Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-06-18
an American eitizenp Wby, then. coercc

Mr. president, 1t is my duty 10 call atCen-
tion to the peculiar and involved form of
expression adopted in this section. Instead
of excluding from the enumeration the
class TO whom the elective franchise Is de-
MED, which would be easily understood, it
is provided that "the basis OF representa-
ton in such States shall be reduced In the
proportion which the number of such male
citizens shall bear to the whole number of
male citizens not less than Fl years of age
In such States.' Why the abandonment of
that which is of plain meaning for that
which is involved and difficult? This meas
ure is to 20 to the people for their jddg-
ment, and should have been clothed in
plain. honest language. AS party plat
form, it may serve a purpose that the mean
ing is covered; but as part of the peoples
Constitution its Obscurity is a vice. One
needs to be mathematician to be sure that
he comprehends the full force of the prop
osition. But | will again venture the
opinion that it means as If 1t read thus:
No State shall be allowed representation
on colored population unless the right of
voting is given to the negrOes-presenting
tO the States the alternative of loss of rep
resentation or the enfranchlsement of the
negroes, and their political equality. In
Indiana there are many thousands of the
colored race, the. number having greatly
increased during the past five years because
the Constitution and laws of the State have
not been executed.
The policy of the State has been to dis
courage their immigration, and that policy
has been dictated by desire to protect the
white labor. The presence OF negroes in
large numbers tends to degrade and cheap
en- labor, and the people have been unwill-
ing that the white laborer shall be COM
PEELED to compete for employment with the
negro. To confer the right of voting is to
encourage their immigration into the State,
and to defeat what experience has shown
to be wise policy. Now, is that State to
be denied representation upon that popu-
lation because she will not make the negro
voter, while New York continues to hold
the four members in Congress 70 which she
Is entitled because of white population to
which she denies the right of voting! We
could not with patience agree to that. The
colored population of New England is SO
small that she is not perceptibly affected,
whether she allows or disalows to them the
elective franchise; ut in the agricultural
regions of the West and South they are
numbered by thousands and millions. and
10 many localities they are so numerous
that to give them the elective franchise is 10
throw public affairs into their hands. That's
Impossible, AID the adoption of the amend
Inent is to strip agriculture of its proper
voice and influence in Congress, and in the
election of President, and relatively to add
to the already swollen power OF New Eng
land. Were blow aimed at the represent
tation of Illinois, would not raise my arm
to avert it? And why, sir? Because it is
her right, under the compact OF the fathers,
and also because the interests of Indiana
and Illinois are Identical; they are both ag-
ricultural States. and the members of Con-
gress who guard and protect the rights and
Interests OF either State, cannot neglect
those Of the other. The same is true of all
the agricultural States of the West and
South. Discussing this question at an ear
lier day of the session, l had occasion TO
say:
THE States and country that rest upon
the Ohio aud Mississippi rivers and their
tributaries have a common interest. They
cannot cease to be agricultural States. The
plow must turn wealth up to the men of the
West"
"Shall we so permanently arrange the
representation OF the country that agricul-
'ture cannot hold up its head? Shall we so
permanently adjust representation as that
the spindle and the loom shall always be
more productive and honorable than the
plow and the harrow? Sir do not con-
sent to it; and without any reference TO
sectional feelings and sentiments, | ask for
the West simply equality in the legislation
of Congress"
"Now, Mr.. President, If it is right to
change the representation in the House of
Representatives, that is, to disturb the
foundations of the Government so as to re-
adjust representation, and as Senators claim
to make it equal and just, why is it not
equally right to disturb the representation
in the Senate? l know very well the reply
will be that the Constitution itselftorbids an
amendment of that instrument in respect
to the representation in the Senate; but, sir,
the power that made that provision can un-
make 1t; the power to amend the COnstitu-
tion can reach that very provision and
change the representation in the Senate. |
know it is said that representation in the
Sc ate is one of the federal features of the
Government; but that argument has lost its
force when we are taught in these latter
times that State rights are not to be respect
ed, and that all power is now in the Federal
Government. Suppose we undertake to
make representation in the Senate equal,
how would it stand?
"The six New England States, with
population of 3,l35,253, have twelve Sena.
tors in this body, while the six great agr-
cultural States of the West-Indiana, OHIO,
Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky and Missouri
have a population Of S,4l4,525, with rep
resentation Of twelve Senators. With
nearly three times the population of New
England, we have the same representation.
If those States have this advantage In this
body, is it fair to try and cut off the repre-
sentation of agriculture in the other emil of
this capitol? While Indiana has popula-
ton of 1850 42S, Rhode Island-a glorious,
gallant little State-has population OF
l74,620 SO far as representation in the
Senate is concerned, one man in Rhode ISL
and has voice and power in the legislation
of this country equal to eight men in Indi-
ana. Taking the entire New England
States, one man in New England has the
voice aud power inlegislation in the Senate
of nearly three men in the West Is that
right, is that just, when you are talking
about equality of representation lido not
want to change that feature in our Govern
ment. wish to stand by the State repre-
sentatiOn as our fathers established 1t. |
do not want to take any of the political
power from New England that our fathers
agreed she might haVe. l will stand bv
their representation as firmly as they will,
but do not like that they shall ask to re-
duce the representation In the West and
Southwest" QUO
Mr.. Pres dent, / am aware of the plausi-
BILE argument that by the results of the war
the slaves have been made free, and as the
Constitution now stands will all be count
ed, and thus by the rebellion the represen-
tation of the South, so tar as 1t rests upon
the colOred population, will be increased
tw0-tifths. Perhaps sufficient answer IA