The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-12-12

rected simply to the suppression Of tn
expression OF the votes OF q particula
class OF voters.
| Mr.. President, II / understood the cor
temporaneous debates Of that day the OF
ject OF the amendment TO which he refer:
clothing the negro population with th
right ofsufmge, was to give them protet
ton for their freedom and for civil right
which thefourteent amendment accorde,
10 them. Now, sir, through the pra
tizan remarks of the gentleman to-day
he could not utter one word; he could no
because itwould not have been the truth
i TO prove that there was single right 9
freedom or Of citizenship belonging to- th
black ,race,o Of the. South that was not sse
cure and as well enjoyed as that Of tn
proudestand freest white man in the land
There is another remarkable fact tha
in this Indictment Of the South, there |
no lprettnce that there isi q isingle menace
in her present, attitude 70 any great inter
ests OF this country, not an imputation o
that kind for "solid,' as tile phrase goes, a
the South may be, she stands inclinewitl
nearly majority OF the American, people
upon every question which Is now dis
cussed in this country or argued here II
her council chamber; but, sir, to come Il
the direct point, the Senator asserts tina
in consequence Of the suppression OF tht
negro vote ,at tho, South by means whicl
arc illegitimatc, the South has dispropor
tionate power in the Government. Before
this discussion is over willsliow tliatnone
gro vote haS been suppressed In, the South
I viii demonstrate that this political piie'
nonlenon which Is the subject OF so much
discussion and misrepresentat IL q phe.
nomenon that would occur in any free 80.
ciety, and that II has been brought about
by agencies which Intelligence and virtue
and Sagacity and other evidences oil ciyili-
zation always bring to bear on classes that
are ignorant and lebased. But, sir, ASSUME
Ing all that the gentleman says TO be true,
that there are in the House l0G Representa-
tives elected ofone party complexion and
elected by means not what he considered
legitimate, let us sec where we stand in
this position. Now, sir, what interest OF
thes North, what interest OF the country,
is endangered,by it? 0Witllid united vote
OF the South she stands n powerless sec
tiOi in this government. She is an i'm
portant minority, unable to protect q sin
gle ssoutherna right or defend a single
Southern interest.
But, says the gentleman, under the ope-
rations OF these amendments the South
have Representation not in proportionito
the Constituency which is represented,
and the atatOs OF South Carolina, Missis-
sippi and Alabama have twice as much
power as more than twice their num-
bers in some Northwestern States
which he mentioned. Mr.. President, every
member Of that population. entitled toyote
right to draw line between black and
white and assume that the black man, be-
cause he did not vote the Republican
ticket, Is therefore d suppressed voter.
But 1call attentionto this fact; that II we
arc to embark upon system OF legislation
and political movements In order TO adjust
representation and political power In this
Government according to constituencies,
the principle may operate further than
the gentleman thinks. What Is the
population OF the State Of Maine9 ! be-
iieve 825,000. It has been diminishing
within the last twenty years. cannot
now recollcct, perhaps 1t is 62a000. Take
that OF Vermont, both solid as represented
here, and yet the State OF Maine has as
much power In this government with her
100000 population US the State ol Now
York with her 100000. mean in this
Government not in this chamber
gentlemen correct me by saying nthis
Chamber?' No, sir, they have got the af-
firmative power OF legislation this day.
Six hundred and twenty-five thousand
men, women and children in Maine are
equal to five million In tho State OF New
York. That is not all. Tho whole OF New
England has not three and q half millions
of people, and yet under operation Of the
constitution and laws Of the land, OF
which | make no complaint and which is
legitimate thing, those three and half
millions OF population have six times as
much power as sovereign commonwealths
that have 100000. They have got as
much power as 90,000,000 in the large
Northwestern States that the gentleman
called attention 10. Sir, why Is one man
in these Eastern States equal to twenty in
tho Northwestern, except by virtue OF the
Constitution; the Constitution which We
are intending 10 aLlde by and main
tain, But as tho gentleman has
vonehsaied advice to the Southern
men OH this floor and outside, in
all spirit, fairness and equity, I will
speak TO the New England people and tell
them that in my opinion the direstfo they
have got on earth is representative as
q Senator, whether from their own section.
or any other, that will kindle this fire,
whose subterranean flame will liqueiy, the
very foundations on which these proud
and frOe commonwealth are now rearing
aspiring heads. - = '''' 49,
Sir, the Senator is fishing In troubled
waterson this subject, and when you come
to compare questions OF this kind you will
find tint changes OF more radical and
fundamental nature will he necessary TO
adjust representation TO numbers In this
country. | will not now proceed, sir, any
further in my course OF remarks; at an.
other time when these questions come up
to be discussed | shall participate in the
discussion.
MR.. IDNUSDs ALSO REMARKS.
Mr.. Etlmunds-Mr. President: The
point OF the Senator from Mississippi ap-
pears to be that II the Senator from New
England proposes to inquire II the Consti-
tuition has been violated in depriving any
part Of the people. Of the States OF their
rights to vote for members OF Congress, no
thereby inUurs the danger OF over
setting tho Constitution itself, which
says that the States in this body
shall bc equal, and therefore understand
him to put it out as a warning that tho
people Of New England, through their
Senators and Representatives, have no
right to stand up for the Constitution as it
Is, in favor Of equal representation by the
people OF the States in tho other house,
unless they run the risk OF being exposed
to the danger OF having their Senatorial
representation overturned. That, then, is
the question We are invited to consider,
and the peril that We expose ourselves TO II
we undertake to inquire whether the Con-
stitution has been violated. In other
words, representatives OF the Demo-
pratip party OF the South say to
an inquiry into tho violation Of the Con.
stitution, III you dare make such an in
quiry you run the risk OF oyerturning the
representation Of the States and reducing
,,c,, Hsoiuau IN n SiOIn unryttnI.. That ia