Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-02-24

eoua,,y viii myself there have been IN.
troduced into the constitutions OF ,"s
southern states clauses when are groupsu
under the general description or grand.
Snther clauscs.' and which are apparently
adapted 10 limit the operation OF the tour-
.eenth and fifteenth amendments
Mr. President. the people OF the Uniteu
States are willing apparently 10 hoid thelr
hands and 10 give godspeed 70 the peop'.
Of the south In working out the great
and difficult problem that Is before them:
~: sir. II q should como Into the mind
Dr. Sic people OF the United States that .he
protection Of the blacks. which was oe-
signed In these amendments. Is not peins
secured--if)it should come that the people
~ ths limited States are convinced that
An Justice and oppression are being visited
upon them, then the great reserve power
OF the national government to enforce IN
full the fourteenth and fifteenth amend
ments will be exercised and ought 70 De
exercised. So long as the people OF tne
eouth are working out their difficult PROB
lem in Kindness 10 the blacks. so long the
rest OF the country looks on with SYM
pathy and with good wishes
But II II shall ever come that the spirit
of lynching and pe0nage denies to those
poor people the protection that these
amendments Of the constitution were de-
signed to give to them then the reserve
power will be re-energiZed. That Is what
l meant bywhat said.
NV proposition Is that II the members
of the senate are to be elected at popular
elections the government or the Un,teu
States must retain the power TO MAKE
those elections honest and fair and free.
the power to say. II the regulations pre-
scribed by the state are not adequate 70
that end. that they shall be superseded
by regulations made by the congress OF
the United States. My proposition. FUR
Their. is that without that power accom-
pany wing this change In the method of the
election of senators. If the change be
made. the government Of the United States
has surrendered the power for Its own
and protection
Again did Senator Root put the Geor-
gia senator to flight when he laconical-
" answered another question pro-
pounded by Mr.. Bacon. The question
IF Mr.. Bacon and Mr.. Roots reply fol-
ow:
Mr.. Bacon-Mr. President. do unde:-
stand the senator from New York tc
mean that II the states have now upon
heir statute books laws which regulate
he suffrage in those states. SUCH as the
senator speaks of as the grandfather
clause" though that Is simply term
generic in its character which relates to a
general class of legislation-does the SEN
,tor mean, that. with the laws now upon
he statute books Of the several southern
states, II the proposed amendment of the
senator from Utah [Mr. Sutherland should
De adopted and we should pass the joint
'esolution to amend the constitution and
t should be ratified by thuee-fourths Of
he states. It would then be within the
power Of congress. II 1t conceived that
hese grandfather clauses. as they are
called. all the body of laws with refer
,nce TO the regulations and limitations of
he suffrage in the southern states-if con-
yress should conceive that they were I'M
Observation-Disclosures the senator mean that
n his opinion congress would have the
power under the amendment OF the SEN
ator from Utah to annul those provisions
Ind to make federal laws to control the
election of senators In such way as to
insure the right to vote to all persons
thought by congress to be entitled to vote?
Mr.. Root-Without the slightest doubt.
One of the afternoon papers stated
hat Mr.. Roots reply was 80 direct,
20 unequivocal. that Mr.. Bacon was
silent for minute" When Mr.. Bacon
recovered he said:
well. Mr.. President. It is we'll that
We are given this notice Of what the
senator does mean and of what the
sutherland amendment means" IA
To which MIR. Root replied:
II meant to put you on notice. and I
mean to put the whole country on no.
tice. II my words are able to do so"
Mr.. Roots speech has had the effect
Of lining up the colored men either
against the Borah resolution or putting
them on record as being pronouncedly
in favor 81 the Sutherland amend
ment. This amendment proposes ito
carry over to the new body Of cleo
tors" as Senator Root expressed it. the
same control which the present consti-
tuition attaches to the existing power
Of electors. s-"-
A prominent colored business man
and politician who comes from one of
the middle western states. where the
Negroes hold the balance Of power,
was heard to express his high approval
Of Senator Roofs position. 1.-THE col
ored voters IF the middle west" he
said, should at once take up the ques-
ton in earnest and petition their SEN
ators and representatives to stand by
the Sutherland amendment"
A remarkable feature of the debate
was the attitude taken by Senators
Rorah and Beveridge as to the Suther-
land amendment. Both Of these gen
tlemen expressed regret that the ques-
ton Of, Negro suffrage should be
brought into the debate Both of them
carefully avoided expressing them
selves on the Sutherland amendment.
Mr.. Beverage said: Il regret that
It was ever brought into the case.
am not without sympathy with the
senator's proposition. though do net
believe that am prepared to 20 ms
far as to say that would be willing
to preserve that power and lose the
main thing"
Mr.. Borah showed evident dissatis-
faction over the present turn Of the
debate when he said. 1.-The question Of
lynching and the question Of peonnge
can have no possible relation with this
subject in any way. shape or form.
and every one understands precisely
why they were brought into this de-