Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-05
MIR. Livingston Opposed to Disfran-
chiSement.
GEORGIA SATISFIED WITH It's WAY
Apprehends Reduction of Repre-
sentation by Congress.
RECENT lNSULAR DECISIONS

Representative Livingston Of Georgia is
here attending the meeting Of the industrial
commission Mr.. Livingston was taken III
a week after the adjournment Of Congress-
suffering an attack OF pneumonia After
remaining In this city a short time he went
to a sanitarium in Atlanta, and from there
to his plantation In Georgia, from which he
lately came here.
Mr.. Livingston was seen by a Star re-
porter today. He is not In favor OF any
constitutional amendment for his state IN
line with amendments on the suffrage ques-
ton which have been adopted by Louisiana,
Mississippi North and South Carolina He
sees danger in such amendments, which he
thinks may In the future result in the cute
ting down of the congressional representa-.
tion of states adopting them.
Possible Reduction I'm Representation.
IT think our people are against such
amendments to our state constitution, ne
said. I'VE are getting along nicely with
the negro in Georgia. The states which
adopt the amendments already adopted by
Louisiana. Mississippi, North and South
Carolina may see the time when Congress
will take the matter up with a view TO az
fecting their representation in Congress,
AS long as Georgia is doing well we do not
care to run a risk OF having our represen-
gress and the electoral college. | was OPP
posed to giving the republicans the advan-
tages We gave them at the last session IN
increasing their membership in the House.
We gave them an increase OF nine meme
bers when there was no necessity for lt,
but we had democrats who were so anxious
to get their own representation increased
that they were willing to let them do as
they wanted. .
.sfhe House was large enough. Now, IL
they conclude their margin is not sufficient,
and claim their right to increase IT by re.
ducing the representation Of such states as
Louisiana Mississippi, North and South
Carolina, 1t would bring turmoil and strife
and reopen the issues of the civil war. For
these reas ms i do not think 1t is best for
the soutt ern states to adopt such constitu-
tional amendments. 1 think the georgia
election law remedies the whole trouble
complained of In the south. Any man can
vote in Georgia IL he is not felon ana
has paid his raxes. He must register and
pay his taxes. The great majority or
negroes have only a poll tax to pay. A
negro can refuse to pay his poll tax of 81,
and after he has done so for twenty years
he can vote any time by paying 1t up But
hundreds and hundreds Of them prefer to
take care of the dollar to voting. We have
no educational qualification. The number
of negroes In our state is not so large as it
was formerly. Very many OF them are
moving away where agricultural conditions
are better than they are in Georgia; The
colored people in the state are now in the
proportion Of four to six"
Supreme Court Insular Decisions.
Mr.. Livingston does not think the United
States Supreme Court decisions in the In.
sular cases have settled anything in rela-
ton to the constitutional question of the
status Of territories or other possessions OF
the United States. He thinks the decisions
have left the whole matter open for discus
sion in Congress and on the stump. But
above ell, he thought these decisions were
in line with what he regards as a general
tendency to place less weight on the Consti-
tuition as q guide to the nation.
"1f Congress can do anything In the ter
ritories," said Mr.. Livingston, without re-
gard to the Constitution, then Congress can
disregard the Constitution in dealing with
the states. The doctrine promulgated by
the Supreme Court seems TO me TO be
very dangerous one. II the decision had
been in line with the views OF the four dis
senting judges 1t would have torn the ie-
publican party to pieces.
"It seems to me the force OF the Constitl-
tion is becoming less and less every day.
1t Is so in Congress and with the executive
departments. Tim Campbells proposition
was merely 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, X
the Constitution stands in the way Of
something It Is desired to do, to Just legis-
late 1t out Of the way, or for the Supreme
Court to decide 1t out Of the way In ether
words, the reverence our fathers had fof
the Constitution seems to be growing lesa
and less every day"