Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-12-18

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resenting the power of the nation.
Hence my resolution.
But we do not need investigation
to establish certain facts already Of
official record. We know that one
hundred and six representatives In
Congress were recently chosen in the
States formerly slaveholding, and that
the democrats elected one hundred
and one or possibly one hundred and
two and the republicans four or posi-
bly, five. We know that thirty-five
of these representatives were assign
ed to the Southern States by reason
of the colored population, and that
the entire political power thus found
ed on the numbers Of the colored peo-
pie has been seized and appropriated
TO the aggrandizement OF its own
strength by the democratic party OF
the South.
The ISSUE thus raised before the
country, Mr.. President, is notpne OF
mere sentiment for the rights of the
negro-though far distant be the day
when the rights Of any American cit
izen, however black or however poor,
shall form the dust of the balance In
any controversy; nor Is the issue one
that involves the waving of the
"bloody shirt" to quote the elegant
vernacular of democratic vitupera-
ton; nor still further Is the issue as
now presented only question of the
equality of the black voter Of the
South with the white voter of the
south; the issue, Mr.. President, has
taken a far wider range, one of more
pOrtentous magnitude; and that is
whether the white voter of the North
shall be equal to the white voter OF
the South In shaping the policy and
fixing the destiny Of this country; or
whether, to put 1t still more boldly,
the white man who fought In the
ranks of the Union army shall have
as weighty and influential a vote In
the government of the republic as the
white man who fought in the ranks
of the rebel army. The one fought
to uphold, the other to destroy, the
union of the states, and to-day he
who fought to destroy Is q far more
important factor in the government
of the nation than he who fought to
uphold it.
Let me illustrate my meaning by
comparing groups of states Of the
same representative strength north
and south. Take the states of South
Carolina, Mississippi and Louisiana.
They send seventeen representatives
to Congress. Their aggregate popu-
lation is composed of ten hundred and
thirty-five thousand whites and twelve
hundred and twenty-four thousand
colored; the colored being nearly two
hundred thousand In excess Of the
whites. OF the seventeen representa-
lives, then, it Is evident that nine
were apportioned to these states by
reason Of their colored population,
and only eight by reason of their
white population; and yet In the
choice of the entire seventeen repre-
sentatives the colored voters had no
more choice or power than their re-
mote kindred on the shores of Sene-
gambia or on the gold coast. The ten
hundred and thirty-five thousand
white people had the sole and abso-
lutte choice of the entire seventeen
representatives. In contrast, take
two states in the North, Iowa and
Wisconsin, with seventeen represent
atives. They have a white popula-
ton Of two million two hundred and
forty-seven thousand-considerabl
more than double the entire white
population of the three Southern
States have named. In Iowa and
Wisconsin, therefore, it takes one
hundred and thirty.two thousand
white population to send represent
ative to Congress, but In South Caro-
lima, Mississippi and Louisiana every
sixty thousand white people send q
representative. In other words, six
ty thousand white people in those
southern states have precisely the
same political power in the govern.
ment Of the country that one hun
dred and thirty-twO thousand white
people have In Iowa and Wisconsin.
Take another group Of seventeen
representatives from the South and
from the North. Georgia and Ala
oama have . white population OF
eleven hundred and fifty y-eight thous.
and and colored population Of ten
hundred and twenty thousand. They
send seventeen Representatives
to Congress, Of whom nine were ap.
portiOned on account Of the white
population and eight on account OF
The colored population. But the COL.
ored voters are not able to choose q
single representative the white dem.
ocrats choosing the whole seventeen.
The four northern states, Michigan,
Minnesota, Nebraska and California,
have seventeen represen tatives, based
on white population Of two and q
quarter millions, or almost double the
white population Of Georgia and Al
ALBANIA, so that in these relative groups
Of states we ind the white man
south exercises BY his vote double the
political power Of the white man
north.
Let No carry the comparison to q
more comprehensive generalization.
The eleven states that formed the con-
federate government had, BY the las,
census, . population Of nine and I
half millions, OF which in round num-
bers five and . half millions were
white and four millions colorcd. On
this aggregate population seventy.
three representatives in Congress-
wero apportioned to those states-for.
ty.two or three Of which were by
reason of the white population, and
thirty or thirty lone by reason Of the
colored population. At the recent
election the white democracy Of the
south seized seventy of the seventy.
three Districts, and thus secured q
democratic majority in the nexl
House Of Representatives. Thus i,
appears that throughout tho statel
that formed the late confederate gov.
ernment sixty-fve thousand whites
the very people that rebelled against
the union-are enabled TO elect . rep
resentative In congress, while In th(
loyal states it requires one hundred
and thirty-two thousand Of the whit,
people that fought for the union K
elect representative. In levying ev
cry tax, therefore, in making ever
appropriation Of money, in fixing ev
cry line Of public policy, In decree
ing what shall be the fate and fortun,
OF the republic, the confederate sol
dier south Is enabled to cast a vot,
that 10 twice as powerful and twice
as Influential az the vote Of the uniol
soldier north.
Butthe white men of the south di,
not acquire and do not hold this On
perior power by reason of law o
justice, but in disregard and defianc
Of both. The f6iindenth amendmen
to tns a,, cor or sti1eting, q spectsd to b 3
Nx Gus s1Sm ssI ,P Rrevsni,y no.s;n,
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