Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-05-21
a PERIL TO THE SOUTH.

has carried her belief into practical effect The
Democratic primary, as known in the Southern
states is equivalent election and it is through
such primaries that their senators are chosen, by
direct vote of the people, The state legislature sim
ply attests and ratihes the preference declared at
the polls So far then as this section is concerned
there is nothing to be gained by She proposed Con-
stitutiona amendment empowering the people them
selves to name their national senator's for, we al
ready enjoy whatever good there is in such plan;
we have already adopted the principle itself
1t therefore behooves our people to scrutinize and
weigh carefully the particular amendment that Con-
gress has recently sanctioned to ask what 1t would
add to the rights they already possess and t0hdt 1t
loouId take dtody Unless willing to sacrifice
the sovereignty states in local government I'M
less we are willing to blot out those protective suf-
frage laws that stand between and debasing ne
gro vote and ready to turn over our ballot boxes
to federal marshals and possibly to federal troops
we shall never lend approval to such scheme
as was rammed through Congress last week with the
connvance and, indeed, the active support of Mr. I'm
derwood of Alabama.
For the South at least the distinctive feature of
this proposition is not that it provides for the cleo
ton of senators by direct vote of the people, but
that it robs the individual states of their right to
say how these elections shall be held and what the
qualifications for suffrage shall be- That is the
clear intent and viii be the inevitable erect OF the
so-caled Brstow amendment.
Congressman Bristow is a Republican. He halls
from Kansas, a splendid state But the congressman
numbers among his particular constituents consid
cradle negro following and they insisted upon him
doing everything he could to amend the main resolu
ton in such way that Congress- and not the states
could control senatorial elections They insisted that
the plan be so designed that Republican majority in
Congress, instead of a Democratic majority in the
ifoo-
TONS In short, they wanted lever with which, in
due time, they could pry up the disfranchisement
laws more properly called pure election laws which
the South, confronted it is with peculiar peris
has adopted. Congressman Bristow acquiesced He
introduced the amendment, demanded by his negro
constituents, and with the assistance of Mr. Under
wood he succeeded in pressing it through. w
That is the proposition the Southern states will
be asked to indorse. That is the scheme which,
thanks to Mr.. Underwoods magnificent fealty to
Southern interests and ideals to have foisted
upon us unless we bestir ourselves and act in our
common defense.
We cannot support that part of the proposed
amendment which calls for the popular election of
senators without also accepting the Bristow amend
ment under which Congress could fix the qualifca
tions of and if need be- enact force bill to
fog the Southern states into submission. Since this
section has, as have shown, all the advantages Of
the popular election plan, why should it bring upon
itself all the evils which the Bristow amendment
holds in store?
Such a proposition is unjust to all the states of
the Union to the southern states, it is dangerously
So A senator is his commemorative special repre-
sentative in Congress- In certain sense, he is the
states ambassador to Washington. The state should
therefore be given sway in its manner of choosing
him and not hampered by federal interference. There
is an essential difference between the proposal,
the hand that each state elect Its senators by
direct vote of the people and the other that the
federal instead of the state government shall have
power to supervise such elections. It is just this
that arms the Bristow amendment with peculiar
menace to the Southern states.
Suppose for instance, that the people of Georgia
adopted for senatorial election certain rules
quirements which they considered necessary for
honest and intelligent voting Suppose they applied
they undoubtedly would the socalled disfranchise
ment law the senatorial election. this did not
meet the approval of Republican majority in Con-
gress, it is not only possible but altogether likely
that we should be ordered to dispense with our own
regulations and, if we refused to do so, Congress
would unquestonably be authorized under-t the Bris
tow amendment to place federal marshas and troops
around our polls to force into obedience Are we
ready to invite such evils into midst, ready to
summon back the tyranny and the blackness of Re-
construction days? The Macon News apty declares
in this connection.
''The door tC0UId more be opened to
gro domination i0heReUer eTgencieS should arise
that 11ouEd suggest the temptation to the
lions that prepOnderdte to use this pOtoer.
We hare seen enough to redIize that 10hen the
spirit of politics is aroused and prompted by
dUdrice and greed i0hether of money or pot0er,
the Dominant elements i0iH stop at nothing.
The South has already had bitter experience
of this nature and, if the lesson IS properly eSti-
mated, she i0iH take no chances for repetition
of it,"
When this matter was before the House, Congress
Bartlett, of Georgia, offered an amendment pro-
viding that Congress should not have the power to
fix the qualifications of voters within the various
states the authority to federal marshals or
troops the polls Almost every southern Congress-
voted for this with >the notable exception of
Mr. Underwood. He voted against it. He voted with
Mr. Bristow and in favor of the plan which the Kan