The Charlotte Democrat., 1890-05-09
Won't Count the Negro.
The Census to be used to Lop off Twenty Demo.
cratic Congressman at One Swoop-
Other Jobbery.

else Tue meilOWlnR 6QO LODSu0-IOOee0lDR
influences of the Americus Club banquet
may have been on Saturday night last,
they were certainly potent enough to set
one story going that will travel far and
fast, and be read, by politicians at least,
with the keenest interest The Americus
Club is emphatically Quay organization
but numbers among it's members not q few
| adherents of Chris Magee, of whom Con-
gresham Dalzell is the chief 1t was, as
the story goes, with one of these faithful
followers of Magee, thoagh some other
persons were present, that a well.known
| factotum of the chairman of the Republi-
can National Committee, became involved
in q lively argument some time after the
close of the banquet proper.
In such company the conversation
naturally drifted upon Quay's leadership
of the party, and then the Magee man be-
came indignant. He loudly proclaimed
| that Quay had sacrificed the organization
| for the sake OF one victory; that the coming
House of Representatives would surely be
| overwhelmingly Democratic, and that,
foresseing the signs of disaster, the chair
man was, according to common report,
| getting ready to resign.
"Don't fool yourself" was the reply,
in half-angry, halfpitying tone. ''That
meeting of the Republican Committee on
May z is called tor far different purposes
than the acceptances of Qusy's resigna.
tion."
"It is called to take official actions upon
plans which will be perfected by Quay,
aud some of them under his direction are
already we'll under way and promise to
insure the permanent control of all
branches of the Government to the Re-
publican party"
He stopped a moment, aud then ab-
ruptly asked his companion "Who is
taking this census, anyway 2"
"Robert Porter and his assistants,
| suppose" was the somewhat surprised
| answer.
"Yes, aud you can just bet that 1t will
be taken right" was the speedy answer.
"What do you suppose Quay spent ell
those weeks in Florida for-tsrpon fish
ing we'll hardly Let me tell you" (snd
here his voice became at once emphatic
and mYsterious) "that southern negro
will. have to be very conspicuous to be
counted IN the census this year."
Not looking for negroes.-"What do
you mean ?"
"Just what 1 say. The census emu
merator will discover very few southern
negroes this year. The negroes will not
kick, and nobody else will be allowed to.
| You can see in q moment the momentous
result of this. We expect to have the
census complete by June Goth. Thanks
to an amendment to the laws on the sub
ject, proposed by she late Sunset Cox, the
certificate of Superintendent Porter in all
that Congress needs to take action for a
new apportionment.
| "By our system of counting" continued
the speaker, growing more and more en-
thusiastic, 1--WE expect the southern States
to lose at least eighteen or twenty repre-
sentatives. If the negro 10 not counted at
the polls he shall not be in the census
The North western States will gain in just
about the proportions that the southern
ones will lose Minnesota will get three
or four congressman more, and Kansas
| and Nebraska perhaps half dozen each,
not to speak of the Dakotas and the rest
| of them"
An audacious Proqransaae.-"But can
such actions be forced through Congress
at the eleventh hour, against precedents?"
exclaimed his listener in astonishment.
at can, and easily, too. You see this
is not hasty scheme. 1t was decided
upon as soon 40 it was found that the
|
McComas AntiGerrymandering bill will
not be passed In this connection. It does
not cover the exigencies Of the case. There
is need for more radical actions.
Everything that has been done in Con-
gress so far" continued the narrator, "has
been part Of one great plan. With Reed
and bis rules we have the House in such
shape that any measure can be rushed
| 81 in uohA fiu1o
as may be desirable. The Senate has still
to be fixed, and that is why Chandler
introdu uced his resolution for the new rules
few days ago. Morton has gone away
and will not be back until the battle is
over. With Ingalls, in the chair and the
improved rules In force, the measure can
be rushed through if the Republicans are
solid.
"And right there is the only stumbling
black !" exclaimed the young spokesman.
"There are q few old grannies in the SEN
ate, like Edmunds, Blair and Evarts, who
kick at everything which is not done &C.
cording to precedent aad tradition. But
they must be pulled into line; the salvation
of the party demands it.
"The Apportionment bill is no: all OF
the plan, however. Special sessions Of the
Legislatures in certain States will be
called, under directions from the National
Committee, to so redistrict for congress
sional purposes as to make..the most of the
increased opportunities. twill be of no
use for the Democrats to attempt to follow
this line of action, for, with the exception
of one or two States, they will find de-
} cided decrease, and not an increase, to
deal with.
SNOW" asked the speaker triumphant
: ly, "what do you think about the next
Congress? And, of course, the same
situation applies to the electoral votes.
a notable eceeption.-.'There is one
State usually called southern, by the way
to which the census scheme does not ap
ply. That is West Virginia. 1t is surely
Republic for 1892. In the last two
years Steve Elkins, through his land, Goa
and railroad companies, has introduced
900 new votes into the States. It wal
made the first condition of their employ
ment that they should be tried and tru'
Republicans. West Virginia will vote fol
the next Republican candidate for Presi
dent beyond all possibility Of dispute.
aThat is but one feature of the plan,