The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-12-08
Offers Bill That Would
Reduce Representation
by Nineteen Votes.
DEMOCRATS VERY
MUCH lRRITATED
Bailey Makes Caustic Inquiry,
to Which New Yorker Makes
Tame Response The
Measure May Die
in Committee
Room.
From our Regular c Corrcspondont.)

(From Our Regular Correspondent.)
WASHINGTON. D. c., Dec. THE
anticipated bill Of Senator Plat. Of New
York, reducing the representation OF
4 Southern States In Congress end the
electoral college,. was introduced to-day.
E So great was the interest In the bill that
ut request from a Democratic senator.
1t. was read blythe clerk, instead Of being
read by title. as Is the custom. Portions
Of itwere then re-read. w.
5 Mr.. Bailey was the only senator who
made any comment upon the measure 3
With ri sarcastic tone, lie asked Il there
was anything in the bill il@affectlng the
representation in tte Senate from States
wherein It Is charged the governor and
not the legislature selects senator's. Mr..
7Platt replied that the bill contained no
such provision. With this the Incident
closed for tho time, KS .s5Ss l
Southerners Irritated.
Tho bill provides for the reduction OF
Southern representa- ton til by nineteen
votes The better opinion seems to be
that It will not bo reported from the
Committee OH Census to which It was re-
ferred. Indeed, some Republicans are
I III favor OF a conference at as early q
date as possible and decision as to what
shall be done with tho bill Irritation on
the part OF Southern rsena tors and mem-
bers lis alread y manife est and the brca oh
Sbetwcers the two sections will eventually
grow so B wide that anything like har-
8mony will be impossible. The bill was
drawn by Henry e. Tremaine. Of the
Republican Club, OF New Y York. Senator;
Platt introduced 4. practically .'by re-.
quest as Senator Hanna did his cele-;;
ibratcd bill to pension ex- slnve q. Several
negro preachers saw senator Plat T. last
night, presumably in connec ion with his
bill. They did not stay long, and it IS
not believed they received great tncour-
sagement-s ~ " ss f
Mr.. Crumpacke Of Indiana, indicates
that he will Introduce a similar measure
In the House. Reduction OF Southern re-
Sprcsen tation Is his hobby and has been.
such for years. a Democratic member
asked, him to-day! whether he would of a
fer such BILL and while his reply was
mot positive. 1t left the impression that
he would probably do 50.
& The bill offered by Senator Platt Is not
lin pursuance Of the declaration Of tho
Republican platform OH the subject Of
Southern representation. The platform
proposed an investigatiolf with a view
to learning whetherSa any State had un-.
5constitutionally deprived any citizen OF
tho right OF suffrage, and II such was
found to bc the case, Al to reduce tho rep.
resentntion In Congress proportlonately.
So Republicans cannot be held In limo In
support or tho bill by any appeal to 10y
atty to the platform declarations. Above
all else, tho most Important reason Dem
ocrats have for believing that the bill,
will not pass, Isl the fact, as noted IN this:
correspondence yesterday, that the Pres
ident did not mention the subject OF re-
dnction OF Southern representation In his
annual message sent to Congress yester-s
day. Had lle wantcd such action taken
as Is proposed by the Platt bill, he Is not
the kind Of man to refrain from saying
so. > s5G ; ssg
Tho Plntt bill proposes to reduce re-.
presentation as follows: Alabama, reduced
from nlne o5saven; "A arkansas. from seven
TO six; IrlSridn, from three to Two;
Georgia, from eleven to- eight; Louisiana
from seven 10 iive; mississippi, from eight
to SIX; North Carolina. from ten to eight;
South Carolina, from seven to i've; Ten
5nessee, from ten TO nine; Texas from
sixteen to fifteen; Virginia, from ten to
eight
Platt's Statement.
In connection With the bill Senator
Platt issued the following statement:
''TIlis bill Is framed upon the lowest
Limitation possible and treats as cX-
cl,ldcd from the su ffrnge only the anale q
(C,ontinued on Third PaGc)