The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-17
Equal DIFFERENTIATION.

In South Carolina, on Tuesday, Nov. G,
the aggregate vote polled for seven repre-
sentatives in Congress was 2S.Ssl,
average of 4,2OS votes to each representa-
tive. The same day 25.797 votes in Missis-
sippi elected seven representatives to Con-
gress. 3.6S5 votes to a member. In the
Seventh district of Indiana, composed OF
were polled to elect one representative 10
Congress. Let us consider these remark
able figures. Two States casting 4.20S less
votes for congressman than did the Sew
enth district of Indiana elect fourteen
members of the next House and eighteen
palliation of this amazing showing that,
if the voters do not choose to vote, how
can they be made to do so? In answer to
this it may be said that half of the voters
In both these States have been disfran-
chised, which carries alienation to the
Inhabitants which these disfranchised vot-
ers represent Half the population of both
the States named has been deliberately dis
franchised, in defiance of the Constitution
of the United States. Yet, with such facts
before it. the Philadelphia Record cries
out against the proposition to consider
this outrage upon representative govern
ment, in the following language:
Having fastened negro suffrage upon the
country-a curse TO the people of the South.
a danger to the people of the North and an
injury to the negroes themselves, who
were untitled for the safe or proper exer-
else of the privilege thrust upon them-the
more radical spirits of the Republican
party now propose TO punish the Southern
states which have sought to protect them
selves against negro domination by reduc-
ing the representation of the South in
Congress in proportion to the number Of
disfranchised blacks. This would be equiv
alent to an attempt to atone for one crime
by committing another. We cannot be-
lIeve that the wiser leaders of the Repub-
1can party can be persuaded or driven
into the support of such a mistaken policy,
which would involve the country in a GER
tain revival of sectionaiiSm.
If those who write upon this subject
would inform themselves they will find
that the people of the South were offered
reinstatement in the Union by adopting
the constitutional amendment abolishing
slavery and repudiating the Confederate
debt. In two States Constitutions with
voters. Resolved to restore the States to
the Union on a basis which would insure
the fruits of the Union victory, the Repub,
llcans turned to the colored men. So much
to correct the error of the Record evident
ly due to ignorance of history, which does
the Republicans of the war period gross
injustice. Equally unjust is the assertion
that any Republicans desire TO punish the
whites in the States which have disfran-
ohised the colored voters. Many Republic
ans hold that it is unjust for $4,000 whites
in one State to have the same representa-
ton i'm Congress and the Electoral College
that 100000 have in another State Instead
of desire to punish the people of any
State the desire is to secure equal repre-
sentation of the people based upon the
voting population. With that element Of
the Republican party the Journal is in full
accord. 1t believes that the representation
in Congress should be reduced in States
which have denied to any of the male
inhabitants thereof the right to vote as
set forth in Sec. 2 of the fourteenth
amendment to the Constitution.
In the newspaper speculation regarding
representation under the next apportion-
ment it is given out that Maine and PROB
ably Kansas and Nebraska will lose one
member. SO long as two States casting 81
CPS votes have fourteen members of the
House and eighteen presidential electors
the Journal protests against cutting down
the representation of States casting full
votes at every election while others which
have DISTINGUISHED half their voters and
population have representation for the dis
franchised