The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-09
PAYNE THE ADVISER IS AT THE BOTTOM OF II
There Is Little Doubt, However, That Notwithstanding RooseveIt's Atti- tude, He Is at Heart In Fa-
 vor of the Scheme.
BY PATTERSON srEALEY.


 Washington, November s.-(speciaL)-- After long conference with the Presi- dent this morning, Postmaster General Payne announced that the stories coup ling the Presidents name with the proposition to cut down the representa- tion of the southern states was .'unwar- ranted." It is further stated that the President is ''non-committa1'' on the sub- Ject, though he has recently discussed the matter at some length with his po- litical advisor, Postmaster General Payne, who is an out-and-out advocate of southsrn reduction, ana who yester- day believed that he had impressed the President to such an extent that he could safely allow his newspaper friends to say internationally that there would be efforts in the next congress to base southern representation upon the actual number of votes cast.
 It Is the understanding here that Post master General aPyne has 1n a large degree won the President over to his way of thinking on the southern repre- sentation question.
 Payne's Idea.
 Payne believes that if the negro is to be disfranchised in a state, there should be proportional decrease in the represen- tation of that state, both in congress and in national conventions The President is believed to take this view of it. though for obvious reasons he is not willing to allow a statement to go out to that effect preferring as it was stated today. to be in ''non-committal' attitude For sew eral years Mir. Payne has advocated the plan of passing future representation in republican conventions upon the republi- can vote and he believes the opportunity will come two years hence for it's adop- ton. The understanding is that he will secure from the national committee a recommendation to the convention that the system be adopted.
 It seems reasonably safe to say that the republicans will never be able to get through congress a bill cutting down southern congressional representation. There would be no difficulty in such a measure passing the house. but under the latitude of debate allowed in the senate a few determined democratic members could so clog the wheels of Legislation that business would come to stand-still
 Present System Unjust.
 All republicans contend that the pres ent system of southern repr esentation Is unjust but most Of them admit the im- possibility of securing remedial legisla- ticn.
 It is only the stubbornness of the Paynes and the Crumpackers which keeps the subject alive. The administra- tion's organ, the Philadelphia Press. to- day says:
 President Roosevelt has not at any time catered to the southern vote in the convention, and he Is believed to favor the Payne plan of representation. Since becoming president he has handled the old politicians of the south who trade on convention favors without gloves. He has removed from office @ number of those who were appointed as a result of their services in the convention of 1896. He Is not favoring one faction as against another, but is treating all alike. He Is not seeking support in convention that has not republican constituencies be- hind 1t. If nominated and elected in 1904, he will have no obligations to dis charge to those whose votes in the con- vention are often held to secure promise of patronage"