The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1901-01-10
The SOUTH
ERN VOTE.
RESOLUTION TO REDUCE
REPRESENTATION IN THE
STATES WHERE CITI-
XENS ARE DISFRAN-
CHISED.
INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS- syA PENN
sylyANIA REPRESENTATIVE.

SrlNANiA REPRESENTATIVE.
southern acknowledgements Laws I'm DE-
rect Violation OF the Constitution Con-
gre--IonaI ApportIonment Must be
Made as Provided by the Constitution.
Immediately aftor the opening OF
Congress after the Christmas holi
days, Thursday, Congressman Olm
stead of Psnnsylvania, sent to tb.
Clerk g desk q resolution which he
claims is q matter Of privilege bear
ing upon the Limitation placed upon
the suffrage by the states of Missis
sipp', Louisiana, North Carolina and
South Carolina.
The resolution is as follow:
Whereas, The continued enjoy
mem OF full representation in this
House by any State which nas, for
reasons other than participation in
reht llion or other crime, denied 4"
any Of the male inhabitants thereof,
beinR Il years OF age and citizens OF
the United States, the right to vot"
for repre- sentative in Congress, pres
ldential electors and other spec,fa
officers, Is in direct violation of tn
fourteenth amendment to the Cou-
s,itution OF the Uuited States, which
de clares that in such case the base
of representation the be reduc, d
in the proportion whi"h such male
citizens Il years of age ia such Stat. +,
and is an invasion OF the rights anG
dignity of this House and Of il
members and an infringement upon
the rights and privileges in this
House of other States and their Rep
rtsentstives: and
Whereas, Since the last sppor-
tion ment the States of Mississippi,
South Carollua aud louisiana hsv
by changes in their Constitution
and statutes OF said States, aud for
reasons other than participation /,
rebellion and other crime, denied tn
right Of suff age to male in habitants
- years of age, citizens of the U IL
ted States, and such denial In eact
of said States extends TO more than
ont-half OF thoss who, prior thereto
were entitled to vote, as appears
from the followin statistics, pub
lished in the Congressional Oirecto
ries of the Fifty v-second and Fifty
sixth Congresses namely.
"In the seven districts OF Mississ
ippi the total vote cast for all q IN
gressional candidates in 1890 were
62 652; in 1898, 81, ,Oi5. In the seven
dlsricts OF South Csrolina the totsl
vote in 1890 was 73 ,522 and % 83l IN
1898 In the six d lstricts OF Lou'sia
ns, 4,542 IN 1890 and 33 161 in 1898
One member of the present House
representing ten counties IN M ssiss-
ippi with q population in 1898 Of
1874 297, received only 2,068 votes.
Oae member OF the present Housa
representing SIX counties in South
Carolina, with q population IN 1890
of 1853 SOL, received only l,765 votes
and one member representing thir-
teen unties in Louisiana with q
population OF POS, 1902, received only
2 494 votes and
Whereas, Ii IS matter OF common
rumor that other States have, FOL
ke6boub ObuoE bu6u buO5U pRCcAAou A.
the Constitution of the United States
denied to some Of their male inhabi
tants 81 years old and citizens Of the
w Uuited States the right to vote For
~ members of Congress and Prssidsn
tisl electors, as we'll as executive an
judicial officers OF said States ant
members of the legislature thereof
aud no reduction has been made il
the representation of any State j,
the House because of such denia'
and
Whereas, The President of tn,
United States has, by m msssage, rec
omme nded 'that the Congress, at it
present session, spportion the repre-
sentatiou among the several State
as provided by the Constitution
therefore
Resolved l. That the committe
on Census shall be and is authoriz n
and requested, either by full com
mittee or such sub committees q
may be appointed by the charms
thereof, to inquire, examine and re
port in what States the right to vot
at any election Tor the choice OF lee
& tors for President and Vice Pres
dent of the United States, repres. I
tatives in Congress-, the executiv
and judicial officers of State or III
members of the Legislatures ther,
of, is denied to any of the male IL
h hsbitsnts OF such States 21 years {
age and citizens of the United State
or in any way abridged, except Il
participation in rebellion or oth'
crimes, and the proportion which tn
number of such male citizens sha
bear to the whole number Of ma
citizens 2l years OF age in each sue
A State"
There was much opposition to Il
reading of the above resolutions q
the part of Southern Dsraot rar
members. After q spirited deoa
W the resolution was referred to Il
Census G, mmittee. e., g.
'|I Ty1NcN - II