New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-06-04
STATES ON THE MISSISSIPPI PLAN"

This average divided by five gives 46T6 as
the general average aggregate vote cast in all
the thirty seven districts of these five States
This is more than 50 900 less than the average
vote thrown through the North. and more than
$4,000 less than the average I'm the other six
Southern States. where the Mississippi system
has not yet gone fully into effect. 1t is one
I half less than the paltry average in Alabama
Mr.. Ray TO Congress, polled 81 ,20I votes in 1898,
only $4,000 less than the entire vote for Con-
gressmen of the State of Georgia, with her
1 .S37 500 people. called the Empire State of
the South 1t more than the totals OF
either of the other four Southern States. The
Democratic XIVth District of Missouri in an
old hdebound slave region, cast 42,446 votes
a greater aggregate than the total vote for
Congressman of either South Carolina, Mtssis-
sippi, Louisiana or Arkansas. The lst Illinois
District threw 59,334 votes, only 5000 short or
that of the entire poll in Georgia, which was
more than double that of either of the other
States. James Rankin Young's district in Phila-
delphia cast 81 249 votes and Chester l. Long S
Kansas District 81, 496. These, it must be re-
membered, are the aggregates of single con-
gress districts rot States
UNFAIR ADVANTAGE IN CONGRESS.
These five Southern States. casting an aggre-
gate of only 1S4,602 votes at the election or
1895 sent up thirty-seven Congressman. The
imperial State of New York, which cast more
than 100000 votes. has only thirty-four Rep
resentatives The Democratic State of Mis-
souri, which cast $4,000 ballots in 1898, has
only fifteen Representatives. Kansas. which
cast 2SS,O00 votes. more than 100000 In excess
of the aggregate vote of the five Southern
States named has only seven congressman
against their thirty seven.
These are suggestive comparisons. 1t is not
question of partisanship-not matter or great
Importance whether these States are Demo
cratic Republican-but one which goes TO
the general public interest. If the States which
elect to pursue the mississippi PLAN insist on
suppressing the negro vote they should frankly
yield up the redundant representation derived
from the negro population There will he pub
lie insistence upon this alternative, and the
movement for investigation by Congress
into the electoral processes of the South has its
origin in the design to force this issue,
On the vote they cast, the five States of Ala
bama, Georgia, Louisiana. Mississippi and South
Carolina would be entitled to precisely FIVE Rep
Iesen tatives in Congress, that is, the average
of 81 GOO votes district, shown through the
other portions of the Union where there is no
obstruction to the free exercise of the elective
franchise. Nebraska cast $4,000 votes for Con-
sressmen in 1898; she has six Representatives
That is almost precisely the total vote of the
five States ruled by the Mississippi PLAN and
they would be entitled to six Representatives
On the same ratio, additional one for the
extraordinary vote of Georgia. 60, 751, major
fraction over the average for a single Repre-
sentative The others all fall below the average
requirement for a representative.