Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-01-18

sachusetts and lndiana-the former with
l,22i 49, Inhabitants, the latter with
l,S2s,7l0. Massachusetts, has to-day
ten representatives on this floor and In
dinna has eleven, an exactly fair appor-
tionment But Massachusetts, has only
227, 42s voters, while Indiana has &c.,
S24, and therefore, on the new basis, If
Massachusetts, should retain her ten
representatives, Indiana would be al
lowed about fifteen, and if Indiana
should be confined to her eleven, Massa-
chusetts would be reduced to seven.
And might adduce many other cases
showing the gross inequalities of rep
resentation to which the proposed
amendment would subject the loyal
states.
Mr.. Stevens Will the gentleman ae,
low me TO ask him a question?
Mr.. Blaine. Certai"'--
MI 0V' ..ns. What is the cause of
this disparity of men and women in
Massachusetts and in the New England
States Is it not that the men go TO
the Western States as emigrants ?
Mr.. Blaine. suppose it is.
Mr.. Stevens. Very well; is not Mas
sachusetts represented there then
Mr.. Blaine Not according to some
harangues we hear in this House from
gentlemen representing that section on
the tariff, as my distinguished friend ..t."".,[. on
the committee Of ways and means
knows very well. They go there, be-
come identified with what they term
western interests, and am sorry to say
attack New England and New England
interests
Mr. GrinneN. Not all Of them.
Mr.. Blaine And there are other OBJ
jeCtionS, Mr.. Chairman, to the proposed
constitutional amendment. Basing rep
resentation on vOters-unless Congress
should be empowered to define their
qualihcations-would tend to cheaper
suffrage everywhere. There would be
an unseemly scramble in all the states
during each decade to increase by every
means the number of voters, and all
conservative restrictions, such as the re-
quirements Of reading and writing now
enforced in some Of the states, would be
stricken down in rash and reckless eff
fort to procure an enlarged representa-
tiOn in the national councils. Foreign
ers would be invited to vote on mere
preliminary declaration Of intention"
and the ballot which cannot be too sa-
crcdly guarded and which is the great
aad inestimable privilege of the Ameri-
can citizen would be demoraliZed and
disgraCed everywhere.
And the worst feature Of all is, that
there is no need whatever of precipitat-
ing the evils | have referred to. The
great end of depriving the South Of the
representation which is based on the
colored population until that popula-
ton is enfranchised, can be very readily
secured without accompanying it with
these offensive inequalities of represen-
tation among the loyal States. The
Constitution may be amended so as to
prevent the one evil without involving
the others of greater magnitude, and I
venture to express the belief that the
proposition submitted by me this morn
lag, and on my motion referred to the
committee on reconstruction, will, if
adopted, secure the desired result.
Let me briefly explain that proposition
The Constitution of the United States
article one, section two, clause three,
reads as follows to the first period:
Representatives and direct taxes
Shall be apportioned among the several
States which may be included within
this Union, according to their respect
i've numbers, which shall be determined
by (adding to the whole number of free
persons, including those bound to ser
vice fora term Of years, and including
Indians not taxed, three-fi fths of all
other pefsons.)"
The portion which have included in
parenthesis has become meaningless
and nugatory by the adoption of the
constitutional amendment, which abol-
1shes the distinction between "free per.
sons and all "other persons" and be-
ing thus dead letter might as well be
formally struck out; and in its stead l
propose to insert the words following
included in pasenthesis, so that the
clause as amended will read thus:
Representatives and direct taxes
shall be apportioned among the several
States which may be included within
this Union according to their respective
numbers, which shall be determined bv
| taking the whole number of persons
excepting those to whom civil or politi-
cal rights or privileges are denied or
abridged by the constitution or laws
Of any State on account of race or
color.)"
This is very simple and very direct
way, it seems to me, of reaching the re-
suit aimed at without embarrassment
to any other question or interest. 1t
leaves population as heretofore the ba-
SIS OF representation, does not disturb
in any manner the harmonious relations
Of the loyal States, and it conclusivelv
deprives the southern states of all rep
resentation in Congress on account Of
the colored population so long as those
states may choose to abridge or DENY to
That population the political rights and
privileges accorded to others. The adop-
tlonsof this amendment to the Federal
Constitution would, I venture to pre-
dict, 1ecure the right of suffrage to the
coloreo population throughout the
south Ia a very few years. And I doubt
II in any other MODE that right can
be secured so speedily. so certainly. and
so enduri0gly.
The MEXICAN QUEsrsoE.-The New
FF MI