The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-07-29
EQUAL SUFFRAGE
CAMPAIGN ISSUE
RANKS WITH LEAGUE OF Ma.
TIONS QUESTION.
Tennessee in Doubt.
Confusion as to Constitutionality of
Granting Vote BY
Amendment.

Granting Vote BY
Amendment.
Washington, July 24.-The two big
political issues which have evolved
| themselves out of the cloud of mi
asma and fog which the Republican
leaders have endeavored to cast over
the Democrats since the San Francis
co convention ended, as seen here by
| wise politicians, are the result of the
action of the Tennessee legislature
on suffrage and Governor Cox's
speeches over the country on the
league of nations as part of his presi-
Dental campaign. The Republican
plan of campaign has already settled
itself into one Of both elimination
and recrimination. Had Governor
Wilson he should have done so, ac
cording to G. 0. P. ideas, and now
that he did so he should not have
| done it.
At this time there are few other
issues which will come squarely be-
fore the people and the larger part of
the front porch speeches of candidate
Harding and the city to city speeches
of Governor Cox, will, if none other
come up for consideration, be largely
confined to these two issues.
| : Cox No Dodger.
In it's weekly yellow sheet issued
from Washington headquarters to-
day the Republican campaign man
ayers of Candidate Harding believe
they have hit the bulls eye when they
declare that Cox has surrendered to
Wilson and that he can not, as they
say, dodge the ISSUE If there is one
thing above all others which can
truthfully be said of the Ohio gover-l
nor, it is that he has never lodged an
issue-an important one-in his life.
In substantiation of this it is pointed;
out that his record during the war,
when the country was tied up in the.
grip of long cold billiards. and Srail-!!
road transportation had almost come;
to an end and coal shipments were
passing through Ohio, when the peo-;
pie of that state were nearly freezing,
he personally took hold of the situa-t
ton and stopped enough cars loaded,
with coal going to other places to
prevent further suffering among his
own people.
Another instance of personal cOur-
age on the part of Governor Cox is
shown in the floods of 1913. The
state of Ohio was covered with water
everywhere and it looked for time
as if that whole country would be
ruined and many thousands of per-
sons drowned. He again took hold
of the situation, got into communica-
tion with the outside world, in time
brought order out of chaos, relieved
untold suffering and saved many
lives.
Throws Light On Situation.
Those familiar with the suffrage
situation said today that it is entirely
unlikely that Tennessee will ratify
the suffrage amendment. They as
signed as their reasons the following:
I "The socalled amendment is not
an amendment but radical change,
such as John Marshall, in the Vir-
ginia constitutional convention, de-
clared could not be made under our
system. There is an intrinsic limit
to the power of an amendment, under
Article V of the constitution. A valid
amendment must be in harmony with
our system of government guarantee
ing certain reserved rights to the
states and the people-not .destruc-
tive of that system.
1t is pointed out that the United
States supreme court, in it's recent
decision on the prohibition case, de-
clared that the abolition of the liquor
traffic was within the amending
power" This clearly implied that
certain proposals are without the
amending power such as, for example,
an amendment abolishing the Repub-
lican form of government, or Great
ing a monarchy, or destroying the
states, or establishing form of re-
ligion or Matchmaking" women. The
suffrage qualifications, being fixed by
the state constitutions, as Madison
so clearly pointed OUT in The Federal
ist, and reserved to the states by the
federal constitution, are not alterable
by congress and state legislatures
under guise of federal amendment,
but among the powers distinctly ere
served" to the people both in the
state and federal constitutions.
Prohibition Different.
It is also shown that the prohibi-
tion cases were not at all in the same
class with the suffrage question, as
it goes to the foundation of our Re-
publican form of government. If the
question of who shall vote is deter
mined by those elected Chat is, if
congress and sc state legislatures
can decide who shall be eligible to
vote for congressman and legislators
the entire theory of a Republican
form of government is jeopardized.
A Democratic congress and sc legis-
latures could disfranchise all Repub-
lican voters by constitutional amend
ment. A Socialist congress and the
state legislators could disfranchise
every property holder in the country