The times., 1899-12-04
POLITICAL NOTES AND GOSSIP.

ihe scott tOntests-JOhu T. MCk.raw
who is challenging the right OF Senator
Scott. OF West Virginia. to hold his seat in
the Senate argues out his case from a
legal standpoint. Mr.. McGraw insists that
Mr.. Scott has never been legally elected;
that two of the members OF the Legisla-
ture that elected Scott were ineligible to
sit in the body by reason of the fact that
they had accepted commissions in the
volunteer army Scott would not have
had enough votes to elect without the
aid Of the two Legislators. who, it is main
tanned, were disqualified from participating
in the matter. Mr.. Scott's case will, it is
thought, be referred to special commit
tee. Mr.. Scott has had the forethought
to retain his predecessor, Charles j. Faulk-
neT, who is Democrat, as his counsel.
No vote is likely to be had on the case for
several months TO come.
Cutting Down Representations
Henry c. Payne, Of Wisconsin, who is a
prominent member Of the Republican Ma
tional Committee. is at work upon a plan
it is understood, which, if carried out and
enacted into a law, viii cut down the rep
resentation from the States south of Mason
and Dixon's line 25 per cent. Mr. Payne
and many Of his Republican associates
hold that the virtual disfranchisement of
the negro population in every State of the
South, with the exception of Georgia,
where the colored vote is not especially
strong, justifies the adoption OF the policy
he has outlined, by the Republican party.
II is neither fair nor right, Payne and his
fellow patriots contend for the South to
continue to get the benefit of the negro
population within its borders. in the way
of increased representation in Congress,
and refuse to give the eoIOred brother the
right to vote. The Republican leaders of
the Payne class do not attempt to critl-
else the disfranehisement of the negro in
the South per Sc. That is a matter in
which they have very slight interest;
but they profess to be very much con-
cerned because forsooth three or four
thousand votes Will elect a Representative
in the South, while it takes forty or fifty
thousand votes to elect one in many of the
districts OF the North. This subject has
been agitated for some time in Republican
circles, but Mr.. Payne and his associates
believe that the time has arrived now to
do something. The first move TO be made
to bring about desired reform is to cut
down the number OF delegates from the
Southern States to the Republican National
Southern delegates IN Republican national
conventions have been a very potential
factor in deciding the winning combination
and hence IL has never seeTGed advisable to
the magnates TO press the matter OF reduc-
ing their number. In the Republican na-
tional convention next year, if Mr.. Nc
kinley has no opposition to q renomfna-
ton, as now appears to be certain, the
Southern delegates Will not cut much of
figure, and no one except the representa-
tives from that section Will be apt to con-
Germ himself especially whether Justice"
is done them in the matter Of representa-
ton or not.
Il sincerely hope" said a leading Re-
publican yesterday. "that something win
be done forthwith IN the matter OF the
representation from the South, at least
at cur national conventions. 1t Is simply
idiotic that the States that cannot by any
possibility give the Republicans single
electoral vote should be permitted to par
ticipate in Republican national conventions
upon an equality with the sure Republican
States, and frequently dictate to the Re-
publican States who shall be the standard
bearer of the party. Benjamin Harrison
would never have been renominated at
Minneapolis in 1892. for instance, if the
choice had been left TO the delegates from
the States that had been depended on to
furnish the votes to elect him. The plan
is to give to each State representation In
the national convention In proportion to
the number of votes cast, and not on the
enumeration OF the inhabitants, as at
present. This viii give each State an In
centiye to increase. its Republican vote,
and would produce a more healthy condi-
tion of affairs from party point of view.
'I believe that our national convention
next year viii take some action regarding
the matter, and after that has been done
it will be IN order to make move in the
direction of readjusting the basis of repre-