The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-02-15

| injection Of the race question into the
hitherto comparatively commonplace
| discussion, in the Senate, Of the reso-
luton providing for the election OF
Senators by direct vote, Senator Root,
of New York, and Senator Bacon, Of
Georgia, today lifted that controversy
to a plane of almost sensational in
terest.
The incident, arose in connection
with extended remarks made by Sen
ator Root, in opposition to the Borah
resolution. The New Yorker said
that the National Government could
not afford to barter away the privil-
eye OF supervising Senatorial elections
| in the South if the need should arise
for such supervision. Also, in speak
ing Of the Observance Of the four
teenth and fifteenth amendments to
the Constitution, he said that from
time 10 time things happen" in the
Southern States which should not be
| permitted by the States, and which
should te corrected, if not by the
States themselves, then by the Nation
al Government Later he took oc-
casion to emphasize this statement.
When list made the declaration
caused a visible stir on the Demo-
cratic side of the chamber and the
! cealircr o-.,S iptoCetGol -. a.. ..-.--.,
ton. 1t became manifest at once that
ii anything was lacking to insure op-
position it had been supplied 10y Root.
Senator Borah, VINO has charge Of
the message, charged that the race
question had been dragged into he
case for the purpose Of alternating the
minority.
When Mr.. Root concluded his
speech about 5 o'clock, he left the
chamber Mr.. Bacon immediately ex-
pressed a desire for specifications re-
garding the things that the New York
Senator had said happened" and
which ought to be prevented, but the
| demand did not reach Mr.. Root un-
til after Senator Bacon had made a
feeling reply to the New York Sena-
tors speech.
| Just before 6 o'clock Mr.. Bacon re-
viVed the Southern question. Repeat
ing the remarks Of the New Yorker.
Mr.. Bacon addressed himself directly
to Mr. Root and asked: What are
the things to which the Senator re-
fers?"
Mr.. Root, IL response, said that lie
! had had reference to the voluntary
surrender by the Government of the
! power to enforce the protection of the
suffrage privileges Of the Southern ne
gro. Facing Mr.. Bacon and speaking
with great delibcration, Mr.. Root cnu-
nerated the peOnage system, the
| lynching Of negroes and the disCran-
chising provisions, such as the grand
ia hers clause in the Constitution Of
many OF the Southern States as some
Of the things calculated to deprive
the black man OF that equal protection
which the Constitution guarantees.
The people Of the United States
are willing to fold their hands and
wish the Southern people God-speed
! in working out their delicate prob
| lem, SO long as they do so in kind
| ness; but if there should be such op-
| preston as to call for the exercise Of
the power Of the United States to en-
| force the amendment, that power
should be used, and it ought to be-"
he said:
Mr.. Bacon replied that such ques-
ton as lynching and peonage were no
wise cognate to the subject under dis
cussion. He accounted for lynching
| on the ground of severe provocation,
which he said deprived men of their
| reason and made demons Of them. He
| found one cause for them in the spar
sity of population and, to show that
| this crime is confined to no particu-
lar part of the South, showed that
there had been a lynching in New
York, in which the victim was burned
| to death. AS for the charge of peo-
| mage, he declared that there was no
| practice in the South worthy of that
| name.
indicating doubt as to Mr.. Root
having had such offences in mind,
Mr.. Bacon said he was sure the New
Yorker was really inveighing against
supposed offences against the fran
chiSe.
"Perfectly," responded Mr.. Root.
! Then he added: IF the Constitution
should be SO amended as 20 provide