The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-03
The constitutional Amendment Cheat

The COnstituttOnal Amendment Cheat.
From the W-ortd
representation in Congress on the basis OF suf-
frage. each State NAV choose for iselt, the
condition of Southern res Grafton "-Reraid.
'Shall the voters Of the North have equal rights
with the voters OF the SouthY'-ITtbHne.
The Herald asserts that on the passage Of the
Constitutional amendment the Rump Congress
win cease to deny to Southern SCaJes all right of
representation in Congress, but will promptly
give them an abridged representation.
The Constitutional amendment can never
pass, as we have conclusvelv shown. The Rump
Congress took good care to frame one which
could never pass; and they explicitly refused to
promise even a reduced representation to the
South in case it were passed. All the leading
radicals (and no man will to-day deny that they
entirely rule their party have openly asserted
that they will not admit the South even
on that condition. The idea advanced TO help
the radicals the fall elections that, ii the Con-
stltuuonal amendment be PASSED, the country
will tten compel the Rump TO admit southern
members mas turned some political weather.
cocks. 1t is absurd, for the radicals will then
Tor two years be out of the range OF such com
pulsion; they Will have been elected to the
Forteth Congress; they will cOnslder their
reelection an Endorsement OF the course OF the
Thlrty-ninth, which refused TO pledge repre-
sentallon upon the passage of the amendment;
they Will then make impartial suffrage" Il. e.,
keep the Southern members out of the Forty
| first Congress, and the Southern votes for Pres-
| dent in 1865 from being counted
Congress has no plan of restoration. The pre-
| tence that it has, is cheat, swIndle, and q
! lie. If 1t had plan 1t would not be voted for,
| since there can be but one Just plan-equa repre-
| sentatlon on the basis OF population according
| to the Constitution.
Utterly without security, utterly without
ground of hope, that the Rump will admit the
| Southern STATES to representation on consenting
to have IL abridged, there are, nevertheless
many intelligent men who think there is fair
ness IN The proposed abrldgment OF the South
ern representation. They deem the Constitu-
tIonal amendment '1alr and impartiap under
the false idea that it proceeds on suffrage in
stead of population as the basis OF representa-
| ton.
The radical speakers, addresses, and news
| papers so represent the amendment; falsely.
| Says the Tribune
Now that slavery is abolished, the three.ffths
rule nas of course 10 cease, and the appOrlonmenJ
has either to be mace upon the voting (whitel popu-
| latiOn as the Congressional amendment provides,
or upon the total population, as will be the case if
| the amendment Is rejected and the johnson party
| have a majority in the next Congress.
"Shall he voters of the North have equal rights
| with the voters OF the SouthW
There is the false idea studiously put forth
| that the Constitutional amendment establishes
suffrage instead OF population as the basis OF
| representation.
The fact is, the amendment does not change
at ali the present rule OF population as the basis
| OF representation (as well as taXaton) Tor the
| whole country. II Is cunningly framed to have
the appearance OF changing the basis of repre-
sentaton from population to suffrage, yet in
| reality not to change II, but only to cheat the
Southern States out OF some fifteen or twenty
members of Congress. Here is the proof. Sec
ton OF the proposed amendment begins by
declaring that Representatives shall be appor-
toned among the several States according to
thelr respective numbers. counting the Whole
number OF persons in each state, including ex-
dians cot taXed,D
That is the old, the wise, the Just apportion-
ment OF the Constitution; taxation and repre-
sentation equal, and both based ON population
But then follows, in the same section 2, a provi
sion framed with devilish ingenuity so as Il
strike out from population and the basis 0
representation three or four million Southern
blacks unless they are allowed to VOTE Retain
ing population as the basis of representation, i
Is cUnningly contrived so as not TO enumerat
the three or four millions of non-voting South
ern blacks in the Southern basis OF representa-
: ton, while yet enumerating the two or thre
millions OF non-voting aliens in the Northern
and Western States in the Northern basis O
representation. The amendment only provide
for a reduction of the basis of representation
where citizens are not allowed to vote, leavin
non-votng aleus still TO be counted. But b
: the first section of the amendment negroes ar
1 made citizens of the United States and of tn
| State wherein they reside Thus, we repea
e this so "fair, this so impartial" amendmen
| for "apportloning representation on the voln
s (White) population" is in TACT only an artfu
4 | speclCus, ana cTculIous tlck lo sulkS ouI VI
s Southern black population (unless allowed I
v vote) from the basis of representation whlc
o everywhere else is lett to prevail .. e. popul
ton voting and non-yoting,
= But the 1Tabunes pretense that the amend
l. ment bases representation upon the votln
n (whte) population, instead OF the total popul'
tion, Is still more egregious, still more fali
o than we have yet shown.
$ Onehalf the white population of MARYLAND al
# disfranchised by despotic Registration ac
3 More than one-half the white population OF Mi
v souri, are dislranchised by similar contr
4 vance which excludes, too, zone of Sherman