The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-05
Aged Ohio Man Has Heard
 a Call.
WILL WAR ON THE SOUTH
Proposes Reduction Of Con-
 gressional Representation.
sseiaI Equality, Says the Oensral Hse Never Bsloasea ss ths Exer- else ef rsistiesl niskt.
 s.a 1t Never wul.

Columbus. O.. Dec. l.--0en- '. War. ren Keller. former Speaker of the Na- tional House of Representatives. who has been reelected to Congress from the Seventh Ohio District. has issusd ' statement in which he announces that his mission is to secure legislation to prevent the diseranchisement of voters In the South. General Keller has made an exhaustive study of the subject. he says. and in his statement he gives au outline of what he expects to accOmp- lfsh. He says:
 All I contend for is equal voting power in all the States in electinG members of the House and In election Of the President Of the United States. This equality of right should De con- ceded, and no principle of generosity to the South requires any such sur render of a fundamental principle ok our form of Government.
 "A just rule of representation should be found. and great care should be taken to avoid the possibility of do- ina injustice to any State, and what- ever rule is adopted must be applied North as well as South.
 Lack of Contests.
 Tt Is said the people South do not vote because there are no contests in many places. The lack of fair contest in eiecting members must be charged to disfranchisement by law. or other methods. It was not formerly so. aa we have seen. The natural desire of every citizen is to exercise the high privilege of voting, and there ts al< ways some grave reason for his not doing so.
 'The constitution and laws of dis franchising States are widely different. though in general adopted in each stata to accomplish the same end. Thfs. makes the question of fixing Congress sional representation very difficult, buf being dificuit is no reason why 1t should not be done at all.
 Tt being clear that the right of many male citizens of proper age ta vote has been denied or abridged. it remains for congress to do It's duty by enforcing the fourteenth amendment as well as the other provisions of ths constitution as fully as it can. which will result in the equality in represen- tation in the House and in the equali- ty of the voter and only that. in elec- ting President of the United States.
 Equality of Voters.
 'Tf the States south insist in dis franchising the colored race or certain of the race. the few therein who gath CT to themselves the right to vote for themselves, for all offices. should not assume that by their acts of disfran- chisement they have centered upon themselves the rights and powers talk en, rightfuliy or wrongfully. from other citizens of their States. when their doing so results in giving them greater voice in the government of the United States than their fellow cit- izens of other States of the union pos- sess.
 'rhe time is passed for claiming that to insist on voter North having an equal voting power with voter South Is an attempt to raise the race question and thereby incite the col- ored people South to commit vio- fence. or that demand for such equaf power Is an attempt to bring about social equality between the white and colored races.
 'If violence ia melted. 1t is by req son that the disfranchisement. not be- cause the North demands equality, voter for voter with the South.
 Social equality never belonged to the exercise of political rights. and 1t never will"