Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-27

state has by any constitutional n,
statutory. provision violated tho acc.
oHd section Of the fourteenth amend
mehs 20 the Constitution 80 that
q proper apportionment of representa-
Ton may be made by Congress.
o ome minority report prepared by MIR.
bama, Culbertsop of Texas. Henderson ~
North Carolina, and Wilson OF West yir'
gina, and by Mr.. Stewart, of Vermont
with qualification. This report savs that
,ne states are not constitutionAliy nro.
hioited from DISTINGUISHING any Of their
male citizens; that the Constitution onlv
prescribes as apenalty orsuch disfrancbise.
ment Tor any other cause than that of mar.
Iuoipauon IN rebellion or other crime, that
the representation IN Congress from sucb
oIate shaI be reduced in the proportion
Whlch the persons DISTINGUISHED bear TO
the whole number of adult male citizens in
such State.
POINTED QUESTION.
The question is asked if the resolution
reported be adopted how can the commit
tee make the inquiry directed in fhe an
sence OF any legislation by Congress pro-
Nding the means of securing evidence
To enable the committee TO procure the ne
cesSary proofs TO warrant Congress in re-
GucinR the representation of any State z
The committee assume that some citizens
IN Mississippi and Massachusetts, are
denied the right to vote by the
State Constitutions for some other reason
than crime. This may be true. but the
minority cannot shut their eyes to the
TACT that the Constitution of MIississippi
has not yet gone into operation and that
there ~ no law applicable TO that State
Massachusetts,, or any other State by which
me committee can legally and certainly
ascertain the number of citizens disffan-
chiSed, for Congress has never provided
the means by which this may be done.
PRESCRIPTIONS WILL NOT DO.
Prescriptions are worthless IN such n
grave matter. Legal proofs must be had
% reasonable certainty, and until such
legislation - enacted il is utterly futile TO
adopt such resolution, for il cannot be
complied with. Until Congress enacts p
law providing for an enumeration Of the
number Of persons disfranchised for crime
and for the number DISTINGUISHED for other
causes II is impossible to comply with the
resolution. If the resolution were literallg
construed, the report says, the re-
curing Of twelve months residence
III State and registration as q prereoui-
site 10 voting would be good cause for
reducing ITS representation. But" the
report concludes, ." a cardinal principle in
our system Of government is that the
States shall each prescribe the qualifca-
uOns of ITS electors. When they ratified
this article Of the Constitution II cannot
Ice assumed with any show of reason that
they intended to surrender this right or to
restrict their powers TO the extent that
such a construction would maintain"
CAUsTIC COMMENT PROM ROGERS OF ARKANSAS.
Representative Rogers, in his individual
minority report, begins 10y saying: " Pre-
c,sely what the learned and experienced
author of the resolution desired the COM
mlttee TO inquire INTO was evidently at the
time II was drafted In state of
impenetrahle nebulosty III his own
mind, and the resolution itself has
the inherent and unmistakable evidence
Of being the premature offspring of q
chronic attack of political strabismus,
doubtless greatly aggravated bv humil-
iatiug disappointment IN the results of the
last November elections and the haunting
Cad-hy memories of election causes III the
present Congress"
RESULT OF THE MAJoEITY's CONSTRUCTION.
Mr.. Rogers then proceeds to review the
question IN the same caustic fashion that
has characterized his political speeches in
the House during the present Congress.
He argues that under the construction
put upon the fourteenth amendment to
the Constitution by the majority of the
committee the States of Massachusetts,.
Mississippi, Connecticut, Vermont, and
Idaho have clearly violated that amend
ment by their laws and State ConsjItu-
tons.