The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1901-11-02
SOUTHERN REPRESENTATION.

he electoral college of the states that
AVE placed restrictions on the suf- r
rage, upon the theory that under the /
operation of the Fourteenth Amend 6
nent where a state abridges the suf- .
frage its representation must be re- I
1uced in the same proportion. ,
A bill was introduced at the last
of Congress providing for a re-
duction of federal representation In
all of the States having a restricted
suffrage. Mr.. Mckinley expressed
his opposition to such a measure, and
owing to the presidential dis
approval the bill never came back
from the committee to whom it had
been referred.
If the Fourteenth Amendment pa
plies to the states that have placed
limitations on the elective franchise,
then the Southern states that have
recently restricted the suffrage will
lose heavily in their federal represen-
tation. Mississippi, Louisiana, Ala
bama, Virginia and North Carolina
stand in this predicament.
If the representation of these states
is reduced to a suffrage basis, MisSis-
sippi would lose four out of its seven
Congressman: Louisiana would lose at
least two, if not three, out of its six
members of Congress; North Carolina
would be reduced from nine to six;
Alabama would lose about as heavily
as Mississippi, anC Virginia would
probably lose three out of its ten Con-
gressmen. These states would lose,
in the aggregate, about sixteen Con-
gressmen, and the same number Of
votes in the electoral college.
If such a measure is passed by Con-
gress it will seriously effect the Suff-
rage question in the Southern states
that have not yet placed limitations
on the elective franchise. They will
! be less inclined to limit the suffrage
if the consequences will be the loss OF
representation in Congress and the
electoral college.
1t is true that Massachusetts, Con
necticut. Pennsylvania and a number
of Northern states have educational
taxpaying or other conditions annexed
to the suffrage, but with only a small
percentage of persons who are dis
qualified as voters their loss of repre-
~sentation would be practically map
preciable. 1t is obvious that such
-. measure would more largely effect tn
Southern states, and the Souther
. people are therefore more deeply intel
ested in the subject.
Now that the old sectional issue
have passed away and we have a ne
; era of kindly sentiment and mutui
good will between the people of tt
North and the people of the South,
= is a matter for profound regret tn;
any new sectional issue should arise.
In the long and bitter quarrel b
tween the North and the South TIL
v existed for nearly half a century, al
lie that finally eliminated in a bloot
S civil war, the South was the heavie
u loser, and it is perfectly safe to 81
that in any future sectional issues
70 national politics the South will aga
be the loser.
The conservative and patriotic pt
le- pie of the South-everybody, in fax
A except the sensational and professic
70 al politicians and a few hot temper
I'D newspapers-are anxious that t
, n present cordial relations between I
wn North and the South be preserv'
is 1t is therefore gratifying to this CT
or of people. and they form by long o.
the great majority of the SOUTH
people,, UlldU I|IcSluClio iNoooS'Sio
,de expressed in the strongest posi-
wo terms his disapproval of any meas
,,.+ that will take away any of the pol
cal power of the South. In this
Ia 5 spect the President occupies preciS
on the position taken by his tllustri
lice predecessor.
The influence of the Chief Exc
tive is potent and far reaching in
d spect to legislation on any import
hen subject, and it is not at all likely
zen. "A republican Congress, no matter
strongly partisan it may be, VIII
no pose the presidential policy in resi-
to this important question.
anu During MI. Roosevelt S admins
tant ton it is safe to say that this q
ded. ton will not be presented formidi
re- in Congress or in national politics
The problem Of the suffrage in
Gnu nection with the social question
pens not been permanently solved iii
t is of the states that have placed rest
mort. ions on the elective franchise. tho
+ho ,oaacurpS that have been q