The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-04
THE CRUMPACKER BILL.

The Northern papers which are giving
so much of their space to the discussion
of the Crumpacker bill--a bin to reduce
the representation in Congress Of states
of the South which, by constitutional
amendment, nave disfranchsed the ne
groes-seem to be under the impression
that pretty nearly all of the Southern
states would be affected by the passage of
the bin. As matter of fact it really APP
plies to only one state, namely, Louisiana.
One Northern paper contains the state
ment that if the bill were to become
law, the South would lose fifteen or TWEEN
ty congressman. As Louisiana has only
six congressman, and at the most would
not lose more than half of them, 1t Is
evident that the paper in question has only
a muddled idea of the actual situation
1t is true that North Carolina is to vote
on a constitutional amendment, similar TO
that adopted by Louisiana, in August
next, but ii is by no means certain that
she win adopt it. The effort to have this
state adopt the Louisiana amendment was
overwhelmingly defeated. The Crumpack-
er bill can have no reference to the states
in those states the suffrage laws make no
discrimination between the races. 1t is
very doubtful If the Crumpacker bill viii
find much favor at the hands of Congress.
It is understood that the Louisiana Re
publicans are opposed to it, because if it
were to become a law their representation
in the the national convention of the Re
io,,f 10,
There are Republican leaders probably
who believe it would be a good thing
for their party in the South if a suffrage
amendment, similar to that which has be-
come part of the constitution of Louis
lana. should be adopted by every other
Southern state. The argument that pre-
sents itself to them is, that the South
will remain soidly Democratic as long
as it is threatened with negro domination
in state, county and municipal affairs, but
that there would be a strong white Repub-
hcan party in every Southern state just
as soon as all apprehension of negro dom
nation, in any degree, was removed. If
the argument is a sound one, a strong
white Republican party may be expected
to appear in Louisiana within the next
few years.
While there Is not much probability that
the Crumpacker bill will receive much at
tention from Congress, the constitutional
ity of the Louisiana suffrage amendment
may be attacked in the Senate, when
senators elected from that state present
their credentials for admission to that
body. Mr.. Caffrey and Mr.. McEnery are
the present Louisiana senator's When the
suffrage amendment was pending in the
constitutional convention they took the
ground that it was unconstitutional They
must hold therefore that a legislature
elected since the adoption of that amend
ment will be an Illegal body, and that
senator's chosen by that legislature will
not be entitled to seats in the Senate
Having taken the position they did, it is
hardly probable that either of them will be
candidates for reelection. 1t is difficult
to see how they can be consistently. If
the Louisiana suffrage question is to come
up at all, it is more likely to do so in the
way suggested than by means of the
Crumpa cker bill.