Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-09-17
MINORITY RULE IN DEMOCRATIC
PARTY,

Ihere were nearly 100000 votes
registered in 1902 to elect the pres
ent house of representatives consist
ing OF 1856 members. Nearly one-third
of these members, or 1872 members,
came from twelve states that have for
many years had democratic majorities.
These southern states are Georgia, AL
ALBANIA, Arkansas, Mississippi, South
Carolina, North Carolina, Louisiana,
Kentucky, Texas. Virginia, Tennessee
and Missouri. There are only five re-
publican congressman from these
twelve states, one from Virginia, Ken
lucky and Missouri each, and two from
Tennessee.
These twelve states constitute the
democratic stronghold and they can be
relied upon this year to elect as many
democrats as they now have in the
house. There is not an even fight in
this section nor a chance for a cam
paign between two parties in most of
them. BY their population these twelve
states are entitled to their representa-
ton, if representation goes by popula-
ton. But by their own showing they
did aot have one-third or even one
fifth of the vote cast in the country to
elect the fifty-eighth congress. They
cast, all-told, 1,S62,623 votes for 1872
representatives and the other states
cast 9,O67, or votes to elect 264 repre-
sentatives. In the northern aud west
ern states both political parties cast
votes in something like the ratio i'm
piled by the apportionment. In the
south the democratic party controls
by constitutional and legislative dis
REIMBURSEMENT, and denies the right of
representation to fully one-half the
population. They elect a majority of
the democratic membership of the
house by a minority of the citizens of
those states If the democratic party
should have majority in the next
house that N ajority would be control
led by the southern states.
This is condition and not the
DRY. In a democratic house less than
one-ifth of the men who vote will
dictate the policy and control legisla-
ton. Could there be better example
of minority rule than this? Men of
independent mind who do not care to
be tied up to any political party may
think they can show their independ-
StiSC ny NoLluS III d uSluOCldllC Cdl-
didate in a republican district but by
so doing they are simply helping the
minority of the south, elected without
a contest and without a campaign or
consideration for public questions.
They aid this minority of men who
are bound by no political principles
other than the old dogma of free trade
to take control and legislate for the
Whole country. The solid south can
not be broken. 1t should be met with
at least majority in congress to rep
resent the interests OF the four-fifths
of the voters who do take an interest
in public questions, discuss them and
go to the polls to express their views
So long as the democratic party is
controlled by the representatives in
congress who are there with only a
party nomination and certificate of
election, who owe no responsibility
more than small minority of the peo-
pie in their own districts, that party
should not be allowed by the voters
of the northern and western states to
take control of the legislative machin-
cry Of the government