Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-12-09
HOKE SMITH TO
LEAD FIGHT ON
MOSES PROPOSAL
The Atlanta Journal News Bureau,
623 Riggs Building.
BY THEODORE TILLER

WASHINGTON, D. C.-South-
ern members Of congress are gen.
timely concerned over the Moses
resolution, which seeks an investi-
cation of election laws and prac-
tees in the south and which is
generally regarded here as the fore
runner of a force BILL
Senator Hoke Smith, of Georgia,
a Democratic member of the judici-
ary committee, will have charge of
the campaign against this legisla-
lion, which means trouble for the
south if enacted, and seems to be
the beginning of an ugly fight which
the Republicans are planning to
make on the disfranchisement and
election laws necessary in the south
ern states.
Senator Nelson, chairman of the
judiciary committee, has selected
Senator Hoke Smith as the Demo
cratic member Of the subcommit-
tee to which the Moses resolution
will be referred. Southern senator's
also came to the Georgia senator
and asked him to be constantly on
guard against the resolution, Of
fered by Senator Moses, of New
Hampshire. Linked with the Moses
resolution, which leads us to force
bill" is a companion resolution Of
fered by Senator Curtis, Republican
of Kansas, to put into effect cloture
rule by a majority of the senate. The
present cloture rule reuires two
thirds. 1t was adopted in 1916, when
the Democrats controlled the senate,
and at shat time the senior Georgia
senator opposed majority rule, even
! Il
the matter, and finally got through
the two-thirds rule,
So far as the south is concerned,
the safety Of the two-thirds rule is
this: No force bill can be put
through the senate so long as it
| takes two-thirds to bring on cloture
and shut off debate. If mere ma
jority is authorized to shut off de-
bate, the Republicans might at any
| time put through a force bill or other
Objectionable legislation. There is
no danger of the adoption of the
| Moses resolution SO long as the
| two-thirds cloture stands. Senator
Smith will seek to have the Curtis
! Cloture resolution sent to the rules
committee, of which he is also a
member, just as he was Instrument
al in having the Moses resolution
sent to the judiciary committee.
| Senator Moses wanted his resolu-
ton sent to the committee on priv
| iIeges and elections. There are no
southern members on this committee,
unless Senator Ashurst, of Arizona,
may be classed as nearly southern.
| The Moses resolution directs that a
joint committee of congress be nam
| ed to investigate whether in any of
the states rights of voters are
abridged in violation of the four
teenth amendment to the constitu-
ton, and stipulates that if abridge-
ment is found the committee shall
report what legislation is needed to
| cut down representation of the Of
| Tending states in congress and the
| ELECTORAL college.
This is clearly an assault upon the
| election laws in the south, where the
race problem presents at all times a
! rather unusual and delicate situation,
Senator Moses, a Republican who
halls from New Hampshire, said in
a recent statement that Democrats
appeared excited over the Newberry
! election contest in Michigan, where
corruption has been charged against
Senator Newberry. He sarcastically
lntimated that southern members of
congress might look about their own
houses and find something needing
Investigation. Thereupon, he offered
| a resolution of investigation which
is aimed directly at the white pri-
maries and election laws of the
| south.
II such resolution could be put
through Republican senate by gag
| rule" it doubtless would be followed
by force bill. meaning federal in
reference with southern elections
and all that this implies. The
southern contingent in congress is
| thoroughly alive to the situation,
and Senator Smith and others re-
gard it as fortunate today that the
senate rules require two-thirds for
cloture, and would enable the south
ern senators to filibuster against
such obnoxious proposals as the
Moses and Curtis resolutions, which
| all believed fraught with danger for
| the south and her institutions. SEN
ator dIoke Smith, as a member of
the judiciary and rules committee,
| is in position to combat both the
Moses and Curtis resolutions. The
two together are particularly dis
| concerning to southern members.
Albert Visintainer now lives in
Mt. Carmel, Pa, but the United
States war department insists he is
buried in France, and has supplied
him with the correct" location, plot
and number of his grave.