Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-05-24
LET SOUTHERN STATES UNITE
AGAINST THE BRLSTOW MENACE


have it appear that The Journal has criticised
the Bristow amendment because Congressman
Underwood supported it. That is just the reverse oil
the truth. We have criticised Congressman Under
wood because he supported the Bristow amendment
proposition that threatens to rob the individual
states of essential rights and, particularly to rob
the southern states of those protective suffrage laws
which they depend for their political integrity is
of vastly greater concern to our people than the for
tunes of any candidate. And any congressman that
lends his influence the furtherance of such scheme
is whether Willingly not, alaying himself against
the South's vital interests.
The Journal is no recent convert to this convic-
tion despite contrary assertion by the Macon Tele
graph and other organs of its ik. If the Teegraphs
memory were a little longer its partizanship bit
more scrupulous it would recall that over year
ago, long before Mr. Underwood remotely men
toned in presidential politics. The Journal protested
as emphatically as it could against just such an
amendment as that which has recently passed. and
which Congressman Underwood sanctioned. Not
once only. but time and again did point out the
perils Of taking the and method of electing
United States senators entirely out of the hands of
the individual states and Of aloting to Congress
exclusive authority in determining the qualifications
for suffrage in such elections. On February the
twelfth, 1911, the Journal said editorially:
What this tOouId mean to the South in
times Of heated politics may easily be sHrmised.
With large Republican majority in Congress
and t0ith bitterly contested senatorial election
in southern state, the protective measures of
negro Acknowledgement laos n1igh+ 0c
torcibIy oUerriden and our greSesSt oul,0drk for
pure ballots and good government swept to
ndught"
We went further and declared that the South
could better afford to reject entirely the plan for the
popular election of senators than to accept it at the
risk of losing its Acknowledgement laws and of facing
again the political bondage of Reconstruction days
Such our view long before Mr.. Underwood's par
ticular role in the Bristow amendment entered
the discussion and expressed it, as we have said,
not only once, but repeatedly.
So much for the record in the case. The import
ant consideration Of the present hour is that the
Southern states should stand stalwartly united
against the effort to thrust this dangerous plan
upon them.
However much may desire to see the popular
election of senators established the country over
i'll afford to sacrifice rights and principles that
involve own peoples welfare The Bristow
amendment is an inseparable part of the proposed
Constitutional change that is to be submitted to the
states for ratification. Under that amendment Con-
gress is specifically empowered to fix the qualihca-
ton Of voters, to supervise the elections and if it
wills, to enact force bill to lash the states into
submission.
Georgia, along with most Of the other southern
states has prescribed certain qualifications for sufs
age in order to safeguard itself against the corrupt
and ignorant negro vote n those qualifications did
not meet the approval Of a Republican majority in
Congress- they could be peremptory swept aside and
should refuse to acquiesce, Congress would then
be empowered, under the Bristow amendment to
place federal marshals or troops at our polls and
take complete charge of the election
1t is beside the point to say that this authority
would never be exercised in distasteful or
injurious to the South. The Baltimore Sun, news
paper distinguished for composure and conservatism
aptly remarks in this connection:
Some Of the gentlemen aoho votsd for the
resolution ioith the B:istow amendment said
they had no fear Congress l0ouId eUer make ann
attempt to take charge Of the elections. There
is no indication notO that it tofH do So But
It is neVer safe to confer poaee~ upon the theory
that it tofH not be employed" $3.50.
When this pernicious amendment was recently
before the House the Southern congressman voted
almost unit against it, Every member of the
Georgia delegation il is gratifying to note opposed
it. Mr. Underwood House leader, advocated it and
it was largely through his influence that it passed
AS matters now stand, therefore, the south's only
recourse is to join in determined fight against the
proposed change in the Constitution when it is sub
mitted it will be, to the state legislatures
for their approval rejection Let us, then realize
to the full the face and unite defeat n
this scheme that strikes at the very root of our
stability and freedom of government.
Would that the summer resorts only third
as attractive as their folders.
The president seems to think that the colonel
was friend Of the harvester if not of the farmer
The Cobb settled too soon to be made
an issue in the presidential primaries.
The times a woman gets married the more
surprised she is to find that it is different from what
she exnected.