The forum. [volume] (Springfield, Ill.) 1904-192?, 1916-11-18
SOUTHERN REPRESENTATION

practically the problem presented
by the solid south?"
In every presidential election
1872 electoral votes, or nearly hal
the number to elect, are predeter
miped. No matter who the candi
date, no matter what the issue
this block will be delivered to tbs
Democratic ticket. The great re
glon of twelve states to which
these votes are assigned is imper'
vlous to all appeals, all issues. Ii
is not debatable ground. Outside
of it the tide of opinion is free
Great issues are presented to the
electorate, debated, and finally
judged. Here, east, north and
west, there is the process of free
government, government by pub
lie opinion. In the solid south
there is no opinion. In 1865 the
election of 1916 was determined,
as far as the south is concerned,
and SO will be the election of 1920
and every election until conditions
have been radically changed.
We are not concerned to blame
the southerners for this automatic
partisanism. They have reasons
which seem conclusive to them for
1t. But it is clear that if the poll
cies and government of the United
states are to be directed by fail
discussion and free judgment, if.
Ia short, the United States is to be
| republic in reality, and not II
republic in the Mexican sense, We
must consider what it means to
ave perfectly dead weight Of
1872 electoral votes cast unto the
scale of decision at every national
election.
I'VE ought to consider also that
his block is out of all proportion
o its voting strength. These 1872
votes do not represent free judg-
nent on the issues of the campaign,
lut, what is more, they do not re.
present the same ratio to votes
;ast at the same election as an
'quivalent number from the north.
For example, Alabama casts 12
votes in the electoral college. Her
p ppulation in 1915 was 2,301 PIT.
In the election of 1912 her total
vote was liz, 7,S79.
Minnesota casts the same num-
Der of votes in the electoral cole ge
Us Alabama. Her population in
1915 was 2,246,76l. In the election
# 1912 her total vote was 334,213.
The Alabama population OF
',300,000 contained, according to
he census Of 1910, over 100000
Negroes. That is the chief reason
Why the popular vote of Alabama
is one-third that of Minnesota.
The situation in short is this:
Fhe Negro does not vote in the
solid south, but his strength is
voted regularly for the Democrat
ic candidate in the electoral college.
Thus we have in the south not
,nly voter whose judgment is
f5reelosed, but also voter who
carries something like three times
as much weight in the electoral
college as the voter in the north,
whose judgment is not predetel
mined.
This preposterous wrong against
government by free opinion ought
not to be tolerated. We are not
arguing the justice or expediencA
If giving the colorod man the vote
or the wisdom of permitting pro.
vision of the national constitution
to be neither repealed nor re.
speeted.
But we do contend that if Il G
Negro vote is not cast at the polls il
should not be cast BY the southern
whites in the electoral college.
Representation in both the elec.
| 'ral college and in the national
congress should represent free
judgment and be in fair ratio tc
tle voting population. The south.