The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-01
MR. KEIFER'S SCHEME
TO CUT DOWN soUTHs CONGRESS,
 SIGNAL REPRESENTATION.
Little Chance of Favorable Action cn
 the Measure---Opportnni will Be AfTerded for Speech Making.
nx Alfred J. stofer.

| Ex-speaker Keller, or ohio. having introduced in the House his long threatened bill to reduce the represen- tation of Southern States m whtcn ne claims the negroes in particular ana ffllfterate whites. to a certain extent, have been denied the right to vote. 1t lis the opinion even of most of the Re- 1 publican members that he will have serious difficulty in securing a favor able report.
 The measure will have to be con- sIdered by the committee on Election of President, Vice President and Rep resentatives In Congress. This is committee that has had very little to do since its organization. It is conl- posed of the following members; Messrs. Gaines of West Virginia, Chair man: Sulloway. of New Hampshire; Hermann, of Oregon; Norris, of Ne- braska; Brooks. of, Colorado; Dunweli. of New York; Campbell, of Chic and Burke, of Pennsylvania. RepubIicans; Fucker, of Missouri: GillFpie. of Tex- as: Hardwiek. of Georgia; Ellerbe. or South Carolina and watkins of Louis- jana. Democrats.
 Scarcely democratic member of the House is going to lose any sleep over I this move on the part of the pietur- esque old representative from the Buck ! eye state. Some of the Republicans think that such bill ought to pass.
 
 General Refer fails to secure fa- lvorable report he will, according to hIs present intention. find an oppor- tunity to make a speech on the sup- ject in the House. He has been do- ing lots of talking this session. and when he can not get in for speecn while a live subject is being consta- cred, watches his opportunity to pc recognized while general debate on lan appropriation bill is in order
 l Other speeches will doubtless be made by Republicans representing ais. l tricts in the North and West that have a considerable negro vote. Some of these Republicans know they are satn1 to have a close rub this year to be returned to Congress, and in the ofr years the negroes do not display much interest in the campaigns. They hope to fire them up by ardently ad- vocatins the Keifer bill to cut down Southern representation.
 General Keifar either from tgnof' anea of the real situation or with 2 desire to favor certain states does Dal appear to be consistent In stipularins states shall have. For instance. ns proposes tha. virginta's representa-. | lion In the House shall be reduoef | from ten to eight. That's a cut .oi only two; but he wants to bring Ala banna down from nine to five, Geor' gia from eleven to SIX ana nnstS [ tuition of Virginia eisfranchised tn
 negroes by the wholesale-to srsaL
 ar extent than in several other states although so liar as the suffrage IS con cerned 1t was copied largely after tn
 plan in operation m Massacnusrss. rss, b or write, or who can not interpret tn simplest thing in the new constitu ton are not required to stand Una . test if they are small taxpayers o Ireal estate. Several test eases brough z so far before Federal courts nave psS decided favorably to the new eonsti tuition of the state.
 Under the first registration Tn VT ginia under the new constitution aoou 22,0oo negroes were declared entitis to vote. Last year only about l2,Oe
 thought enough of the francnise, e, E, which Is higher than Is levied In mos IofHhe states As the Republicans fol lowed the example of the fellows fur ther down South who control the Fed
 eral patronage and held Lily Whits
 convention at Roanoke the darkeys pc
 came offended, and 1t Is estimated tna
 moi 2 GOO took the trouble to go C
 inc polis. The poll tax has to be nai'
 in Virginia as is required In Massa
 chusetts six months in advance or al election The negro being no longe a political factor Tn Nlrslhia .ne "
 publicans who are out Tor the Feoera
 ofYices have abandoned him to hi fate, as Senator Morgan would put 1t and the Democrats never could coun
 on him, so the black man has poo chance of getting his poll tax pal' by candidates even If It could pc don' under the stringent law that was pass ed to break up such a practice.
 President Roosevelt, Speaker Can non and nearly all the leading Repuo liicans are known to be unalterably op
 posed to General Keifer's proposition 1 Congressman Crumpacker. of Indiana rode the hobby for about four years and was squelched in a Republican caucus. There is suspicion now tha
 fudge Crumpaeker is rendering quiet Iy all the aid in his power to Genera Keller. but the Indiana represent1tN' ia not going to get into the thick o
 a tight he is compelled to admit VII | be losing one