The Republican., 1900-11-29

W WASHINGTON, Nov. 81 Senator
McComas, of Maryland, gaye a cor
respondent today his views on pros
pective legislation during the coming
session of Congress, with especial ref
erence to the subjects of reapportion-
ment and the proposition to decrease
the number OF members of Congress
from the South. In view of the fact
that Mr.. McComas represents in part
a Southern or border State, his re-
marks on this subject are regarded
as particularly significant. He said.
Il am informed that the House will
pass reapportionment bill. | hope
that this measure may increase the
unit of representation rather than
the number of members. 1t is better
to have one member for every 20O,0
people than to have large increase
in the membership of the House. |
do no expect any legislation respect
ing the suppression of the governed
in the four Southern States-that is,
Mississippi, Louisiana, North Caro-
lima and South Caroline. From the
is not fair that one white Democrat
in South Carolina or Louisina should
count two as against white Demo
crat in Illinois, who counts but one.
No matter is settled until it is settled
right and this subject would no doubt
provoke much discussion.
lit would seem wise to await the
decision of the Supreme Court of the
United States, which must pass upon
the grandfather clause of the con-
stitutional amendments adopted in
Louisiana and North Carolina before
any action is taken. 1t is safe to as
sumo that the Supreme Court will
shed some light on this subject, and
we will thus be furnished with far
more information than could be
brought out in general discussion
at this time. | think it wise for the
country and best for the country that
there be no long and heated discus
sion over the apportionment or di-
minished representation bills in this
very short and crowded session.
Should the Supreme Court decide
that the grandfather clause is un-
constitutional, then this movement
to suppress suffrage in the black belt
may fall to the ground. The race
question is a large question for the
Southern people, and fear they have
been shortsighted about it. The
slave has become a citizen, and thev
will not solve the problem by degrad-
ing the citizen to the level of serf.
sit may be difficult to do, but it
may be a better plan to try to i'm
prove him. However, the reappor-
tionment bill may we'll omit all con
sideration of this question, and Con-
gress may probably await the decis-
ion of the Supreme Court before
reaching a conclusion.
Il think the subsidy bill will pass
during this session. continued Sen
ator McComas. This bill will be
pressed for early consideration and
vote, and think that conservative
bill will be agreed to by the two
houses. The Nicaraguan canal bill
will also be pressed. Everybody is
in favor of this project, but every
body fears complication, which make
predictions regarding the disposition
of this particular bill unsafe. Per-
sonally, | am in favor of the construc-
tion of the canal, and am convinced
that American control must be un-
equivocally asserted.
the army is of course imperative, and
Congress before framing and passing
this bill will be obliged to pay great
heed to the ideas and advice of the
War Department. The amount of
taxes now accruing from the war
revenue act must be reduced, and |
have no doubt that they will be. |
think 1T more important to get rid of
veXatious taxes than to abate the
amount of revenue in any given sum.
The Navy will no doubt be liberally
provided for during the session, and
| hope that Senator Spooner's gen
eral resolution, providing the proper
legislation for the Philippines, will
pass. This resolution is repetition
of Jetfersonian Democracy, applied to
new territory, and has been sufficient
ly debated. This measure gives the
President discretionary power in the
government of the Philippine islands.
Apart from the extraordinary ap-
preparations entailed by the bills
have mentioned, l trust appropria-
tions in general may be decreased
wherever possible. The country is
very prosperous and can support ex-
traordlnary expenditures for new
matters of benefit to the whole coun-
try, but in every other direction /
hope for economy.
what we should do regarding the
Cuban situation depends on what has
already been done. In any event we
are going to be honest and straight
forward and carry out our pledges
Should the people of that island prove
that they are worthy of self-govern-
ment, and capable of administering
their own affairs, then they will be
given their independence. If they
should fail to manifest their capabil-
ity in that direction, then the United
States will stand responsible before
the world, and when we cease to be
surety we may eventually be COM
PEELED to become the principal"