The National tribune., 1901-12-12
CHAT OF THE CORRIDORS.

CHAT OF THE CORRIDORS.
There are not likely to be any surprises
whatever in the makeup of the House
committees, and especially in the Chair
manships. Almost all the party leaders
on both sides have been returned and the
Chairmen of practically all the import
ant committees of the last House are
ready TO resume their places in the pres
ent one. Serene +. Payne, Of New York,
will remain at the head of the Ways and
Means Committee, and Joseph G.. Cannon,
of Illinois, at the head of the Appropria-
tions. Robert r. Hit, of Illinois, will
retain Foreign Affairs; Henry A. Cooper,
of Wisconsin, Insuar Affairs; George w.
Ray, of New York, Judiciary; William
z. Hepburn, of Iowa, Interstate and For
eign Commerce; Charles II. Grosvenor, of
Chic, Merchant Marine and Fisheries:
George E. Foss. of Illinois, Naval AT
fairs; John A. Il. Hull. of Iowa, Military
Affairs; Cyrus A. Sulloway, of New
Hampshire, Invalid Pensions; Eugene +.
Loud, of California, Postofices and Post
Roads; Theodore f. Burton, of Ohio,
Rivers and Harbors; David II. Mercer,
of Nebraska, Public Buildings and
Grounds; John F. Lacey, of Iowa, Pub
lie Lands: James ii. Southard, of Ohio.
Coinage, Weights and Measures; Robert
W. Tayler, of Ohio. Elections No. /. and
William S. Mesick, of Michigan, Elec-
tiOns No. 3.
In fact, only three committees of any
importance have been left with Chair
manships vacant. The death of Marriott
Brosius, of Pennsylvania. makes neccs-
sary a promotion to the head of Banking
and Currency, and the deaths of Benja-
min F.. Marsh. of Illinois, and Walter l..
Weaver, of Ohio. will force the selection
of new Chairmcn for Militia and Elec-
tions No. . Charles y. Fowler. of New
Jersey, is the senior member of the Bank
ing and Currency Committee, and Edwin
C. Burleigh, of Maine. and Martin T..
Olmstcd, of Pennsylvania. are the rank
ing Republicans ON the other two.
Representative Boreing, Of Kentucky,
and Representative Brownlow, of Ten
nessee, are said TO be rival candidates
for the position on the House Appropria
tions Committee, formerly held by Repre-
sentative Pugh, of Kentucky. A place
on the committee has usually gone to a
Southern Republican, and Speaker Hen
dersOn may appoint either Boreing or
Brownlow. 1t is understood that Mr..
Boreing would prefer the Appropriations
Committee to the Chairmanship of a
small committee.
There will certainly be renewed agita-
ton at this session of Congress of the
proposition advanced last session to cut
down the representation in the House OF
the Southern States which disfranchisc
the negro. 1t will be remembered that
Mr.. Olmsted, of PENNSYLVANIA, and Mr..
Crumpacker, of Indiana, started n cru
sadc last Congress to accomplish that pur-
pose, but which failed through opposition
from high Republican sources. 1t is ex-
pected the subject will be reopened i'm
mediately after Congress assemblies. 1t
would probably be saying too much to
state that immediate success is hoped for
by even the most sanguine advocates of
the legislation. They believe, however,
hey will be able to draw public attention
to the alleged misrepresentation of the
Southern States in such way as to pos
sibly bring results in the future.
Some recent figures promulgated by the
Census Bureau viii be used in the propa-
ganda. They relate to the number of ne
gro males of voting age in the Southern
States, as counted by the Census enum-
orators. These figures are compared with
the number of Republican votes counted
in those States and deductions drawn
which would seem TO indicate that some
negro votes are overlooked 'in the deal.
The Republican Committee is likely, it
is said, to encourage the movement. The
Congressional Campaign Committee for a
long time has complained of the handicap
it bears at the beginning of every Con
gressional campaign, through the over
representation of the Southern States.
The situation will be even worse in the
future, as under the new apportionment
act the Southern States actually gain six
more Representatives. in Congress. Texas
gets three Mississippi one, Louisiana one
and Florida one.
Arkansas contains a voting negro popu-
Iation of S7,157. In 1898, in the Congress
sional elections, the total Republican vote
in that State was 2,706. 1t is
true that in some Of the districts there
were no Republican candidates for Con
gress; in the circumstances, they did not
it worth while to run for the Of
fee.
In Alabama, in 1900, there were 49,
All male negroes of voting age. In the
elections of 1898 the Re
publican vote counted in all the districts
aggregated 1854. Alabama's new Con
stitution DISTINGUISHES a portion of the ne
sus returns show, however, that there
were 1888 literate negroes in the State
who will be entitled to vote.
Only 1926 Republican votes were
counted in Florida in the Congressional
elections of 1898. There were 81 All male
negroes of voting age III the State in 1900,
according to the United States Census.
Georgia was another State where Re
publican candidates for Congress were
omitted from the ticket in some of the
districts-seyen, in fact. There were
223, ,0T3 negroes of voting age in that
State and the total Republican vote,
was 6.72S.
Louisiana's total male negro population
Of voting age was 141,34S. The total Re
publican vote counted was 2.754. Louisi-
ana has an educational qualification, and
the Census declares that 57,456 negroes
were literates.
Mississippi counted 1927 Republican
votes, with a voting negro population of
1886. There were 92,1S3 literates
among them.
1t is difficult TO estimate the situation
in North Carolina, owing to the existence
and the fact that the Populsts, who are
mainly white men, voted the Republican
ticket in many instances. There are 1877
ia negroes of voting age in the State,
and the total vote cast in opposition to
the Democratic candidates for Congress
was 12264S.