The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-08
MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 1860.
A Radical yet Needed Change Northern
and Southern REPRESENTATION.

ONE oil Jne PROVISIONS OF Gne DILL recenCy lu-
troduced by General SCHENCK, and of whose
passage there is said to be but little doubt,
amends the Constitution so as to procure the
appointment of representatives in accordance
with the number of voters, and not of inhabi-
tants as the present law reads. The change
to be thus effected in our whole political sys-
tenn is a most radical one, and should receive
the calmest and most thorough investigation
before any decision is arrived at In the re-
suits it will produce, 1T could only be exceeded
in Importance by the adoption Of property
qualification for suffrage, and far more sweep
ing than any such action could be. 1t is, in
fact, the only door through which the Gene
raj Government can interfere with the right
OF citizenship; and even in this instance, its
agency 6is rather secondary than final in its
results, although not the less powerful because
of It's being indirect.
The original drafters OF the Constitution
were particularly care full to leave to each
State the right of prescribing what should
qualify voter within its limits That the
States have availed themselves of this priVi-
lege is testified by the diversity of qualifca-
tions. In Massachusetts the term OF years
needed before naturalization is much longer
than in some OF the new Western States,
while in New York negro must have six
hundred dollars worth of property before he
can vete while here no wealth can secure HIM
suffrage. Other equally distinct differences
exist, each State availing itself Of its priv
lege, and prescribing who shall be its clti-
zens. While, therefore, Congress cannot say
who shall vote, it can, however, so apporton
the representation as to exclude large num-
ber of residents from being counted in the
apportonment. The present law as it exists
allows one representative for every $4,000
fee residents, while in the South three-ffths
OF the slaves were added. Since the proclama-
ton of freedom, and the adoption Of the
constitutional amendment forever abolishing
slavery, the South have gained two-fifths more
influence than they had in the days when
human servitude was their cornerstone
Thus, formerly it would have taken 100000
blacks to secure one representative, while
now $4,000 are entitled 20 one, although
not one vote can be cast by the whole
number who are represented. According to
the census of 1850, the Southern States were
entitled to eighty four members OF Congress.
These eighty-four members represented about
eight million whites, and three flfths Of four
millions Of slaves, or two million four hun
dIed thousand slaves. Now the white popu-
lation, at $4,000 to each representative would
have been entitled to sixty-seven members the
remaining seventeen being secured under the
constitutional law. At the present tune, in
place Of 2,4OO,OOO blacks being counted, there
will be 100000 who will be represented by
thirty members in the lower House, or they
will thus gain thirteen more members, or a
number equal to the whole influence of Maine
New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island
combined. The additional power thus secured
is theirs without extending to the blacks a
single vote, or giving them willingly single
additional privilege. In fact, 1.-THE North, in
a flush of gratitude, has forced upon the
South thirteen more members of Congress- as
a reward of their rebellion. The fruit of their
treason is this acquisition of power, and,
should they be readmitted, we would have
ninety seven Southern to one hundred and
forty-two Northern representatives, ora popu-
lation numbering but 100000 whites has
nearly as much power as one including 2,200,
600. This is gross and fragrant violation OF
the fundamental doctrine Of republican Gov
ernment, a repetition of the old trucking syco-
phancy which we had hoped the war had sue
Cessfully obliterated, a crying injustice to
the Northern voter, and system whcih can
not but promote ill-feeling between the Sec
tions, and endangerour national life.
The only feasible remedy is that suggested
in the Reconstruction Committee, and which
General SCHENcK says has the approval of
the President. The national authorities have
no right to extend to the blacks the privilege
Of suffrage, as that is specially reserved ior
the local powers; but they can decide on the
elective apportlonment of the House. The
measure advocated is to limit the apportion-
ment to voters, and not to residents To say
that every $4,000 voters, and not $4,000 in
habitants shall constitute a Congressional
district, and thus cut off all minors, women
and blacks from having an influence in Con-
gress which they cannot themselves exert
By this means only such Southerners as shall
be pardoned citizens of the United States
would be counted In the enumeration, and
all blacks and traitors be excluded until they
were admitted to the right of suffrage This
would act as an inducement to the whites to
extend the privilege to the freedmen in order
to secure additional representatives and would