The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-13
Effort to Cut the South S
Representation.
FEWIN PARTISAN PLAY
Most of the Business Men North See
That the Effort Would Embltter
Political Struggles and lnjure
the Entire Country Com
norcinIlv
merciaiIy.
RN CICERO w. uARRIS.

Washington, d. c., Dec. 12.-Nat-
urally the Southerners in Congress are
deeply interested, even beyond all else
in the bills proposed for changing
Congressional representation In
general way these measures are ~
tended for partisan purposes merely
with a thin pretcnce that lhey APP
ply as we'll to the North as TO the
South. Of course the scheme is TO
cripple the South'S power III the Dem
ocrauc party. Beyond question thal
is the primary consideration. Revenge
for the past the Republicans contilVeS
could easily forego IN view of the ire
mendous extent OF the Democratic e.
verse and the apparent security of the
Republican party. And as Tor more
Republican representative III con-
gross, they feel that already they nave
too many to know what - do WIN.
Their representation IL present is
really top-heavy. i>iScfcer kepuhlHt II
members wish the majority was much
smaller than il is 40. 4 he purpose
is plain, irresistible, ng-meditated-
a purpose to weaken the southern he
mocracy so that it can no longer nave
the potent voice in party cOunSeiS IL
has vhjoyed for great while. 10
accomplish this the Republicans are
willing to subvert any known govern
mental principle of freedom or right.
Hence these pills Will be availed of,
or some of them, to vreak their malice
not so much, although that is Sec
ondary consideration, as to FORM ah
offensive movement against the 'eiy
existence of the National Democratic
organization. The mistake the leaders
in this plan make is in counting the
President and the North as with them
;I,r In I1n
doubtful as to the former; it is posi-
lively plain to my mind as to the
latter. The country is tired and SICK
of sectionalism and rancor. 1T de-
SireS peace between North and South
and subsistence of race passions. The
entation-reduction SCheme
would increase the distrust, intlame
the animosities of the whites and
blacks in the South, disturb business
in the country at large and give to
national politics a ferocity and Vlru-
lence to which national politics nave
been stranger for several years past.
The Southerners here, as general
thing, do, noe apprehend the early
enactment, if any enactment at ali.
of anv of these bills introduced with
so free and lavish a hand this session
of Congress. First OF all, there IS
an impression that the President VIII
not stand for it. That will have an
important bearing on the subject.
Next, this is the short session and
there will probably be no extra session
next spring or summer.
The consideration of greatest
weight in preventing action will be
the large sums invested by Northern
business men in the South The pocket
nerve is the most sensitive. The truth
that the business people of the North
ern States are against sectional agita-
ton is the one evident fact in all lh2S
vexed matter which gives Southerners
and others quiet assurance that no Dill
will be enacted into law unless the
| leaders of the Republican party are
| infatuated With the belief that they
can afford to disregard public senti-
| ment If they are as wise in their
| day and generation as they usually
are they will table all these misChieV-
| Gus measures. A continuance of race
| troubles will interfere very seriously
with the prosperity of the Southern
! people and therefore with the general
| prosperity of the entire country No
! one portion of our vast and inter-knit
| republic can be struck at by legislation
which will prove harmless to other
| sections. The welfare of one region
! of our country, the genuine welfare
! | mean, not a pretence as the high
tariff prosperity alleged by the Re-
| publicans, is the welfare of all other
! regions
:. Against Sprping Session.
The trend of feeling against an eX-
ira session in the spring or early
summer is unmistakable That there
will not be an extraordinary session
! in which to consider the tariff ques-
! ton nobody is foolhardy enough to
predict who values his reputation for
good judgment. But if, as is now sug-
| gested, the session be postponed until
| fall. some of the objections raised
! by the stand patters will be abolished.
! BY October or November the Ways
| and Means Committee leaders could
mature their ideas if they did not
actually reduce them to writing sched-
| ules. Then the country, it is con-
! tended, would have time to think
! what was desirable and it would be
more apparent than it is now what
] was the popular feeling in the Repub-
! lican party in behalf of revision. To
| the poStponement the extreme reVis-
! ionists naturally raise the objection