The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-12
a NATIONAL PERIL.
Unfair Representation the Only Democratic
Hope in National Election.

the fraudulent and excessive representation OF
the ex-secesslon States in the House Of Repre-
sentatives. and as q consequence. in the
Electoral College.
BY the original Constitution OF the United
States the basis OF representation In Congress
was the whole number Of FREQ persons. and In
addition three-fliths OF all other persons
viz. slaves. The slaves were simply property.
and there was no more right or Justice in allow
Ing them representation than there would have
been In counting for that purpose the horses
and cattle OF the North. The effect OF this pro-
vision was to give the free and voting popua-
ton Of tho slave States In 1850. aud long prior
thereto. twenty-six Representatives In Con-
gress and In the Electoral ColleRe-based on
non voting slave property--in excess OF the
number allotted to the free population OF the
non slave holding States for the same mum Der
Of free citizens. This result enabled the slave
masters Of the South. with their suhservient
tool. tho Democratic party Of the North. to con-
troll tho Government for many years. The
practical effect was that In every election for
Congress Representatives and electors OF Pres
dent the vote OF a southerner counted as one
vote and three. flfths as against the single vote
OF a Northern citizen. That Is. five Southern
Democratic voters were counted equal to eight
Northern Republican voters in the Congress
and Presidential elections OF 1856 and
1880. This disparity was fully commented on
and exposed in speeches and newspaper arti-
ces at the time.
When. oven with this grossly unfair advan-
tage. the Southern slave holding Democratic
oligarchy found they could no longer control
the National Government. they attempted to
destroy It. They failed. The negroes were
freed and became citizens. and az such became
entitled to equal represen tation. and for that
reason the representation Of the former slave
and secession States in Congress and the Flee
toral College was proportonately increased.
At least thirty -four Representatives and elect
ors are based on the negro population. Do the
negroes cast the votes that elect them2 We oil
know they do not
What Is stated 10 not out OF any ssntime ntal
regard for the negro. although he should have
his riRhts but look at 1t simply In its po-
litieal and not moral aspects. n the negro 10
deprived Of his political rights they should not
be transferred to those who take them from
him They should not BIO taken from him by
the Democracy and used as club to knock the
Republicans on the head
The present basis OF Congress and electoral
representation 10. in round numbers. one to
every 1T4.O0O Inhabitants including males and
females. black and white citizens and aliens.
Ordinarily tho proportion OF voters to popula-
ton 10 as one to FIVE or six: In New York there
is one representative to every 10000 voters I;
in Iowa. one to every $4,000: in Indiana, one
to $1,000: In California, one to 10000; and
similar proportions prevail In the Northern and
Western States.
Now turn for moment to what for descrip-
tive purposes may be called the black "
States. Georgia has Representative for every
$1,000 voters. South Carolina for every 10000.
Alabama for every 1000. and a similar dis
proportion prevails in oil tho black" States.
1t 10 plain. therefore. that the more neg roes
in State the larger is the representation of that
State as compared with the actual voters.
BY new Constitutional provisions. especially
adopted for the purpose. the negroes have
been practically disfra chscd In several of
these States. and in others they have been pre-
vented from voting. presumably by fraud and
violence. In fact. therefore. each white voter
In these States has vote equal in effect in
Congress and Presidential elections to that
of two. aud In some instances three. votsrs
in the Northern States. This disparity gives
to the States Of the old secession Contederacy
in Congress and the Electoral College over
thirty votes not representing electors. and
over the proportion in the North and West.
In individual Congress districts the same
| disparity 10 manifest. In the First Congress
district OF South Carolina. in 1898. 4.559 votes
were cast for Representative in Congress
district OF ssachusstts $4,000 votes were
| cast. representing the same number OF inhabi-
| tants. That year the 174O00 Inhabitants of
tho First district OF Mississippi cast 2.463
votes in all to elect their Representative. while
| the First district OF Minnesota cast 3O.S7O
votes to elect their Representative.
1t thus appears that by counting the negro
| population for representation in Congress and
| the Electoral College. and denynghim tho
| right to cast his vote. 5000 voters in South
| Carolina and $500 In Mississippi are as potent
| In Presidential and Congress elections as 49,
| 600 in Iowa or 80 600 in New York. And this
utterly unfair discrim nation obtains In great
| or or less degree in all tho black States.
| To summarize the whole business. the old
| Democratic slave or present BLACK" States
| have an unjust. illegal advantage over tho North
and West OF from thirty to thirty four votes In
| Congress and the Electoral Collegs-not repre-
| senting actual voters and there lies the sole
| strength OF the Democratic party. Through
| this representation alone can IL ever be able
| to control Congress or elect a President and
the Republicans are 80 far handicapped " in
| every National election.
| The danger is great. In a close election this
| unjust advantage might determine the result
| and neutrali2s Republican MAJORITY.
| These thirty or thirty-four unjust votes
| might elect n President or control a Congress.
| 1t cannot BIO expected that the great States OF
| tho East. North and West would quietly sub
| NIT TO be deprived OF q Congress or Presi-
dent. whom they had lawfully elected. by this
| unjust proportion. On fair vote the Demo
| cratic Is always n minority party.
| But there is a potent. effective and Lawful
remedy. 1t exists in the higheSt and organic
| law OF the country. Article XIV. sec. =. oil
| the Constitution apportions Representatives
among the States according to their respsc.
| tive numbers. counting the rhoIe number o.
| persons in each State" And 1t provides thai
| when the right to vote 10 denied by a State &c
any class OF citizens entitled to tho franchise
| the basis Of representation shah be proper.
tiondtelV reduced Article XIV. provides that the
| right OF any citizen to vote shall not
| be denied or abridged on account o.
race. color or previous condition o.
servitude." To Congress is given power tc
enforce both articles by appropriate legis-
lation." Thus the Republicans have tho power
and tho law. let them see to it that those Con
Stitutional provisions are no longer shan
l.,I l.kka 4 - d., ~