Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-02-16
The Congressional AppOrtionment
Bill.

measure which will be unjust and unfair
to the South, if possible. Already they
have shown their hands in this little
game, for, in the discussion of the
measure now before Congress, every
scheme which could be devised to
reduce Southern representation has been
preached by them.
In an article on this subject, which ap-
peared in these columns short time
since, we alluded to the fact that q
reduction in Southern representation
was to be attempted through the me-
dunn of the fourteenth amendment to
the Constitution, which declares that II
any male inhabitants Of any State, en-
titled to vote, shall be denied the right
of suffrage, except for participation in
rebellion" or other crime, 1.-THE basis
of representation shall be reduced
in such State in the proportion
which the number of such male citizens
of such State shall bear to the whole
number of male citizens twentv-one
years of age in such State" The Re
pnblicans in Congress seized upon this
clause with ayidity, and forgetting that
certain Northern States would be affected
by their course if successfully, claimed
that in certain Southern States the pay
ment of taxes legally due was required of
q citizen before he could vote, and that
this amounted to a denial of the right of
suffrage to those citizens, and therefore
the basis of representation of such States
should be reduced.
The absurdity of this proposition was
so completely exposed by Mr.. Cox, of
New York, in his recent speech on the
floor OF the House-in which he showed
that the law requiring the payment of
taxes as a condition precedent to voting
was a general law applicable to all citi-
zens, and that, therefore, if any one class
was disfraachiSed thereby all others
were, and consequently, if the
Republican line of argument was
correct, the States in which such
law existed were entitled to
no representation wLatever-that the
Republicans have been forced to aban-
den it. In their desperation, however.
they have hit upon another theory by
which they hope to reduce Southern
representation in Congress, which is
equally absurd. 1t is that Congressional
representation should be based, not on
the actual population of State, but on
the voting population only.
In taking this ground, the Radicals
are evidently impelled by the theory
that immigration has added to the popu-
lstion of the North, while the increase
in that of the South has been natural.
and, therefore, if representation could
be based on the voting population alone.
the North would gain and the South
would lose. But in this position they
deliberately stultify themselves, for in the
very fourteenth amendment, upon which
they have so strongly relied for reducing
Southern representation, it is expressly
stated that Representatives shall be ap-
portioned among the several States, &C
cording to their respective numbers,
counting the whOJe number Of persons an
each State, excluding Indians not taxed. ="
Could any language be plainerH
These desperate efforts of the Radi-
Gals to devise some scheme by which
the South shall be defrauded of her
proper representation in Congress under
the new apportionment, as we said at the
outset, plainly shows the snimus of the
party, and that they are bent on cheating
this section if it can possibly be accom-
plished They viii fail in their plans,
however, for if the next Senate cannot
defeat them, the Democrats in the lower
House of the Forty-seventh Congress
can execute the villainy which the Radi-
Gals have taught in the present House,
and successfully tilibuster against the
passage Of an unfair superintendent bill.
Nevertheless it would be better, to avoid
complications, that the present Demo
cratic majority in the House remain in
their seats, and pass the measure now
before Congress before the session ex-
pires by limitation on the 4th proximo.