The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1924-01-02
DIsFRANCHIsEMENT IN THE SOLID SOUTH"

Alabama recently enacted a law which prohibits any Ameri-
can citizen eligible for the Presidency from seeking support in
Alabama for presidential nomination unless he be a citizen of that
state.
Alabama's action is the logical outgrOwth of the system of
dsfranchisement of American citizens which prevails in every
state Of the Democratic Solid South" in violation of the United
States Constitution and in defiance of the principles of representa-
live government. This constitutes the most malignant cancer upon
the American body polite today.
1t began shortly after southern states were re-admitted into
the Union upon their promise to observe and obey the American
Constitution by their DISTINGUISHING the negro in defiance of the
l4th and 18th amendments. This action was denounced by the
Republican party. The right Of the emancpated 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 dlsfranchIsement so successfully upon southern Republicans,
both black and white, Alabama Democrats now employ it to
bIudgeon northern Democratic aspirants for the presidential nom
inatiOn.
confined to the southern states and visited only upon the heads
of the Democratic party, the rest of the country would not be
necessarily concerned, but such is not the case.
The South claims and obtains representation in the United
States House of Representatives on the basis of its negro and
white Republican population. But having used these for
the basis of obtaining seats in the House of Representatives,
southern Democracy proceeds to refuse it's negro and it's white
Republican citizens the right to go to the polls and vote for rep
resentatives in Congress. Eighty members of the House of Rep
resentatives from the "SOid South" are holding their seats be-
cause by shotgun" policy and by dishonest and fraudulent cleo
tiOns the exercise of citizenship of a majority of their communities
is prohibited. 1t is a plain statement of a disreputable fact that
there has not been an honest, free election in the solid Democratic
South for a quarter of a century.
But the evil extends higher and further. A states vote in
the electoral college is based upon its representation in both
branches of Congress. The Solid South" casts ia electoral
votes in every presidential election. Everybody knows that these
votes are sure to be 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 every presidential campaign
with a handicap of ia votes to overcome before it can begin even
with the Democratic party in a contest for the Presidency. There
are certain states in the North which are backgrounds every
presidential campaign. If the Republicans, after an intensive fight
succeed in carrying New York, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Nebras
ka and West Virginia they have succeeded in carrying only enough
states to balance the ia electoral votes from the solid South
and they must then go out and beat the Democratic party in thu
remaining northern states.
Or, to put it another way: Democratic disfranchisement O.
Republican voters gives to the Solid South" in every presidential
election, without any contest whatever, a sufficient number O
electoral votes to wipe out the electoral votes of the Republican
states of Pennsylvania Massachusetts, Maine, Illinois, Iowa ant
Kansas.
The Democratic Solid South" attempts to Justify its de
fiance of the Constitution, it's Acknowledgement of American cit
zens, its undermining of representative government, it's pollution
of elections, upon the ground that its action is necessary in orde
TO have a white mans government. If that be true then
should be limited in its representation in the House of Represer
tatves and in the electoral college to the number of white men
the South who govern. That would give the South a white man
government" in exact proportion to the white mans governmer
in the rest of the country.