The Wisconsin weekly blade. [volume] (Madison, Wis.) 1916-1925, 1919-04-19

spective numbers, counting the whole number
of persons in each state, excluding Indians, not
taxed But when the right to vote at any cleo
ton for the choice of electors for president and
e-president of the United States representa-
tives and judicial officers Of state or the mem
bers of the legislature thereof, is denied any of
the male inhabitants of such state, being II
years of age, and citizens of the United States
or in any way abridged, except for participation
in rebellion or other crime, the basis Of repre-
sentaton therein shall be reduced in the proper
ton which the number Of such male citizens
shall bear to the whole number Of male citizens,
ri years Of age in such state"
And section CT the same Article gives to
congress the power to enforce, by appropriate
legislation, the provisions of this article"
AS we understand it, the Burke resolution,
which you alone opposed, merely requested of
congress the exercise Of this power granted it by
the constitution of the United States, to support
which each senator was soemny pledged to do,
Democrats not excepted. You saw fit to record
yourself in diametric opposition to d clear pro-
vision of the constitution.
We are told, Senator, that you are yet a young
man-perhaps the youngest member of the
senate. Youth we know is not an age dis
tingushed for the erudition Of its members.
youthful lndiscretions" has always been a
phrase with which to conjure by those who would
ambitious young statesman with visions Of flu
ture greatness ought to be sufficiently discreet
to camouAage his party loyalty by display of
simulated patriotism.
1t is suggested, Senator, that your mistake is
one of the head rather than of the heart; that
upon the subject you esSayed to discuss you
were not as well informed as you should have
been. For your enlightenment we make the
following comparison. AS you read them bear
in mind that the Burke resolution contemplated
a reduction Of representatives in Congress in
the same proportion that male citizens are de-
MED the right to vote
For our purpose let US take Alabama and
each Of which have IL electors and
10 representatives. In the election of 1916 for
president the total vote for all candidates for
that office was in Alabama 49, 1853; Minnesota
387,04. Yet each cast II votes in the Flee
toral College. Connecticut and South Carolina
each has electors; Connecticut 213,26S votes
South Carolina $3.50. Georgia has IA electors.
equal to New Jersey and one more than Wiscon-
sin or Iowa. Georgia cast 139,998 votes, New
Jersey 494442, Iowa 516,495 and Wisconsin
AL 1874. Perhaps Kansas and Mississippi each
with 10 electors make the worst comparison
The entire vote of Kansas for all candidates for
president was 629813 while that of Mississippi
was $3.50. Yet Mississippi has an equal vote
IN the Electoral College and in Congress with
Kansas
These comparisons might be carried to the
INIT OF your patience Senator, if they have not
been already carried there We trust they will
serve to enlighten you upon the wisdom and
justice OF the Burke resolution, not because Ger
tam people are dSfranchised. but because the
present apportiOnment is unfair to Wisconsin
and other states the votes Of which so nearly
represent the voice of the people.