The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-07
in the results of this ACKNOWLEDGMENT
nevertheless. The fourteenth amendment


Representation shall be apportioned
among the several States according to their
respective numbers, counting the whole
number of persons in each State, excluding
Indians not taxed. But when the right TO
vote at any election for the choice of cleo
tors for President and Vice President of
the United States, representatives in Con-
gress, the executive and judicial officers OF
a State. or the members of the Legislature
thereof, is denied TO any of the male in
habitants OF such State, being twenty-one
years of age and citizens of the United
States, OF in any way abridged, except for
participation in rebellion or other crime.
the basis of representation therein shall be
reduced in the proportion which the num-
Der Of such male citizens shall bear TO the
whole number of male citizens twenty-one
years of age in such State.
THE Congress shall have power TO en-
force, by appropriate legislation, the provi-
sions of this article"
This is very plain and very Ineligible
language. If the South is resolved TO re-
duce her voting class. as explained by Sen
ator Tillnan, if no more national legisia-
ton is to be invoked to prevent II, what
Is her duty? Is ii not plain that she should
consent TO reduction of her representa-
ton in Congress? / shall venture brleny
to point out her honorable duty, feeling
sure that such a course will make her
people happier, more influential, more self
respecting and respected by others, and
that IT will place her civilization upon
higher and nobler basis than IL Is at pres
ent. Nobody questions that the burden i'm
posed upon the Southern people by the
Acknowledgement of the negro was hard 10
bear. Nobody forgets that the Southern
whites are of race that has never sub
mitted to the domination of any other race,
either inferior or equal, and nobody de-
MES that the Southern whites have been
sorely tempted by the political conditions
thrust upon them.
discrimination about the manner in which
they have handled the problem can do no
whether the South may not-nay, should
not-in honor and common sense. welcome
the opportunity to put these troubles and
difficulties behind her, and TO establish
better form of local government which will
prevent recurrence of the dangers and
difficulties of the past.
UNJUST REPRESENTATION.
How can the South expect the North and
West to be satisfied with her present rep
resentation? Look at IT. Iowa and Geor-
gia have each eleven representatives. To
elect these Iowa casts 10000 votes and
Georgia 10000 In the Sixth Iowa district
5000 votes are cast; in the Sixth Georgia
district but 3.Ol1. In the Iowa district the
vote was about evenly divided between the
parties: in the Georgia district Mr.. Bart
lett the sitting member. received 3.0OS
votes being all cast but three Kansas
and South Carolina each have seven repre-
sentatfves. In 1898. TO elect her seven rep
resentatives, Kansas cast ZIS,OO votes,
South Carolina 2S 00O In the First Kansas
district 40 600 votes were cast. nearly evenly
divided between the parties. In the First
South Carolina district but $500 votes were
cast the sitting member receiving two TO
one for his adversary. In the Second Kan
sas district 10000 votes were cast, In the
Second South Carolina district 400 were
cast In the Kansas district the vote was
nearly evenly divided: in the South Caro-
lima district the sitting member received
4, 100 votes. with but 122 against him. These
are onlysamples of many similarly situated
States and districts.
There may not be man in Iowa or in
Kansas who has any longer interest in Sc
curing the negro vote, or retains any
feeling of war bitterness. but the South
surely must have learned by this time that
the people of the North and West will not
submit to disproportionate representation
of the South in national affairs as gross
and palpable as this. If the South does
not give Ii up gracefully the North will
take il from her, and Ii has the power to
do so.
1t is no answer to the proposition to re-
duce Southern representation that Massa-
chusetts has abridged the suffrage of her
voting class by educational qualification.
If So well and good; let her representation
be reduced also. l doubt not she would ac-
cept Il without a murmur II satisfied that
her present quota is unconstitutional and
the reduction lawful. Nor is Ii an answer TO
the South's abnormal representation that
the vote of Colorado is so large because
women vote. No matter how many women
vote, or others than males of voting age,
the representation cannot exceed the basis
of population. 1t is not increased thereby.
But the amendment makes the reduction
compulsory when males of voting age are
Disseminated against or their right to vote
is abridged.
AN APPARENT CONSENT.
If, as 1t now seems. the North is willing
to say to the South. 1--WE will consent to
your suppression of the black vote by edu-
cational or property tests If you will sur
render your abnormal representation in
Congress, based upon the theory that your
whole population of voting age is qualified.
and will pass honest election laws" it is
golden opportunity which the South ought
not to allow to pass. In lieu of her re-
duced representation she will not only Sc
cure local government and federal repres-
entation by her men of intelligence and
character, but she VIII relieve herself or
the awful conditions now existing there.
which should be more alarming to her than
TO anybody else. They cannot last; they
must grow better, or they will become even
worse than they are
What is to become of a people who con-
tinue to practice and to justify such degra-
dation as Mr.. Tilman admits? Is 1t not
better for the South to yield some of her
representation in Congress than to continue
il by ballot stuffing and shooting negroes?
Would Senator Jefferson Davis, of Missis-
sippi, ever have descended on the floor of
the Senate to the statements uttered by
senator Truman! Sucn cOnQ1tlOnS as exist
make such statements possible. Think of
the oath man takes before entry upon
the duties of an election judge. He SOL
smnly swears that he will perform the duty
Of judge of election according TO law and to
the best of his ability, and that he will
studiously endeavor to prevent fraud. de-
ceit and abuse in conducting the election
$50 help me God"
When he has done his work he adds a
new ;.nd equally solemn certificate that he
has performed his duty well and honestly.
Can community hope &c maintain its
moral integrity where people who take
oaths and give certificates like this
allowed to faisify them with impunity and
not only lose no social prestige by doing
so, but are justified in public by their rep
resentatives? No matter what may be the
urgency under which such practices are
INDUCED in, they cannot but result in de-
generacy and degradation. The statement
by Senator Tillman that he Is not ashamed
or Ii Is the best proof that he is ashamed
of 1t: and, whether he is ashamed OF IL or
not, conscientious. honorable Southern
men, who love their section. heartily
ashamed of the fact and OF its justifica-
ton by any sophistry.
BETTER FOR THE SOUTH.
Any surrender of representation which
would enable the Southern people to rec
tify this crying evil instead of being a
hardship will be blessing to them and to
their children's children. and bring the
South back to where she ought TO be and
where she belongs of right. No specious