Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-10-03
WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 9. 1888.
The South in Congress.


There arc leading Republican speakers
md heading Republican journals which
do not hesitate to deceive the northern
pubic as to the number Of the additional
representatives IN the national House Of
Representatives tho emancipation and
Acknowledgement Of the negroes, or per
haps we should cay the fourteenth
amendment, insured 10 the southern
Btates.
II is averred by such inscriptions ke-
publicans not only that there are nine
teen Republican congressional districts
in the South which are represented 10y
Democrats, but that thirty-six add
iional representatives wero accorded
10 tho South as n consequence OF
adding tho new post-bellum amendments
30 the Fodcra Constitution. There are
thousands Of persons in the North who
IRE firmly persuaded n the truth OF this
latter averinent. Indeed we are not sure
hat there arc a good many persons ID
our own section Of tho Onion who labor
under tho Same mistaken impression.
Jut Che fact is that the South did not
gain the half Of thrty-sx represen-
tahyee in the national House Of Repre-
hcnlatyes as % consequence Of including
nl the negroes in tie basis Of rcpresen-
tltion
Let us state the facts Of tho case. The
Felcra Constitution os the fathers left it
20 their SUCCESSORS or descendants and as
IT stood mp 10 the year 1851, contained
the following provision:
Article l.. eectim8. Representatives
and direct taxes shall be apportOncd
among the several States which may DE
inclndol within this Union, according to
their respective numbers. which shall
be determined by adding TO tho whole
number Of free persons, intending those
bound 10 service for term Of years, and
,xcludlng Indians not taxed, three 6lths
Of all otlDr peraons.
There is "a little Of history written be
tween the lines Of that provision. The
wording Of II shows first that when 1t
was Formulated it was not known how
many States would ratiiy the Federal
Constitution and secondly, That as all
tho negroes were 10 be counted whenever
an apportionmant Of direct taxes was 10
be malc among the States, the northern
Ftates made 10 concession to the south
orn when thoy consented TO allow three
dftbs Of the negroes 10 loo included in
The basis of representation. Taxation
and representation were made to depend
iho one ursn the other
Tho fourteenth amendment changed
Lo provision above quoted 30 as 30 make
}, read as follows:
Representatives shall be apportioncd
among tho several States according to
their respective numbers, counting the
whole number Of persons IN each state,
excluding Indians not taxed.
Now IT is u clear case that the South
has gained only two ffths Of tho repre-
taiiycs based upon tho southern negro
population. II. therefore, there are
thirty s.x additional representatives and
thrco Of them are based upon the negro
population IN the North. the number Of
representatives gained 10y the South I'M
der the new amendments cannot exceed
two iifths OF thirty three. or say at the
outside figure THIRTEEN
There is tho whole story. The South
has gained thirteen mombers of Con-
Press, and the whole country Is kept in
turmoil because OF that fact. Thirteen
congressman out Of three hundred and
twcuty-hvel Isn't that matter of
national impOrtonce