Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-02-07

Monday, January 8, 1866, on his PROPOSE
ton to amend the Constitution t0ith respect
the Basis of Representations IN Congress.
The House in Committee of the Whole on the statI
of the Union
Mr.. BLAINE said: g..
Mr.. Chairman: Since the beginning
of the present session we have had sever
al propositions to amend the Fedora
Constitution with respect to the basis o.
representation in Congress. These prop
ositions have differed somewhat in phrase
but they all embrace substantially the
one idea of making suffrage instead oi
population the basis of apportioning Rep
resentatives or, in other words, to give
to the States in future a representation
proportioned to their voters instead of
their inhabitants.
The effect contemplated and intended
by this change is perfectly well under
stood, and on all hands avowed. 1t Is to
deprive the lately rebellious States of the
unfair advantage of large representa-
ton in this House, based on their colored
population, so long as that population
shall be denied political rights by the
legislation of those States. The proposed
constitutional amendment would simply
say to those States, while you refuse to
enfranchise your colored population you
shall have no representation based on
their numbers; but admit them to civil
and political rights and they shall at once
be counted to your advantage in the ap-
portionment of Representatives.
The direct object thus aimed at, as it
respects the rebellious States, has been
so generally approved, that little thought
seems to have been given to the inciden-
tai evils which the proposed constitution
al amendment would inhIct on a large
portion of the loyal States-evils, in my
Judgment, so serious and alarming as to
lead me to oppose the amendment in any
form in which it has yet been presented.
As an abstract proposition no one will
deny that population is the true basis of
representation; for women, children and
other non-voting classes may have as VI
tai an interest in the legislation of the
country as those who actually deposit the
ballot. Indeed, the very amendment we
are discussing implies that population is
the true basis, inasmuch as the exclusion
of the black people of the South from
political rights has suggested this indi-
rectly coerciVe mode of securing them
their rights. Were the negroes to be en- |
throughout the South to-day,
no one would insist upon the adoption |
of this amendment and yet if the |
shall be incorp grated IL the |
Federal Constitution its incidental evils |
will abide in the loyal States long after !
the direct evil which it aims to cure may /
have been eradicated in the Southern /
States.
If voters instead of population shall /
be made the basis of representation certain
results will follow, not fully apprehended
perhaps By some who are now urgent for
he change. l will confne my examina-
ion of. these results to the nineteen
rec States whose statistics are presented
n the census of 1860; and the very rad
cal change which the new basis would
produce among and between those States
orms the ground of my opposition to it.
The ratio of voters to population differs
-ery widely in different sections, varying
n the States referred to from a minimum
# nineteen per cent. to a maximum of fifty
ight per cent, and the change which
Fould thus be wrought in the relative
representations of certain States would
,e monstrous. For example, California
ldS u DODuldblOu VI OOCy1lOy anu
nont 3l4,369 and each has three Repre-
on the floor of this House to-
ay. But California has 207, 900 voters
nd Vermont has 81, ,000I Assuming Yo- {
ers as the base of apportionment, and
flowing Vermont three Representatives, I
would be entitled to eight. The 6
reat State of Ohio, with nearly seven /
ines the population of California, would s
ave but little more than two and half 7
mes the numer of Representatives; and t
lew York, with quite eleven times the I
opulation of California, would have, in t
ne new style of apportionment, less than I
We times as many members of this I
louise. California, it may be said, pre-
,nts an extreme case, but no more than ]
i'll continually occur for the next CEN
Try under the stimulus to the emigra- a
on of young voters from the older States Il
the inviting fields of the Mississippi r
llley and the Pacific slope. n
But cases less extreme than California p
i'll present quite as clearly the injurious "
orking of the proposed change. Take d
70 States-one in the east and one in G
Ie west-not greatly differing in aggre- II
tie population for example, Massachu- b
It's and Indiana-the former with l. "
Il ,432 inhabitants, the latter with L. ,31S,- ts
o. Massachusetts, has only 227 ,429 vo- m
rs, while Indiana has 3l6, ,S24, and there el
re, on the new basis, if Massachusetts,
ould retain her ten Representatives, II
diana would be allowed about fifteen (; ot
d if Indiana should be confined to her &C
sYen, Massachusetts, would be reduced an
seven. And / might adduce many w
her instances showing the gross inc ar
alities of representation to which the er
opposed amendment would subject the pc
yal States. or
Mr.. Stevens. Will the gentleman al m
Y me to ask him question?
Mr.. Blaine. Certainly. an
Mr.. Stephens. What is the cause of as
is disparity of men and women in w
and in the New England lie
ties Is it not that the men 90 to the
estern States as emigrants oil
Mr.. Blaine. suppose it is. tn
Mr.. Stephens. Very well; is not Mas wi
.husetts represented there then? pc
Mr.. Blaine. Not according to some nu
rangues we hear in this House repre- dil
lting that section, on the tariff, as my fra
friend on the Committee Of in
AVS and Means knows very well. They
there, become identified with what tn
~ call Western interests, and, / am
~ to say, come back here and attack tat
W England and New England inter- an
5. inc
dr. Grinneh. Not all of them. tn
dr. Blaine. And three are other OBJ teC
tions, Mr.. Chairman, TO the proposed ha
lstitutional amendment. Basing rep Sta