The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-08

| of a stir by introducing q ofil proViu- ing for a reduction of the Congressional representation of the southern s.ates | on the ground that many of the citizens | of those States are deprived of their 1 right to vote, and MT. Scott plunged | the Senate into an exceptionally early debate by attempting to secure the passage of the bill granting pensions to the telegraph operators of the civil war This discussion of the time for voting on the Philippines bill brought out the fact that there is general un- derstanding that the Christmas holiday recess will begin on the 18th inst.
 Bill Caused Stir.
 Senator Platt ,of New York today in- troduced the bill prepared under the direction of the Committee on National Affairs of the Republican Club of the city of New York; having as Its purpose the reduction of the representation in Congress of Southern States that have disfranchised the negro voter. The l measure, If enacted in its present form, would lessen the membership in Con- gress by nineteen, according to the es- timate that has been made by the Re- publican Club. which originated 1t. The bill and a statement issued by Senator Platt were referred to the Committee | on Census.
 The statement follows: "The bill is framed on the lowest limitation possi- ble and treats as excluded from the suffrage only the male negro citizen over 21 years of age classed by the twelfth census as illiterate under the 1900 census tables published since the | apportionment act of January 16. 1901. The Aggregates Excluded.
 "The aggregates actually exclude l from the suffrage in each of the States mentioned are in truth larger than those used as the basis for this act. If all negro votables u. e., male citizens over 2D. regardless of illiteracy should be deemed to be excluded the reduction in representation figured from the same tables, would be nearly twice as great as stated in this bill.
 Tt requires no evidence beyond no- 1 torious historical fact for Congress to adjudge what cannot be denied, that the class of negro illiterates to the extent l stated is practically excluded from the ! suffrage in the States mentioned in the | bill, no matter what may be the nomi- nal provisions of their respective con- stitutions or election laws The bill 1 therefore. presents the smallest reduc- tion practicable and Is very conserva- 1 tive"
 How much further meritoriously considered the reduction should ex- tend can readily be arrived at by more specifically regarding the actual facts | of total exclusion in respect to each State. In treating fractions of repre- | sentation the benefit has been given l in favor of the representation accord- ing to the size of the fraction. The l 'apportionment' remains as fixed in 1901, and the reduction Is to cease when the facts shall warrant it.
 | Would Reduce Alabama.
 | he hill hae heen nreDared under the direction of the Committee on Na- tional Affairs of the Republican Club of the City of New York, the club hav- ing at its first meeting after the Presi- ldential election unanimously voted to request Congress to take immediate ac- tion pursuant to the representation plank in the National Republican plat form"
 The bill provides for the reduction of 1 representation in the House or hepre- sentatives as follows; | Alabama. from 9 to [: Arkansas. to I6; Florida, 3 to 2; Georgia, II to s; Louisiana, v to 5; Mississippi. E to S; North Carolina. 10 to s; South Carolina, 2 to 5: Tennessee, 10 to 9; Texas, lS to l5; Virginia, 10 to 8.
 The bill amends the act making an apportionment of representatives ID Congress among the several States un-
 
 | sections.
 The first is a preamble as follows:
 '.Section 6. Whereas. the Constitu- ton of the United States prescribes In Article IA, Section 2. that when the right to vote at any election specified in said article Is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such States, or in any way abridged except for participa- ton in rebellion or other crimes. the l reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear | to the whole number of male citizens 21 years of age in such State;' and fur ther prescribes in Article l5 that the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State. or on account of race, color or previous conditions of servitude; and
 "Whereas, the Congress is satisfied that the right of male inhabitants of certain States being 21 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 per- mitted by the Constitution of the Uni ted States. and that the representation of the States hereinafter specified should | De TeuuCeu puTSuaHs Io tHo SoAStilu- tion." -
 It then provides that after the third of March the representation of certain States shall be as given above
 The bill also provides: That when ever hereafter it shall appear to the satisfaction of the Congress that the right to vote at the elections specified in Section 2. Article 14 of the Constitu- tion in any of the States last specified is no longer denied or in any way abridged for cause not permitted by the Constitution of tie United States then the number of members appor- tioned to such State in the House of Representatives by Section 1 of the aforesaid act of 1901 hereby amended may be restored to said State by fur ther amendment to the aforesaid act This reduction shall apply to the next election for members of the House ot Representatives from said last men tioned States in the Sixtieth Congress.
 It provides in Section for election at large of the Representatives of any State whose representation is reduced
 provided the State prior to election does not re-district the State on the reduction basis.