The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-02-05
Fortv.seventh Congress W. are unable

to see. The labor is not q long one.
The necessary facts will be laid before
Congress, and it is the spirit OF the Con-
stitution and OF the statutes that this
work shall be done as soon as practi'
cable after the requisite enumeration
Of the people Of the States has been
made.
There is not only an utt absence Of
reasons why this Congress should not
make this apportionment. but there are
emphatic reasons why the present Con-
gress should do this work. Already
there are evidences that the policy OF the
Republican party for the ensuing four
years vii! be iron handed. brutal, though
that policy is mildly named among men
as simply "Stalwart.' 1t is already
proposed to upscat Democrats elect
ed from the Southern States to the
House of Representatives. and to seat
Republicans in their stead. 1t is al
ready proposed by Republicans that the
United States Senate shall declare
Southern Legislatures that choose
Democratic Senators to be "unlawjul
assemblies no Legislatures. and upon
this theory Senators elected from the
South in the "future Of the Republican
party are to be denied seats in the
United States Senate. These are por-
tons of the scheme recently sketched
bNa distinguished Republican essayist,
who has for nearly twenty years been
close to the Republican throne. If ac-
cident. or death, or treachery should
give the Senate of the United States to
the Republicans in the next Congress
by even one vote, or if the Senate
should be made a tie, with Arthur in
the chair, what may We not expect in
the direction of what MIR. Boutwell,
calls "bold, aggressive legislation"
when Republican President sits at
the other end of the avenue? If the
Republican managers, having the Ex'
eoutive and the House, should arrange
to obtain possession Of the Senate, and
then should make the apportionment
what would they be likely to do? The,
would instantly proceed to reduce the
bash OF representation in the Southern
: State,, and appeal to the Fourteenth
Amendment for their authority
The omniprescnt Republican press
would "tire the Northern heart
} by asserting that the right to vote in al
the Southern States has been abridged
or denied to untold millions of blacl
: men in the South, and that, therefore
3 under the Fourteenth Amendment tt
the Constitution, the basis OF represen
: tation in those States should be reduced
! in proportion to this alleged denial o
! abrid Iment. ), The Republicans i,
!. Washington would be the sole Judge
\ of the extent of this alleged abriag
Z ment or denial, and, therefore. woul,
}! be the sole judges of the extent t.
7 which the basis OF representation in tn
d Southern States should be reduced
9 We have seen the temper of the Repub
u lican managers, and we all know thei
9 audacity. They stop at nothing. Tn
IS party that discovered after Tilden'
u election that sufficient territory ha
y been bull-dozed'' to elect Hayes
+ while the same territory had not bee
9 "bulldozcd'' enough to defea
j. Nichols, will hesitate at nothin
n in politics. The party that sal
l. that Hayes in 1876 carrie
8, Louisiana and Florida. but admitte
8. that the same votes which chose Haye
10 Electors in those two States electe
IS Democratic Governors in both of thes
s. States, will not hesitate to disfranchis
70 . portion Of the South; will not hesita1
Of to rob . portion of the people of II
9. country of their right to representatio
10 in Congress.
" In view of what is coming, it is Il
70 imperative duty of this Congress
=: =: promptly readjust the superintendent
!: the House upon the basis Of the Gems,
\. of 1880. That apportionment on,
" fixed remains for ten years. To ne
u; lect to do this would be inexcusable ,
AZ ~ the part Of the Forty.sixth Congress
40. ~ Tb- reasons why should be plain. II
=. question is not partisan one. tt
=; - duty is to promptly act upon q Repu
y lican enumeration. The duty is to ke'
Y. the apportionment out of the clutch
10 10 of the most fragrant partisanship.
~ OiscisSsti Esq.sFsv. ~.-=,s.
3 -.