Fergus County argus., 1904-12-07
TO REDUCE REPRESENTATION.
Gen. keifer viii Seek to Impose Con-
stitutional Penalty.

Gen. keifer Will Seek to Impose Con-
stitutional Penalty.
Gen. Joseph Warren Keifer, Repub-
lican congressman-elect from the
Seventh Ohio district. speaker of the
house in the Forty-seventh congress.
will prepare a bill for submission TO
the Fifty-ninth congress which, il
adopted. will reduce the representa-
tion Of the south In congress and In
the Electoral college. The veteran
Ohio leader Is backed In his efforts
to enforce equality of citizenship by
powerful organization of national
scope, and the bill he will present for
the consideration of congress un-
doubtedly will have the approval of
President Roosevelt and the federal
administration.
When asked how he proposes 10
effect the reduction, General Keifer
replied:
by the fourteenth amendment to
the federal constitution, which author
ICES congress to proportionately re-
duce representation in congress and
in the Electoral college when and
where the right TO vote is denied or
in any way abridged, except for par
ticipating In rebellion or other crime"
DO you maintain that the south by
limiting the elective franchise in vio-
lating the federal constitution" was
asked.
Il am not quarreling with disfran-
chisement," was the reply.
For aught I know the southern
states which have disfranchised blacks
and whites alike may have valid laws
and their right to say who may vote
and who may not may be incontest-
ible. But | maintain that when such
disfranchisement is affected and that
when male inhabitants of those states,
81 years old and citizens of the United
States are denied the right to vote,
congress may reduce the representa-
tion OF those states in congress in the
proportion which the number of such
male citizens bears to the whole num-
ber of male citizens q years of age
in such states"
General Keifer does not deny that
state, subject only to the fifteenth
amendment to the federal constitu-
ton, has the right TO dictate under
what conditions the elective fran.
chise shall be granted, but he stern
uously denies that after so limiting
the franchise such states are not
amenabe to the fourteenth amend
ment, which provides for reduction
in representation in congress.
Although an active participant in
the war of the Rebellion, General
keifer does not speak harshly Of the
south and Is not one of those who
charge southern states with having
violated the constitution of the United
| States.
Nor" said he, would | be in favor
of imposing radical legislation upon
the south which would be punitive in
its nature. II, after congressional
representation in the south has been
educed, state constitutions and stat
utes are repealed or modified so as to
restore the elective franchise. should
be i'm favor of restoring the represen.
tation OF those states in congress"
When asked upon what the basis OF
representation of the reduction plan
would be specifically based, General
keifer replied:
| THAT would be determined by the
facts in each case. In my judgement
the power of congress to make the re
duction is incontestible. but it will b.
an exceedingly difficult matter to gct
at the facts. II would be necessary
TO examine the constitutions of tbt
various states. the various registra
ton. primary and other election law.
passed under those constitutions. ant
by making comparisons with the cen
sus returns ascertain what proportion
of the male citizens 2l years of as'
exercise the elective franchise. IL
the south, generally, disfranchisemen
is affected through the enforcement
OF laws pertaining to registration. o
course registration may not be th'
flnal test. II does not follow that be
cause an elector fails to register ant
therefore fails to vote that he does S,
because of stringent or prOhibitiv'
election laws. He may choose to fai
TO register and vote. All these ques
tiuns will have to be solved aloni
broad lines of inquiry which will in
volve an investigation into a grca
many conditions"
p General keifer asserts that the oi
SANITATION which is directing an in
yestigalion into these matters is pre-
pairing an exhaustive bill of particular
dealing with conditions in the variou
states and that no attempt will b
made to draft a bill until the fact
, t,ave baay ascartninad General " oil
er declines to divulge the characte
OF this organization but asserts tina
II is financially equipped to make til
investigation, and includes in its mem
bership prominent leaders Of tn
: south. It's headquarters, he says, ar
i'm New York.