The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1911-02-10
SEN. PERCYS
GREAT SPEECH
SETS FORTH POSITION OF SOUTH
ON AMENDMENT PROPOSED TO
ELECT sen. By POPULAR VOTE
PREFERS BILL DEFEATED

washington, D. c., Feb. 9-The
South would prefer the defeat Of the
resolution calling fir the election of
the United States Senators by direct
vote Of the people to its passage, if
amended as Senator Sutherland, of
Utah, has proposed, SO as to place
if Congress- So declared Senator
Percy OF Mississippi, i'll a speech yes
terday.
Mr.. Percy addressed himself exclu-
sively to the consideration of the
Switzerland amendment. He con-
tended that in the provision of the
Constitution giving Congress supervi-
sion over the election of Senators the
power of control is only formal. Il
could extend only to legislatures and
not to the ordinary voter, exercising
his right Of franchise in case Of
popular election of Senators. AS i
now stands it is an emergent power
to be used by Congress only in case
of the failure of a Legislature to act
eyes," said the Mississippi Sena-
tor ''by the alchemy, of Senatorial
logic it has been transmitted into one
of the chief bulwarks of the govern
ment."
The acceptance of the Sutherland
amendment would give the Nationa
Government a votal control over the
electors and might be so employed as
to result in the appoint tment Of super
visors Of elections, which would +
most Objectionable, the Senator main
tanned. He declared that never ex-
cept during the "a years from 1870
to 1894 when election laws were re-
sor.ed to to protect the negro vote
in the Southern States had the ma
tional power of supervision been in
voked in the matter of the election
of members Of the House Of
sentatives.
Never in all that time was there
day when the geenral welfare would
not have been prompted by striking
those laws from the statutes"
Referring to the effort of twenty
years ago to pass, the Force Bill, Mr..
Percy declared that legislation along
the lines then contemplated would
have resulted in chaos, whereas with
the Southern States left to their own
devices of government, there had been
continued prosperity for both whites
and blacks.
Il believe" he said, ''that those
dark days have gone never to return
and yet we find warrant for -appre-
hension in the threat of the Senator
from New York (Mr Depaw)
Senators voting for the resolution
would feel the result of the negro
vote in the doubtful States. It indi-
Gates desire to curry favor with
That vote and it may afford a sufi-
c1ent incentive to attempt to control
elections"
While, however, he considered that
the day was far distant when any
political party would undertake to en-
act Federal laws for the control of
State elections, nevertheless it was
1elt that too much caution could not
be exercised.
Taking up the Suthersand amend
ment, Mr.. Percy said:
The extension of the Federal pow
er as contemplated by the SUI
amendment, it is a price greater than
Ine South is willing to pay for the
rlgnt OF electing Senators by direc
vote"
The addition of the amendment
therefore, would inevitably result in
the defeat of the resolution.
In conclusion Mr.. Percy declare
mat the South recognized the f.
" any attempt to repeal the fiftec~
oinenument to the Constitution an
SAD hat such course wculd