of the loss of
cOAlt VI AAit OAhAtN VI lIt NOIIU Hnu
West. to win every national election and
thus make their power perpetual. Are
the people Of the South willing that all
the efforts made by the trainers OF their
constitutions 20 purify the elections
shall have been made In vain? Are they
willing 70 amend their constitutions in
the interests Of ignorance and corrup
ton, or submit To reduction of their
representatives In Congress in order to
keep the Republican party in undisputed
control OF all the departments OF the ma
tional government
'Shall the people rule The people
ruled in Virginia and IN other Southern
States when they, through their Repre-
sentatives, adopted these constitutions,
80 dlstasteiul To the Republican senator
from Michigan and other leaders of that
party But remember the question asked
by the Democracy is not did abe people
rule at some time in the past But TINS all
important question Is in the future,
shall the people ruler aud must be de-
cided by the American people a. a whole.
Let the people Of the Xoath decide Il by
electing William J. Bryan president. aud
solid Democratic delegations to congress,
which with the cooperation of the rest
OF the country will assure Democratic
majority In the House OF Representatives,
and prevent the threa tened reduction OF
southern representation and constituent