The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1904-12-01

Thomas J. Pence in Raleigh Post
WASHINGTON, Nov. lit devel-
oped today that there is an element
in the Republican party opposed to
the Crumpacker plan looking to the
reduction of Southern representation
in Congress and the electoral college.
This opposition is ready enough to
enact legislation for the humiliation
OF the South, but it is unwilling to
give its encouragement. to any
scheme that has the appearance of
approving the acknowledgements OF
the black man. 1t was made appar-
ent during the day that high up Re-
publicans entertain the view that the
Crumpacker plan gives practical up
prevail to the suffrage amendments
in the Southern States and aban-
dons the black mans political future
in those States. This element, which
has risen up in opposition to the dis
reimbursement scheme argues that the
colored man has been loyal to the
Republican party and that it would
be nothing short of criminal to say
to the Southern States: You have
acted within your rights in depriving
the negro of the franchise, but we
must reduce your representation to
an actual voting basis"
This is the position taken by Il
number of friends of the negro who
want to mete out a different form of
punishment to the South for deny
ing the black man universal suffrage
They think something should be done
to force the South to give the negro
the ballot, but they are not willing
that the Republican party should
give its sanction, even inferentially,
to the suffrage amendments adopted
in Southern States in recent years.
From the same authority came the
statement that HE President was in
clined to this view, though he let it
be known that the chief executive
has, so far as he knows, not commit
ted himself. The President is repre-
scented as thinking SO many different
| things since the election that most
White House stories are taken ut a
! discount these days. At any rate,
it is alleged that Mr.. Roosevelt was
urged to dwell upon the subject in
his letter of acceptance, the plank in
the Republican national platform
being called to his attention at the
same time. The story is told that
the President had doubts as to the
wisdom of the course, because he be-
lieyed that it would do the colored
man an Injustice. "Can we afford to
abandon the black MANI" he is quoted
as saying, "when his suffrage has
been taken away from him? Would
that be the Just thing for the Repub
lican party to dO?''
| Two years ago Speaker Joseph q
Cannon opposed with much vigol
the movement to commit the Repub
licans of the House to the Crum
packer bill. His opposition was the
death knell of the measure. Today
it was recalled that Mr.. Cannon dis
cussed in all his speeches in the recent
campaign the mighty balance the
South holds in the House.
In New England he showed the vot
ers how a single Congressional dis
trict up North would cast a greater
vote than the vote of eight or nin'
representatives from Southern
State and how the industrial outpu
of that district would exceed the out
put of a State in the South, the ide;
being to contrast the relative pOlit
zeal power of the sections and tn
relative Importance OF the industries
No little significance is attached t
Mr.. Cannon's remarks. The Stal
the administration organ, said thi
afternoon in speaking OF the matter
1T is well understood among a nun
Der Of Republican leaders in Congre'
. that an effort will be made at the ne,
long session to reduce the representatio
of States in the House of Representative
in proportion to the extent to which Il
suffrage is denied their citizens. II 4
extraordinary session of the Fifty-nin
Congress should be assembled, the su
ject would probably be taken up then.
The leaders realize that it is no ca
. task before them. They do not kno
whether it can he accomplished in I
coming Congress or not. 1t is yet to
=. determined whether the good-nature
!, easy going people OF the middle secti'
have been sufficiently aroused to the s
uation to indorse stringent measures.
Bnt the effort will be made. The IN
who have the case in hand have been pl
pairing for the fight. and whether il
!. won or not in the coming Congress it
to he waged with all ardOr"