Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1904-12-14

Washington. Special - Senator
Plat, Of New York. has introd,3 led the
BILL prepared under the direC ion 6f
the committee on national anSfrs of
the Republican Club OF the fly of
New York. having AS its purpt q the
reduction OF the rcpresentati / in
Congress OF the Southern Staff that
have disfranchised the negro s-oter
The measure, if enacted in its pres
ent form. would lessen the member
ship in Congress by nineteen, accord
ing to the estimate that has been
made by the Republican Club. which
originated it. The bill and state
mcnt issued by Senator Platt were
| referred TO the committee on the cen
Sus. The statement follows:
This bill is framed upon the low
est limitation possible. and treats as
excluded from the suffrage only the
male negro citizen over u years OF
age. clasSed by the Twelfth Census
as illiterates, under the 1900 census
| tables published since the apportion-
mcnt act of January Ii. 1901. The ag-
| gregatc actually excluded from the
/ suffrage in each OF the States men
toned are in truth larger than those
used as the basis for this act If all
| negro Votahles q. g.. male citizens
| over 21) regardless of illiteracy should
be deemed TO be excluded. the rcduc-
| ton in representation figured from
! the same tables would he nearly twice
AS great as stated in this bill Ii re.
! Quircs no evidence beyond me notori.
Gus historical fact for Congress to ad-
| Judge what cannot o. delied. tina;
the class OF negro illiierates. TO the
extent stated. is practically eXclu led
! from the suffrage in tae States men
| toned in the bill no matter what may
! be nominal provisions of their re-
| SpocGv2 constitutions or election laws
| The bill Therefore presents the small
est reduction practicable and is very
| conservative.
How mucn further. meritoriously
| considered. the reduction should ex-
| tend can he readily arrived at by
more -epccilcaly regarding The actual
| f&ctS -of total exclusion in IcSrect to
caCti State. In treating fractions OF
/ representation. tho benefit has been
| given lin favor OF the representation.
| according 20 the size OF the fractions
| Ihe appOTtionmGnt remains as fixed
! IN 1901. ana the reduction is to
cease when the facts Shall warrant il.
! The bill has been prepared under the
| direction Of tho committee on national
affairs of the Republican Club of the
! city OF New York; the club havins,
at It's first meeting after the Presiden-
tiol election. unanimously voted To
ask Congress 10 tnltc action. pursuant
| to the representation plank m the
national Republican platform"
The bill provides for the reduction
| OF representation in the House of Rep
| resentativCs as follows: Alabama.
! from 10 I: Arkansas, Z To 6 Florida.
To =; Georgia. IL to s: Louisiana. Z
! To D; Mississippi, s To g North Caro-
lima. 10 TO &: South Carolina. to 5:
| Tennessee 10 10 .: Texas. IL to Is:
| Virginia. 10 TO 8. This bill amends
the act making an apportionment OF
iepros cntativ 5 il Cousre.s among
! the several States under t!.c twelfth
| Census" by adding now sections The
first is n preamble Is follow
Section G. Whereas. the constitu-
| tion OF the United States prescribes
in article IL. section ,. that when the
| right TO vote at any election specified
| in said article is denied to any of the
[ male inhabitants OF such States being
| II years OF age and citizens of the
| United states or in any way abridges.
except for participation in rebellion
| or other crime the basis of represen-
| tation therein shall he reduced in the
proportion which the number OF such
male citizens shall bear to the whole
number OF male citizens II years OF
age in SUCH States: and further pre-
! scribes in. article 10 that the right Of
citizens OF the United States TO vote
shall not he denied or abridged by the
| United States or any State. on account
of race, color or previous condition of
servitude: ana whereas. the Congress
| is satisfied that the right of male in
habitants OF certain States being 2l
years OF age and citizens OF the United
| states to vote at some OF said specified
! elections since the passage OF the act
| hereby amended has in fact been denied
! Or IN some way abridged for causes not
| permitted by the constitution OF the
| United States and that the represen-
| tation of the states herein after speci-
| fed should be reduced persuant to the
constitution" IL then prOvidss that
| after the 3rd OF March the Representa-
tion OF certain States shall be as 2iven
above.
The bin also prJvdes: THAT wnen-
ever hereafter It shall appear 10 the
; satisfaction OF the Congress that the