Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-12-03
MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1900.
A NATIONAL

in considering the reapportionment biz.
cut down the representation of the
southern states in the house and in the
electoral college to conform to the vote
of those states.
It is notorious that for many years the
colored vote in the southern states has
complete has this suppression at last
been made that the southern states now
have a representation in the house and in
the electoral college that is admittedly
altogether out of proportion to their vote.
! In 1876, the popular vote of Mississippi
was 164, 900, and Notwithstanding the
growth of the population there, the vote
dwindled away so rapidly that eight
years later it was not much more than a
hundred thousand. Six years after that,
Mississippi, under a new constitution
that was never Ven submitted to the
people but was adopted by the owen
ton that patched it together, practically
eliminated the colored vote entirely by
fixing new qualifications for electors, in
tended TO apply only to negroes. The re-
suit was that in 1872, the vote of Missis-
sippi was just $1,000. Four years later it
was 50, 1894. and at the last presidential
election it was only SO, 103 votes. Bryan
caaai,;r~ -, p,r, ,I,, IN lnn ,f -l,-a
So much for the vote: now what about
che population? In 1880, according to the
census, it was 1.131, 600, II in 1890, it was
i,55l 900, an increase of APO, 900 in twenty
years. Allowing for the additional four
years from 1876 to 1880. the increase fig
ures out more than a half a million.
Comparing these figures with the vote of
the state, which in 1876 was 164, 71S, and
In 1900 SO, 1o3, we find that during practi-
cally the same period of time that IA
an increase of half a million in the popu-
letion. there was an actual decrease of
los SIS in the vote.
Mississippi can therefore justly claim
to be the pioneer in the matter of ele-
minating the oolored vote through consti-
tusional amendment. South Carolina,
North Carolina, Louisiana and the rest
of the southern states had an illustration
of the effectiveness of constitutional de-
franchisement before them for many
nv ~ n ~ tho ca mo rarin1 }1a1y u,Arn
accomplishing the same result in a diff
ferent way, as Senator Tillman pointed
out in the senate last February when he
said: 1--WE bulldozed the niggers and we
shot them
Now all these states are falling in line
TO cut out the colored vote entirely by
constitutional amendment.
While it is impossible to say just what
action congress will take at his time, the
present disposition appears to be to en-
dure the outrage for the present and al
low the vote suppressing states the same
powers, both in congress and in the
electoral college, as those states that
have a full, free and honest suffrage
That the matter must inevitably come ur
for adjustment is generally conceded
tor the present condition is an anomaly
Against the plea of expediency, let il
be pointed out that a higher law de.
hands immediate action, and that is the
eourtaapfh a,,a,5,,ant IN thu oonSfitr.
lion of the United States which says:
When the right to vote at any election
Tor the choice of electors for presiden
and vice-president Of the United States
representatives in congress, the eXecu
tive and judicial officers of a state O
the members of the legislature thereof
Is denied to any of the male inhabitant.
bf such state. being Il years of age ant
citizens of the United States, or in an!
way abridged, except for participation il
rebellion or other crime, the basis o
representation therein shall be reduce,
In the proportion which the number o
such male citizens shall bear to tn
whole number of male citizens q year
of age in such state.
The situation as 1t now stands is sim
ply this: Four sovereign states have see
at, through constitutional amendment, t
t
deny the right of suffrage to a very larg
portion of the population of those state
$olely because the color of the either
eliminated was Objectionable. II
Memorials of the south, in defendin
Rheir action, assert thai it was take
only as a means of self preservation
That it was absolutely necessary in ord,
Ito say the soAth from negro dominate
All this only AEings the real questio