The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-09
Unwilling toAccept Fed
eral Control OverState
Elections.
WOULD PREFER
DEFEAT OF BILL,
Percy Declares That Measure
Providing Popular Election Of
Senator's Had Better Be
Voted Down Than Accept
the Obnoxious Suther-
land Amendment.


Washington. D. c., February S-Th4
South would prefer the defeat OF tho
resolution calling for the election or
the United states Senator'S by direct
vote of the people to its passage. II
amended as Senator Sutherland, OF
Utah. has proposed SO as to place con-
troll OF such elections in the hands OF
Congress. So declared Senator Percy. &
Of mississippi. III a speech ~ DAY
Mr.. Percy addressed himself ,xclu-
sively to the considern ton OF tile Saith
erland amendment Hc contende.l that
In the provision of the Constellation
giving Congress supervision over tho .
election of Senator'S tile powAr If c.,n- 3
troll Is only formal. II coul1 extend
only TO Legislatures, and not ,c tho
ordinary voter exercising his right OF
franchise in case Of popular election
OF Senator'S. AS it now stands. 1t is
an emergency power, to be ':sed by
Congress only In case OF he failure
oe Legislature to act
Yet" said the Mississippi Senator.
by the alchemy of scna iorial logic, 1t
has been TRANSMITTED into ore Of the
| chief bulwarks Of the government"
The acceptance OF the Sutherland H
amendment would Give the national
government Vital control over the
electors. and might he So employed az
70 result In the appointment of super
visors OF elections, which would be
most mos objcttionab bic, the Senator main
tanned. He declared that never ex-8
cept during the twcpty -tour years
from 1870 to 1897, when elAcsinn laws
were resorted to to protest thu .ne gro
vote In the Southern states. hal tho
national power OF supervision h,:en in (
voked In the mater IF ,na election
| OF members OF the House of Repreaen-s
| tativcs
| And he added, never In all mar
time was there a day when the general
welfare woIl1 not have been promoted
| ~ striking those laws from tn, stat
utes.''
prospcrity for both.
! Referring to the effort Of twenty
| years go to pass the force Jill. MIR.
| Percy declared that legislation along
the lines then CONTEMPLATED would have
resulted In chaos, whereas with tho
southern States laft u their own de-
vices Of government, there had been
continued prosperity for both whites
and blacks
IT believe" he said "tha: those dare
GAYS have gaze nsvct5 to return and
%ef we find wat.ant for apprehension
IN the threat 81 tie Senator from New
York tMr. Depa NJ thae Senators tot-
| lrg for the resolution would feel the
| result OF the nes:o vote liz the Quit
sul States. 1t Indicates a iesire 70
curry favor witt that vote and liz nav
afford sufficient Incentive 70 attc,npt
TO control elections
| While, however. he considered thnt
| the day WAS FAR distant whrn arr ro- Il
| liucai party would undertake - enacrE
Federal laws for the control OF State
| elections, nevertheless It was felt that
too much caution could not be exer-
clsed TakinS UP the Sutherland +
amendment, Mr.. Percy said:
| THE extension OF the E@edar,I ,.o,,a,S
rs contemplated by the Sutherland
amendment Is price greater than tha
South IS willing to pay for the right
or electing Senators BY direct vote,
INC aadit!on OF the amendment.
| therefore. would Inevitably resul; ~
the defeat of the resolution.
In conclusion, Mr. Percy declared
that the South recognized the futility
OF any attempt to repeal the fiftcontil
amendment to the Constitution, and said
that such course would never b.. IN
deftaken BY that section of TIE coun-
| try.
"nebeIllop" Stricken out.
VA. Wiashin ri p C February s..
ms the words War Of the Rebellion"
from one section OF the Moon Bill for
, ,hc yo o,inia'i Of laws relating to
words civil War" Southern members
pers of the House of Representatives
amplitied that work TO day by striking
out the objectionable word .'rebellion':
IN several other chapters and chang
ing the language either to civil War
or P 70 Inc forces and government or
reading OF the measure required.
The southern members also assisted
! Representative Butler. Of Pennsvl-
.;anla, IN securing an amendment to
| me Dill BY striking out the provision
mat voluntary residence OF any such
person In any place whore, ar anv5timc
during such residence, the rebel force
or organization held sway. Shall ho
prima fncic evidence that such person
did give aid and comfort TO said re-
! nnellion and to the persons engaged
This provision occurred hi this chap
ters relating to rules OF evidence BE-
fore the court OF claims These rules
require that persons prosecuting claims
prove their loyalty 70 the Union, and
that they gave no aid or comfort TO
the Confederate forces.
Mr.: Butler stated that Their, we're
many Quaker families and others who
resided in southeastern Pennsylvania
n the time when the Confedera te'4
Gettysburg. They objected to tile Ian -s,F{
suage In the law. which made 1t ap-
nehr thai n;t they were dlsioyal TO the
rcsidcncc came within the war zone
Amendment Adopted.
Representative Oils james. OF Ken
lucky, seconded Mr. Buffers amend
called out applause On yea and nay
to = 5g 10
.rhc House also adopted Ritter j
spirited fight an amendment offered
by Mr. Bartlett. OF Georgia removing. 4
the bar OF the statute OF limitations
from claims made against the govern-
ment for reimbursement for property
taken under the abandoned pronarty