The times., 1900-12-21
THE House MEMBERSHIP
Three Reports on the Hopkins Re-
appOrtionment Bill.
The Majorj.S of the Census Commit
tee Eayors the Mcasure-Mr. Crum-
packer Insists That the Restric-
lion of Suffrage Ought to he Con-
sidcrcd-Thc Views of the Minority

| pOftlonment Dill were presented TO tne
House yesterday by Messrs. Hopkins.
Crumpacker. and Burleigh. Mr.. Hopkins,
| Chairman of the Census Committee, pre-
sented the report of the majority. fay-
oring mis- bill, fixing the membership of
| the House. after March 8, 1903, at 357
as at present. After stating the number
| of Representatives allowed each State,
| Mr.. Hopkins says that the reduction in
some cases and the increase in others is
| simply an evidence that the population OF
! some States increases more rapidly than
that of others.
| The plan of making the apportlonment,
| he says. was to divide the constitutional
| population of the United States by 357,
| giving 20S,S6S as the ratio OF representa-
| tion. This ratio was applied to the pop
ulation of each State and yielded an ag-
| gregate OF less than 357. but the differ
ence was assigned to the States having
the largest major fractions In support
! of their recommendation that the size of
the House should not be increased the
opinion of Daniel Webster is quoted and
extracts given from a letter by Prof F.
\. Walker, of the Ninth and Tenth Cen
| suses, against increasing the membership
of the House.
Mr.. Crurnpacker's report quotes the
Constitution and claims the bill does not
take into consideration the restriction of
suhrage in any States and is therefore
not in harmony with the plan provided
by the Constitution. He says it is as much
part of the constitutional scheme to re-
duce the basis of apportionment in States
that have !, disfranchised male citizens
twenty one years of age as it is to base
representation on population at all. This
provision is not discretionary but man
datory, according to Mr.. Crumpacker.
There is not u member of either house
OF Congress-" he says, who does not
know to moral certainty that by di-
rect and necessary operation of law the
States OF Louisiana. Mississippi. North
carolina, and South Carolina have dis
franchised a sufficient number of male
citizens twenty-one years of age to de-
prlVe each of them of several Represen-
tatlVes that they would be entitled TO
Otherwise on the basis of the bill report
ea by the committee. to say nothing of
the largely increased suppression of votes
caused by unfair partisan administration
OF the laws.
Mr.. Crumpacker holds that it is a ques-
tlon OF making an apportionment accord
ing TO the Constitution. or not, claiming
lhat each member has taken an oath to
support the whole Constitution not part
Oh IL. There had been considerable con-
troVersy over the question OF whether
the Constitution followed the flag into
the philippines. but no had questioned
lts following the flag into Louisiana and
the other States mentioned.
MT. Crumpacker then quotes the Louis
lana constitution and gives tables show
ing that an average of but 5,546 votes
were cast in each Congressional dlstrie
OF the State in 1896 and in 1900 He claims
tnat 4S.f per cent of the male citizens
over twenty-one years of age are illit-
crate and the State should have but four
Representatives instead of seven. In re-
gard to North Carolina he says the Gem
sus reports show that 34.03 per cent of the |
males twenty-one years of age are Hitter
ate and the States should have but six
instead of nine members of the House. In |
Mississippi the percentage of iIliteracy is
425O. and it should have but four instead
OF seven members. South Carolina has
43.l per cent of illiteracy among its |
voters. He compares the average vote in |
the Congressional districts in the South !
ern States with similar figures for North
ern States, showing the average tO be |
from ii ,155 in Georgia to 81 ,152 in Illinois !
4 taaaA
sippi S,439, and South Carolina 7,25S The |
hgures on illiteracy are taken from the |
Census reports OF 1890. He then discusses !
at length the fourteenth amendment and |
the right OF unrestricted manhood suf- |
frage.
Mr.. Crumpaeker severely condemns the
treatment Of the negroes in the South DO |
litically and otherwise. and says:
he has no right the white man is /
bound to respect, and he may be shot
down, hanged. or burned at the stake
without regard TO legal procedure or sane
ton, with absolute impunity. II is a |
strange commentary, but true, that this
Government can protect It's citizens every
where on the globe excepting within its
own borders"
The report Of the minority is signed by
Messrs. Burleigh. Russell, Heatwole
Crumpacker, Griffith, and Wilson of South
Carolina. They say, discussing the com
mlttee bill: THE anomalous character of
this proposed apportionment. as well as
its obvious injustice, is clearly demon
strated by the fact that it is necessarily
based. in part. upon majority fractions,
and yet Colorado with majority fraction
of 12l,367; Florida. with q majority frac-
tion of 1l0,S07, and North Dakota, with a
majority fraction Of 105 $50, do not receive
a Representative based upon such ma
jorlty fraction, while every other State
sentative for such majority fraction
We believe that every State should he
treated alike with reference to its ma
Jorlty fraction, as no valid reason has /
been or can be assigned for the discrim-
ination between them. We also believe !
that IN the new apportionment no State
should lose Representative We there
fore recommend n House consisting of 3Sf
members. which is based upon a ratio of
one Representative for every I941S2 of
population"
On this basis the gains would be as fol-
lows: One each-Arkansas. California. Col
orado, Connecticut Florida. Louisiana,
Z Mississippi, Missouri,
North Carolina, North Dakota, Washing
ton West Virginia and Wisconsin. Two
each-Minnesota, New Jersey, and Penn
sylyania. Three each-IIlinois. New York.
and Texas.
We submit continues the minority.
that this apportionment involving an
increase in the membership of the House
Of twenty nine, is in line with the uniform
practice of the House in increasing the
size so as to keep pace as near as may be
with the increase in population Of the
country"
Messrs. Russell and Heatwole unite in
a supplemental dissent from the report of
the committee, saying:
we submit that the proper apnortion-
ment of membership in the House of Rep
resentatives shonld rest upon fixed ra-
ito to the population of the country and
not be determined by an arbitrary num-
Jer. The size Of the country rather than
the size of the assembly should be the
basis upon which membership in the
House of Representatives should be de-
iermined And for the equality OF repre-