The Saint Paul globe., 1904-12-08

portionment' remains as fixed in 1901
and the reduction is to cease when the
facts shall warrant it.
The bill has been prepared under the
direction of the committee on national af-
fairs of the republican club of the city
of New York, the club having at it's meet
ing after the presidential election unani=
mously voted to request congress to take
immediate action, pursuant to the repre-
senta tion plank in the national Republican
platform.
The bill provides for the reduction of
representation in the house of repre-
sentatives as follows: Alabama, from
9 to z; Arkansas, from to 6; Florida,
8 to 2; Georgia, II to 8; Louisiana, Z
to 5; Mississippi, to 6; North Caro-
lima, 10 to 8; South Carolina, Z to s.;
Tennessee, 10 to 8; Texas, 16 to 10;
Virginia, 10 to 8.
The bill amends the act making an
apportionment of representatives in
congress among the several states un-
der the twelfth census" by adding new
sections. The first is a preamble, as
follows:
Section 6. Whereas, the constitution 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 being twenty lone years of
age and citizens of the United States. or
III any way dDfluBeS, except IOr partlClpd-
tion in rebellion or other crime. the basis
of representation therein shall be reduced
In the proportion, which the num-
Der of such male citizens shall bear to
the whole number of male citizens
twenty-one years of age in such state"
and further preScribeS in article Is that
1.-THE right of citizens of the United States
to vote shall not be denied or abridged
by the United States or any state on ac-
count of race. color or previous condition
OF servitude;" and whereas the congress
Is satisfied that the right of male inhabi-
tantS of certain states being twenty-one
years of age and citizens of the United
States to vote at some Of the specified
elections since the passage of the act here
by amended has in fact been denied or in
some way abridged for causes not per-
mitted by the constitution of the United
Safes, therefore the representation of the
states hereinafter specified should be re-
duced pursuant to the constitution.
1t then provides that after the Sd Of
March the representation of certain
states shall be as given above. The
bill also reads:
That whenever hereafter it shall appear
to the satisfaction of the congress that the
right to vote at the elections specified in
section 2, article IA Of the constitution,
in any of the states last specified, is no
longer denied or in any way abridged for
causes not permitted by the constitution
of the United States, then the number OF
members apportioned to such state in the
house of representatives by section l 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 of representa-
tives from said last mentioned states in
the sixtieth> congress.
1t 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 redistrict the state on the re-
duced basis.