The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-01-17
NUMBER As.

be had without constitutional war
rant therefor.
The disposition of those Demo-
Gratis i'll Maryland who seem to fav-
or the calling of an extra session of
the Legislature to restrict suffrage in
the interests of the Democratic party
Is in marked contrast to the spirit
manifested by the Republican major
lty in Congress. 1t was, perhaps, as
much due to the action of the Mary
land delegation in Congress as to any
thing else that action looking to the
reduction of representation in several
states of the Union was not had. or
was at least deferred.
Il have seen a statement to the eff
feet that if the provision of the Four
teenth amendment, providing for the
reduction of representation insCon-
gress because of the restriction of
suffrage for other cause than crime or
participation in rebellion. were in
voked, Massachusetts would lose
about one half of her representatives
and that other Northern states would
suffer similar loss.
ANY statement of that kind, by
whomsoever made. is in reckless dis
regard of the truth, as the slightest
investigation would show. The total
percentage of illiterates in Massachu-
setts-the highest claimed by any
body-is about per cent. of the pop
ulation. That includes, | am inform
ed, as well persons non-naturalized
as those who are citizens. The 14th
amendment cannot affect anyone ex-
cept citizens of the United States, and
the persons who are not naturalized.
who are denied suffrage, cannot fig
ure at all as basis or part of a
basis for reduction of representation
under the 14th amendment. The act
ual percentage of illiterates is, I'M
derstand, of native people and per-
sons naturalized. not more than ORA
per cent, not enough to lose a single
representative.
The fact is that in no state which
has passed laws restrictive of the
franchise would there be a loss of a
single representative if the provisions
OF the 14th amendment referred to
were put into effect, with the excep-
ton of North Carolina, South Caro-
lima, Mississippi and Louisiana.
1.-The general feeling upon the part
OF the Republican membership of Con-
gress here is that where there has
been feeling of real bona fide neces-
sity to restrict suffrage because of
widespread and hurtful illitracy, the
constitutional power to reduce repre-
sentation should not be invoked; yes,
| will go further than that, and say
that where there has been felt such
necessity to restrict suffrage because
OF what our Southern friends call
negro domination as exemplified in
states where the colored people have
a decided majority, by complete as
sumption of government upon their
part over the whites, going to the ex-
tent, as it is claimed, of destruction
or serious impairment of Anglo Saxon
civilization-there is a disposition not
to invoke the constitutional power
because of such a condition.
ION the other hand, should this re-
striction of suffrage go on and extend
to states where there is no such fear
of negro domination, where, as in
Maryland, the percentage of the col
ored population to the white is about
only one-fifth of the whole, and where,
therefore, such restriction is mere
partisan device to advance the inter
ests of certain political regimes, or to
obtain advantage by one party over
another, the feeling, if l judge Alright,
is emphatic to the effect that Con-
gress would be called upon and justi-
fed in interfering, either to prevent
such movements or to give to them
their natural and constitutional con-
sequence of reduction of representa-
tive power proportionate to their own
reduction of voting power.
''The feeling here among the Re-
publican members is that if this new
century is to be marked by any con-
spicuous readvent of sectional and
partisan legislation, that it would be
better that sucha movement did not
originate with the Republican party,
but to give the Democratic party
monopoly of it; and then, if in the
end the Federal government, out of
an enforced sense of respect to consti-
tutional provisions, should feel called
upon to step in and to restore the dis
turbed equilibrium of voting or rep
resentative power of its different sec
tions, the people will take note of the
occasion for such action and place
the responsibility where it belongs
AS Mr.. Mudd speaks with authority
it behooves the Democrats in Mary
land to consider well before acting.
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