The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-07-29
drastic powers will ever be invoked

drastic powers will ever be invoked
is matter to be developed by the
unfolding of the future of our coun-
try, but the power is grated into the
constitution, and appears plainly in
End section Of the fourteenth amend
ment. which reads as follows: Rep
resentatives shall be apportioned
among the several States according
to their respective numbers, count
ing the whole number of persons in
each State. excluding Indians not
taxed. But when the right to vote
at an election for the choice of elec-
tors for president and vice president
of the United States. representatives
in congress, tine executive and ju-
dicial officers of State, or the men,
bers of the legislature thereof, is de-
MED to any of the male inhabitants
of such State, being 21 years of age,
and citizens of the United States, or
in any way abridged, except for par
ticipation in rebellion or other crime,
the basis of representation therein
shall be reduced in the proportion
which the number OF such male citi-
zens shall bear to the whole number
of male citizens 21 years Of age in
such State.' This grave enactment,
which is part of the organic law
of the Federal union, does not state
definitely what body is the judge or
when this apportionmenr or repre-
sentation can be changed, but we
would imply that the power is with
congress to say whether or not new
apportionment shall be made. In
fact, this matter has been definitely
settled that congress is the arbiter.
Even 80 great Democrat as Chief
Justice Fuller so declared in the case
of Mcpherson against Blocker, 146
U. S., page 80. Hence, then, we see
that it is the great congress, when it
sees fit, to say that this evil shall
come upon the South. Various views
are entertained on the matter.
Some say that this elimination is
kept off by the blood relationship Of
the white people of the union. This
is a potent argument and it may have
it's power and effect when the time
comes, but in the past We have found
that for political reasons white people
sometimes turn against white people.
Some claim that business prosperi-
ty and nearer commercial intercourse
will keep it off. Our experience is
that the purse strings are strong ties
to pull different sections together,
but that is only temporary when po-
litical considerations come into ac-
count.
Some cry aloud repeal the four
teenth and fifteenth amendments.
This is very good cry for the local
politician, who wishes to get the
votes Of his constituents for tempor-
ary purposes, but it will be a long
time, for many reasons, before these
two amendments under the cumber-
some machinery Of the constitution.
will ever be repealed, notwithstand-
ing our desire that it should be done,
and our conviction that they were
wrong in principle.
Some say let it come, but let us
keep our State qualified suffrage and
govern our own State affairs, even If
we have our congressional represen-
tation cut down. That would be a
very serious matter. OF all times in
the world in the near future Of this
republic, the South needs in congress
as many representatives and the best
representatives that she can get.
States rights, not as We under
stand it in it's limited narrow sense
of long ago, but as it stands today in
the light of more than century, and
as many and as true watchmen- on
the ramparts in Washington as we
can get. What can we do about this
matter? Very little perhaps-yet If
we would exercise common sense
little more and have the political
leaders of the State Democratic COM
mittee and the county committed to
urge upon our people the duty and
necessity of registration, not simply
in the Democratic clubs, but on the
county registration books, then when
we have general election for Unit
ed States senators and the United
States representatives it may appear
by the record that our representa-
tives are elected by decent. sub
stantial vote, and not by a measly
vote which reflects nothing. Here
tofore when the elections Of our rep
resentatiyes in congress were con-
tested, those who were called upon
to defend them were confronted with
the charge in congress that the gen
eral election returns showed on its