River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-10-14
THE souru IN CONGRESS.


Let us see how much national control is
now In the hands of the South scant as il ia
IN numbers and interest. Upward of thirty
members sit in the House of Representatives
and in the electoral colleges by reason of
counting the whole colored population as citi-
zens, with full political rights, equal III all
things with the whites. This is a double
wrong and double robbery, to just the extent
to which the freedmen are hindered or de-
frauded OF their vote and their voice. ZAP
plause.I To what extent this is true, the cleo
ton returns too clearly show. This repre-
sentation, based ON stiied rights, is plain
violation OF the Constitution and Of common
honesty; but there it is, and there it votes and
speaks IN the nations councils.
The sixteen lately slave states (iucluding
Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri,
which did not secede), have thirty-two Sena-
tors. Thnty-nine is majority Of the SEN
ate; so that the South needs only seven Sena-
tors from the other States to make q major
ity OF all. She will never fail to get them if
seven Northern Democrats are there. There
are twelve there now.
In the House of Representatives there are
293 members. A maj ority is lat. The South
has 106 members, lacking only Al of major
ity Of ALL
The electoral college consists of 369; ma
jority is 1855. The South has 1873, lacking only
AZ of majority. Consider the sway thesa
members have. In the Senate there are TWEEN
ty-elght committees, and committees not only
prepare but virtually control legislation in both
houses, and this must be SO more and more
as the houses and the business grow larger.
or these twenty-eight committees the South
mas the Craftsmanship of seventeen and the
control of all. The Southern chairmanships
are Of important committees. Delaware, with
100000 people, about as many as the city Of
Cleveland, Ohio, or a single rural county in
new YORK, has the chalrmanshlps of the COM
mittees Of privileges and elections and of
hnance-both very important committees.
The great State of New York, with five million
people, and her enormous interests and tax
paying, has for her Democratic Senator the
Craftsmanship Of the committee on patents
West Virginia has the craftsmanship of the
committee on appropriations, which holds the
purse strings OF the country. The great State
of pennsylvania has the Guardianship of re-
vision of laws a committee whose business
was finished years ago. Virginia has the
Craftsmanship Of the committee on pensions,
Georgia of commerce, Texas of post-offices
and post-roads, Missouri of claims, North Caro-
lima of railroads, and 50 on.
l have said the South has control of all the
working committees. This is true in this
way. On every committee there is a majority
OF Democrats, and of these a majority IN all
cases consists of Southern Senators.
The same conditions prevail in the House.
There are forty-two committees. The chair
men of twenty-five are from the South. ALI
the committees are so constituted that the
majority is Democratic, and of the majority
more than half is southern.
During the two years while this absolute
power in both houses has been so lodged, the
existence of the veto power, and the approach
of the presidential canvass have suggested
urgent reasons for "going slow" Many ex-
pected bills have not been introduced, many
that have been introduced have not been
"presaed," some that have been "pressed
have run against such obstinate opposition as
to secure present postponement or some modi-
fcatien. But whenever the hour strikes that
the veto power is in Democratic hands-put
there by southern votes-whatever the ''solid"
caucus decres will be written.
THE SOUTH AND THE PROPERTY INTE RESTS OF
THE COUNTRY.
That caucus will be controlled by those who
represent less than One-seventh of the PEOPLE
of the Unisn. pplauseJ | have said also
that they represent not more than one-four-
teenth of the producing, commercial, indus
trial, taX-paylng aud property interests of the
country. Let me prove this by the official fig
ures of the bureau of statistics.
REVENUE.
1879-Cusfoms duties, $197, ,048. Col
lected at Southern pors, 81, las, sos This is
1-2 per ceut., or one-sixtieth part.
1S79-Internal revenue, SIG 848, 221. Paid
by twelve Southern States. 800 332, 364. This
is II per cent, or ne-sixth part.
since UE26 war, ODlO dlOu6 mas pdlQ more III
ternal revenue than all the late Confederate
States united. So has Illinois. New York
alone has paid nearly twice as much. II Gus
toms duties were added, the comparison would
be more striking still.
COMMERCE.
Our domestic commerce exceeds our foreign
commerce twenty-fold. Railways move 80
carried this traffic. OF thes, cars, the late
Confederate es employed 81, 248. This is
7.125 per cent, or one-fourteen h part.
In 1879 the tonnage OF vessels engaged in
internal traffic was 2,678 OCT tons. The late
Confederate States employed 242 548 tons.
This is 8 per cent, or one eleventh part.
In 1879 Ito June 30, 1880, our exports we're
1886, 633, 595 Tse SOuth exported $lS8, $685.
III. This is % IL per cent, or 2-95hs part.
OF this, 81 per cent. was cotton, and the New
York Cotton Exchange reports that very little
OF it was moved by Southern capital. AL that
came North was handled by Northern capital
That exported directly was moved mostly by
Northern and foreign capital.
In 1879 Ito June g., $780, our imports were
1867 953, 302. The South I'M orted $15, 934,-
39I. This is 1-3 per cent, or 1431 part.
Exports spd imports together were 81, $685.
$50, S97 The share of the South was s204,-
564, lOS This Is IS 3-5 per cent, or 18th.
In 1879 20 5tober g. bank loans were $685.,
500, 097 Loans of Southern banks, SAG, $780,
007 This i 8 per cent, or liz a.
In 1879 (Oatob-r % State and National bank
circulation was 1914, los, 1913. Southern banks
1928, ATS, 426. This i, 2 per cent, or 1-13th.
In 1878 (six months ending Nay 81, latest
return } oepotits in savings banks were
1878 1876, SIT. In Southern banks, 81, 527, 423
This is 40 hs OF per cent, or 1-250th part.
In 1879 CO t of railroads in the United States
was 81 &C 331 92l. Cost Of southern rail
roads S556, 274, $40. This is ID Is per cent,
or 18th.
The latest returns show weight of mails
carried on railways was 81 $40, 15S pounds.
On southern roads, "a 394, S5S pounds This is
II is per cent, or 6th part.
In 1870 our manufactures were "a, 232, 325.-
442 Southern portion was S211, 12O,63t.
This ia 6 1-2 per cent, or 1-16th part.
In 1870 production OF our mines was $152,-
sos. 994; of southern mines, "a, 996,052. This
is 3 1 4 per cent, or 1-3lst part.
From June 80. 1870, to June 30, 1889, the
number of immigrants who came to the United
States was 2. 8l21T7. or these 1852 came to
Southern Atlantic ports, and 1929 to ports
OF the Gulf of Mexico, making for the whole
South 1901. This is 177-100 per cent, or
1-60th.
The latest report of the Commissioner OF
Education states the total income for the pub
lie schools of the country at $50, 97S, 101. The
South paid for public schools 80, 536,7e7. This
is 8 1-l2 per cent, or 1-10th part. This item
is presented here because it belongs to the in
dustrial interests.
Look ng into this mirror of the country