The Colorado statesman., 1923-12-29
BY J. B. Gordon

A LABANIA recently enacted a law
~ which prohibits any American
citizen eligible for the presidency
from seeking support in Alabama un-
less he be a citizen of that state
Alabamas action is the logical out
growth of the system of disfranchise-
ment of American citizens which pre-
walls in every state of the Democratic
"Solid South,r in violation of the
United States Constitution and in de-
fiance of the principles of representa-
tive government. This constitutes the
most malignant cancer upon the Amer
lean body polite today.
1t began shortly after the southern
states were re-admitted into the Union
upon their promise to observe and obey
the American Constitution by their dis
franchising the Negro in defiance of
the 18th and 18th amendments. This
action was denounced by the Repub-
lican party. The right of the emanci-
pated Negro to the ballot was upheld
by the Republican party. The South
then proceeded to disfranchise white
Republicans IN southern states.
Now the malignant forces which it
turned loose threaten to turn upon the
Democratic party itself. Having used
the weapon of disfranchisement so
successfully upon southern Republic
ans, both black and white, Alabama
Democrats now employ it to budgeon
northern Democratic aspirants for the
presidential nomination.
Were the evils of this southern prac-
tice of disfranchisement confined to
the southern states and visited only
upon the heads of the Democratic par
ty. the rest of the country would not
be necessarily concerned, but such is
not the case.
The South claims and obtains rep
resentation in the United States House
Of REPRESENTATIVES on the basis of its
Negro and white Republican popula-
tion. But having used these for the
basis of obtaining seats in the House
of Representatives, southern Democ-
racy proceeds to refuse its Negro and
It's WIllLe INclJuDlltdli ,ltiSNh' '4iS
to go to the polls and vote for repre-
sentatives in Congress. Eighty mem
hers of the House of Representatives.
from the "Solid South" are holding
their seats because by shotgun pol
icy and by dishonest and fraudulent
elections the exercise of citizenship of
n majority of their communities is pro-
hibited 1t is a plain statement of
disreputable fact that there has not
been an honest free election in the
solid Democratic South for n quarter
of a century.
But the evil extends higher and fur
ther. A states vote in the electoral
college is based upon its representa-
ton in both branches of Congress. The
"Solid South" casts ia electoral votes
in every presidential election. Every
body knows that these votes are sure
to he cast for the Democratic nominee
regardless of who he is or for what he
stands. Everybody knows this is true
because honest elections and the free
exercise of the franchise is impossible
in any of the "Solid South states.
The Republican party starts into ev-
ery presidential campaign with han
dicap of ia votes to overcome before
it can "begin even" with the Democrat
ic party in a contest for the presiden-
CIV. There are certain states in the
North which are backgrounds every
presidential campaign. If the RepuD-
licans, after an intensive fight, sue
ceed in carrying New York, Indiana,