The Nome nugget., 1903-06-06
NEW SOUTHERN PROPOSAL.

Newspaper correspondents at the national capital predict that tho democratic minority in the house will be led during the Fifty-eighth congress by John Sharp Williams of Mississippi who was born in that state July 30, 1854, is lawyer, and has represented the old Fifth district for ten years He elected to represent the new Eighth district receiving all the votes cast, 1114. During the Fiy-scventh congress Mr. Williams took prominent part, being ready speaker and good parliamentaran, quick to take advantage of or to make point.
 Recently Mr. Williams, discussing with number of southern members the negro question, said:
 Il would be perfectly willing to reduction in the representation of the southern states in congress if the northern states would repeal of the fifteenth amendment to the constitution. providing
 that the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be abridged by the United States by any state, account race, color previous condition of servtude. It now is generally admitted that ferrng the franchise the negro mistake, and 1t it was mistake it certainly should be rectifed.
 q, for one, would gladly give up my seat in con- gress and abandon all hope of public for the sake of seeing the fifteenth amendment repealed, and believe most southern men feel 1 do aboutft With all danger of negro domination removed, the south would not obj to having its representation in congress reduced if the representation fairly based upon the distribution of white population. The south is not looking for advantage; it only asks jus ce and it is not just to hold this threat of reduced representation over our heads while the fifteenth amendment remains part of the federal constu- Iton."
 While Mir Williams may voice the sentiment of most southern men, it is equally certain that his pro- posal will meet with very little appreciation in the north, and therefore, his proposition will never be- come the law of the land. The people of the north may look askance at the elimination of the negro voter by the adoption of educational and similar tests and not be disposed to too severely crtc.se the tves that led to their adoption, because there is growing sentiment among us for putting in operation the doctrine that the education and intelligence of the individual shall be established before he is allow cd to cast ballot, but cannot help wondering why the provisions of the fourteenth amendment not enforced, and the representation in congress of Mississippi, for instance, reduced lin the proportion which the number of such male citizens," who have been kept away from the ballot box, "bears to the whole number of male citizens 21 years of age such state"
 The people of the north will not very loudly ques-
 ton tie elimination of the negro vote in the south, under educational est if they assured of an equal voice in congress and the electoral college. What they object to is the advantage in these things reaped by the south through the abolition of slavery Ex-Gov Alcorn. of Mississippi, wont to ex- plain how the negro vote is counted in the south. Said he: "You know that before the war five negroes counted for three in the basis of representation. Since the five negroes count for five in the basis of rep resentaton and the southern contingent in congress and the electoral college is increased thirtyve votes"