The Washington bee., 1901-06-08
THE NEGRO PROBLEM.
MR.. LIVINGSTON OPPOSED To
DISFRANGHISEMENT.
Georgia Satisfied with Its Way-Appreh
Reduction Of Representation by Congress-,
Recent Insular Divisions. .SfoI

From The Star.
Representative Livingston of Geor-
gia is here attending the meeting OF
the industrial commission. MI. Llv-
ingstone was taken i'll week after the
adjournment of Congress, suffering
an attack of pneumonia. Alter re-
naming in this city a short time he
went to q sanitarium in Atlanta, and
from there to his plantation IN Georgia.
from which he lately came here.
Mr.. Livingston was seen by Star
reporter to-day. He is not in favor Of
any constitutional amendment for his
state in line with amendments on the
suffrage question which have been
adopted by Louisiana, Mississippi.
North and South Carolina. BE sees
danger in such amendments, which he
thinks may in the future result IN the
cutting down of the congressional
representation of states adopting
them.
POSSIBLE REDUCTION IN REPRESENTA-
TIoNs
81 | think our people are againsN
such amendments TO our state con-
stitution." he said. "We are getting
along nicely with the negro IN Geor-
gia. The states which adopt the
amendments already adopted py
| Louisiana, Mississippi, North ana
South Carolina may see the time
when Congress will take the matter
up with a view to affecting their rep
| resentation in Congress. As long as
Georgia is doing well we do not care
| to run risk of having our representa-
| ton cut down in the United States
Congress and the electoral college.
was opposed to giving the republicans
the advantages we gave them at the
| last session increasing their member
! ship in the House. We gave them an
! increase of nine members when thsIs
was no necessity for It, but we hao
! democrats who were so anxious to get
their own representation increased
that they were willing TO let them do
as they wanted.
The House was large enough
Now, if they conclude their margin IS
not sufficient, and claim their right to
increase it by reducing the represent
tation of such states as Louisian, Mls-
sissippi. North and South Carolina, It
would bring turmoil and strife and re-
open the issues of the civil war. For
these reasons do not think 1t is best
for the southern states to adopt suCh
constitutional amendments. l think
the Georgia election law remedies the
whole trouble complained OF IL the
south. ANY man can vote IN OeoI ga
if he is not a felon and has paid his
taxes. The great majority OF negroes
| 80 70
after he has done so for twenty years
he can vote any time by paying II up
But hundreds and hundreds OF thefn
prefer to take care OF the dollat 10
voting. We have no eoucauonaI
qualification. The number OF negroes
in our state is not so large as 1t was
formerly. Very many OF them are
moving away where agricultural con-
ditions are better than they are IN
| Georgia. The colored people IN the
state are now in the proportion oI lopr
! TO six"
SUPREME COURT INSULAR DECISIONS.
Mr.. Livingston does not think tho
United Safes Supreme Court decis
ions in the insular cases have settled
ANYTHING in relation 10 the constitu-
LlOnd&
tories or other possessions of the
United States. He thinks the decis-
ions have left the whole matter open
for discussion in Congress and on the
stump. But above all, he thought
these decisions were in line with what
he regards as a general tendency to
place less weight on the Constitution
as a guide to the nation.
" 1t seems to me the force OF the con-
stitution is becoming less and less
every day. 1t is so in Congress and
with the executive departments. Tim.
CampbelPs proposition was merely an
outburst of his feelings when he
wanted to know What's the Constitu-
ton between friends ? but there IS too
much Of that feeling. This tendency
is, If the Constitution stands IN the
way Of something it is desired to do,
to Just legislate it out of the way In
other words, the reverence our fathers
had for the Constitution seems to be
growing less and less every day"